The Hockey Notebook

The East (or at least part of it) is in the bag. The nation remains.

After winning the ECAC Championship, the Harvard men's hockey team is set for a two-game, total-goals NCAA quarterfinal match against Bowling Green this weekend. This is the third consecutive season that the Crimson has ventured into the national tournament, the fifth year in the last six, and the 12th time overall.

Harvard's all-time record in NCAA play is 7-18-1, with two second, two third, and five fourth-place ribbons. Those bridesmaid finishes came last season to Michigan State, and four years ago to Wisconsin.

If the East's second-seeded Crimson is to capture the national title this season, it will have to beat several schools with proud hockey traditions.

The first of those teams is the Falcons, who will visit Bright Center Friday and Saturday nights. The team that scores the most goals in the two games goes on to the NCAA semifinal in Detroit to ply the winner of the North Dakota-St. Lawrence quarterfinal. If the games are tied at the end of three periods, a series of 10-minute, sudden-death overtimes will follow.

This will be the sixth NCAA tournament since 1977 for Bowling Green. The Falcons won the championship three years ago when Gino Cavallini's shot scooted past the Minnesota-Duluth goalie in the final game's fourth overtime period. BG's overall NCAA record is 5-5-1.

The other teams in the tournament have equally impressive hockey histories.

The East's number-one seed, Boston College, will be making its record-setting 16th NCAA appearance. In those previous 15 seasons, the Eagles captured title once--in 1949.

North Dakota has won four championships in 11 years of tourney participation, Minnesota has won three titles in 13 seasons, Michigan State has two titles in eight, and St. Lawrence has zero crowns in eight tries.

Maine is the only tournament team making its first NCAA appearance.

Green Giants: The Falcons are yet another squad in a seemingly endless succession of Harvard opponents with the reputation "Big size, no skate." BG's roster players average 187 pounds, as compared to 180 for the Crimson.

BG has eight players over 6-ft., 1-in., while Harvard has but two.

Four Falcons remain from the 1984 championship squad, most notably goalie Gary Kruzich. Kruzich, who first attracted national attention for his title-winning performance as a freshman, was named All-America and All-CCHA last year as a junior.

The BG goalie was named to the All-Conference team again this season with his 88.5 save percentage and 3.21 goals-against average. Those numbers are less impressive than Harvard goalie Dickie McEvoy's 90.9 save percentage and 2.25 g.a.a., but goalie statistics tend to be higher in the Western conferences.

Seeding shockers: Some hockey observers were surprised that Michigan State (34-9-2) was awarded the West's second seed while CCHA regular-season champion Bowling Green (36-10-2) was forced to travel to Cambridge. But the Spartans are the defending national champions, and they did defeat BG in the conference finals.

More importantly, Michigan State compiled a 4-0-1 record against the Falcons this seasons, and those performances are what earned the Spartans their home ice berth.

Less understandable is the selection committee's seeding of Maine above St. Lawrence in the East.

The Saints had a better record (24-9 vs. 23-14-2 for the Black Bears), and handily defeated Hockey East regular-season runner-up Lowell, 7-4, in January. Furthermore, since the end of January, St. Lawrence has won 12 of 14 games, beaten Harvard, and finished second in the ECAC Tournament.

But maybe the Larries are better off playing North Dakota instead of Michigan State. The Fighting Sioux' roster is stocked mainly with underclassmen, while the Spartans have experienced the pressures of winning the national championship. MSU has now qualified for the tournament six consecutive seasons.

Harvard numbers: Lane MacDonald is pulling away from Allen Bourbeau and Tim Barakett in the team scoring race. MacDonald now has 35 goals and 28 assists, while Bourbeau has 51 points and Barakett 48.

How's this for consistency? Harvard and opponent goal total by periods:

.1st: Harvard 48, opponents 20.

.2nd: Harvard 47, opponents 21.

.3rd: Harvard 50, opponents 22.