FLASHBACK--March, 1986: Harvard and the Final Four

The 1987 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship is looking eerily like the 1986 version.

Harvard, beware.

The location has changed, but not a whole lot else. Harvard took a bus to the Final Four last year. This time, the Crimson will fly. But the goal will be the same: bringing a national championship to Cambridge for the first time since 1904.

For most Crimson fans, last year didn't finish with great ratings--Harvard concluded its season with a 6-5 loss to Michigan State in the national finals at the Civic Center in Providence, R.I.

This year, Harvard won't have to worry about those nasty Spartans. They'll be home in East Lansing, eating popcorn and watching the game on ESPN. Right?

Wrong. If Michigan St. tops Minnesota in the Friday semifinal at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, the Spartans will be back in the finals.

But the similarity--and the errieness--doesn't stop there.

Denver, Harvard's 1986 semifinal opponent, came into the playoffs as the nation's number-one ranked team.

Guess what rating North Dakota--Harvard's semifinal opponent--is carrying into this year's Final Four?

Denver's top status didn't carry it too far last season. After sweeping past ECAC champion Cornell in the quarters, the favored Pioneers bowed out in their semifinal match-up with Harvard. The Crimson tallied three final-period goals to cop a 5-2 victory and advance to the national finals.

The triumph was marred by the injury of Hobey Baker Award winner and Harvard Captain Scott Fusco. Fusco injured his knee in the first period, and he missed the rest of the playoffs.

But the Crimson production didn't suffer from the lack of its star. Senior Tim Smith netted a hat trick--including the game-winner--as Harvard stunned the favorite.

The magic carried over to the beginning of Saturday's championship game against Michigan St., as Harvard jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first eight minutes.

The Spartans had rolled into the championship on the strength of a 6-4 victory over the Golden Gophers on Thursday night.

Another Crimson player took the limelight in the tourney finale, as sophomore Allen Bourbeau filled in for his wounded captain by scoring a hat trick in the opening two periods to put Harvard up, 4-3, heading into the final stanza.

Spartan defenseman Brad Hamilton took advantage of a faceoff to close the gap, and a goal by Brian McReynolds gave Michigan St. its first lead of the contest.

Harvard battled back with a score from sophomore Andy Janfaza, but Michigan St.'s Mike Donnelly stopped the show with his game-winning goal.

The Spartans brought home the gold, while the Crimson took a dismal bus ride back to Cambridge.

At the very least, Harvard won't be taking a bus home this year.