Skate and Shoot, or Bruise and Brawl?

It was one of the stranger quotes of the year.

December 6, 1987--the Colgate hockey team had just defeated Harvard, 4-1, in Hamilton, N.Y. It was the Crimson's first loss of the season and the first time the Red Raiders had ever beaten Harvard on their home ice.

Colgate played the type of game that would be illegal in 14 states. The Red Raiders banged, bruised and brawled. In the final period, a Colgate player slashed and injured John Weisbrod's knee.

The crowd loved it.

So did Colgate Coach Terry Slater, who--when asked about the game's physical style--said, "Both teams put pads on before the game. We use ours."

Typical Slater. When his team wins, he'll defend his style of play until the lights go off at the rink. But when his team loses...

Tonight at Bright Center, Slater and his padded group of players will visit Harvard for the first meeting of the year between the two teams.

Will Raiders use their pads again?

Most likely.

Can a physical game work for Colgate on the larger ice surface of Bright Center?

Probably not. But that didn't stop the Raiders from trying last season.

Last February at Bright, the Raiders played the type of game that would be illegal...well, you know. Harvard skated. Harvard passed. Harvard scored four goals and gave up only one.

Slater grumbled after the game, about how some of the Colgate shots clanked against the post.

No mention of pads or the 1000 fun things you could do with them.

And now that Harvard has proven it's the most danegrous offensive team in the ECAC by trouncing Brown, 10-1, last Monday, will this year's version of the Raiders--which has one of the league's best and biggest defensemen in Mike Bishop--be ready to run and gun with the Crimson?

Or will Colgate use its pads?

You be the judge tonight at Bright.

Maybe Colgate has changed. Maybe it doesn't emphasize a physical game anymore. Have the Red Raiders buried their pads underneath the snowy mountains of upstate New York?

Probably not.

But what if the Red Raiders have changed? Is it true? Has Colgate reformed?

You'll see tonight.

It should be an interesting hockey game. Colgate does have one of the league's better and most physical corps of blue-liners. Harvard's strength is its forwards.

Defense vs. offense. Force vs. finesse. Pads vs. skates.

Only one style of hockey will win out. Unless Colgate forgets to use its pads.