Icemen Journey to Motor City for Tourney

With less than a third of its season complete, the Harvard men's hockey team has the NCAA tournament on its mind.

The Crimson (4-1-2 overall, 4-1-2 ECAC) travels to Detroit, Mich. over Christmas break to participate in the Great Lakes Invitational, an annual shoot-out between Michigan area schools.

"I think it's a great challenge," Harvard Coach Ronn Tomassoni said. "A win there could do wonders for our confidence, especially since we're such a young team."

True enough. But isn't there something else to Harvard's aspirations?

"It's also important as part of the NCAA [tournament] later on," Tomassoni added. "We understand that it's a chance to make a statement."

Ah, yes. The NCAA tournament. It has been three years since the Crimson has enjoyed post-ECAC tournament action. More significantly, the Crimson has yet to break into the top 10 this year.

The Great Lakes games give Harvard--currently in fourth place in the ECAC--a much needed opportunity to prove to the pollsters that the Crimson is a nationally competitive hockey team.

Harvard opens up the tournament on December 27 against fifth-ranked Michigan (9-3-3). The other game pits Michigan Tech (7-8-1) against eighth-ranked Michigan State (7-2-4).

Whether the Crimson can pull off an upset depends largely on Harvard's confidence, its ability to maintain its uptempo, skillful brand of hockey against the more bruising style of the western teams.

The conventional wisdom is that the way to beat Harvard is to play physical, to hit hard and often.

Harvard--which has traditionally emphasized speed over size--is even smaller this year than it has been in the past, and, so far, the Crimson has struggled in games dominated by rough play. Cornell and both Brown contests exposed that weakness vividly.

Tomassoni, however, isn't worried about Harvard's obvious size disadvantage. Effective forechecking and quick skating, he said, are the keys to the Crimson's success.

"It's still a game of quickness," Tomassoni said. "They might be bigger and stronger. But they can't hit us, if they can't catch us."

Harvard will look to its fleet-footed forwards, notably Matt Mallgrave, Brian Farrell and Cory Gustafson, to step up the tempo.

The Crimson's main challenge will be defense. Michigan boasts an explosive offense, led by forward Denny Felsner (13-24-37) and David Oliver (16-4-20).

Felsner is currently third on the Michigan all-time goal scoring list (101). Oliver, meanwhile, leads the Central College Hockey Association with 16 goals, nine off the power play.

Harvard's defense has played well this year--the Crimson is tops in the ECAC--and should benefit from the return of senior defender Brian McCormack and senior goalie Allain Roy.

Captain Kevin Sneddon, however, is still questionable for the tournament. Bulging disks in his back have kept the senior blue-liner out since November 26.

The defensive burden, then, will fall primarily on sophomores Derek Maguire and Sean McCann.

If they can keep the tenacious Wolverines at bay, the Crimson stands a good chance of pulling off an upset in the Motor City.

And about that NCAA tournament?

THE NOTEBOOK: Michigan has won the Great Lakes Invitational for the last three years in a row...The Michigan Tech hockey team must be looking forward to a merry Christmas. The Huskies get the unique pleasure (torture?) of spending December 25 on a bus travelling to Detroit for the tournament...St. Lawrence edged Clarkson, 4-3, Friday night, ending the Golden Knights phenomenal two-year, 27-game home winning streak. Both teams are now tied for second in the ECAC...The USSR may have disbanded, but don't tell that to the hockey teams. Yaroslavl will represent the USSR against Vermont and St. Lawrence over the holidays. Clarkson will host the Soviet (what?) National B Team on December 22.