What's My Line?

Number two was number one and number one was out.

Everything was topsy-turvy as Harvard fell to Boston College in the first round of the Beanpot last night at the Boston Garden.

Scott Fusco, the number-one Crimson scorer, stood in street clothes on the bench, felled for the night by a groin pull. Meanwhile, the number-two line started and clicked for three of Harvard's four scores.

Formed only Sunday, the line of Greg Chalmers, Tony Visone and Greg Britz pulled together in a hurry, nabbing two goals in the first period. Chalmers connected for an unofficial hat trick (Britz was credited with one of the goals), Visone celebrated his 22nd birthday with three assists and Britz chipped in an assist while penetrating to set up numerous scoring opportunities. The newly-formed line performed like an experienced trio.

Even the day of the game was wrong, as Monday's snow forced a one-night postponement. Chalmers said the extra day of practice helped solidify the line. "It was a little rusty Sunday," he said. "Yesterday things started to come together quite well."

Quite well indeed. The line came out flying and never slowed down. The second-line--now the first line--threatened to score throughout the game, and by the third period every Crimson line seemed poised for the contest-clinching shot.

But it never happened. Though the iceman outshot the Eagles in both the third stanza and after the end of regulation play, it was a B C stick that swept in the winning goal. Harvard had had all the best chances the extra man in overtime, the Dave Burke shot that bounced off the goal post But Eagle goalie Billy Switaj made the key stops and the Crimson shots couldn't negotiate those last few inches from the front of the crease to the back of the goal line.

While Harvard knocked at Switaj's door, B.C. seemed stymied by the stellar defensive plays of Mark Fusco and Ken Code, "B.C. didn't really generate anything [near the end]. We had more chances," Clearly said after the contest. "It's just one of those things."

In sudden death overtime it takes just one of those things, and B.C.'s came when a defensive blunder allowed Eagle Captain Lee Blossom to go one-on-one with goalie Grant Blair. Blossom didn't miss.

If schedules had been different Harvard's Scott Fusco might have been the one to knock in the winning tally. The sophomore center said that if tomorrow's showdown with ECAC-leading Providence had been rescheduled for later in the season, he would have taken the ice against B.C. Fusco decided against playing the Eagles about two hours before the game.

"If we didn't have to play till Friday I would have played today," Fusco said last night. "I'll be playing [against Providence]," he added.

Cleary will be happy to have Fusco back in the lineup "It hurts not having Scotty there," he said. "I'm hoping he's going to play tomorrow," he added, explaining that he would combine Fusco with Shayne Kukulowicz and Jim Turner I'll keep [the new second] line together, too"

For the second line's Visone, it was his second straight Beanpot birthday. This time a banner proclaimed. "Happy birthday Tony #4" Last year, the greeting was more original, his girl friend arranged for a singing telegram delivered on the ice at the Beanpot consolation game.