WHO'LL BREAK THROUGH SOUCY?

When the Harvard men's hockey team steps on the ice against Vermont (6-4-1 overall, 4-2-0 ECAC) tomorrow at Bright Hockey Center, the Crimson (7-1-1, 7-0-1) will face an opposing goalie with a knowledge.

Catamount netminder Christian Soucy knows what it's like to snatch a black disc headed for the top corner of his net out of the air in the blink of an eye.

Soucy knows what it's like to save his team from certain defeat.

And Soucy also knows what it's like to receive praise and accolades.

The Gatineau, Quebec native is just a sophomore, but after his freshman year, he received enough honors and press clippings to fill any veteran's scrap book. And maybe enough to start a second volume.

The goalie was named ECAC Rookie of the Year, New England Rookie of the Year and the Catamount's MVP. He was also an honorable mention All-America.

In his most brilliant span last year, Soucy compiled a 1.52 goals-against-average and a .950 save percentage to lead the Catamounts to a 9-0-1 streak. So how has the 22-year-old Canadian responded in his second season between the pipes?

Although Soucy has not ammassed the Herculean numbers this year that made him Burlington's favorite hockey son last season, he still ranks as one of the two or three best goalies in the ECAC.

In fact, up through the Catamounts most recent victory, a 7-3 win over Division III Middlebury, Soucy ranked second in the league behind St. Lawrence's Brady Giroux.

And he's still getting praise from coaches and players around the league. "I think [Soucy's] record speaks for itself," Harvard Assistant Coach Jerry Pawloski said. "He does a heck of a job between the pipes."

Soucy has already gathered 185 saves in six ECAC games and boasts a .925 save percentage.

He still stands out as the Catamounts' last and most reliable line of defense. But Soucy did not have much luck against the Crimson last year. On its path to the ECAC Championship, Harvard beat Vermont twice, and Soucy let in seven goals, three the first time and four the second. And last season, Soucy didn't have to face Captain Ted Drury, who has jumped to second in league scoring after his six-point weekend against Colgate and Cornell.

Soucy will have to deal with Drury as well as the rest of the newly formed first line which exploded against Cornell.

The Vermont goalie may recall one member of that line, junior wing Chris Baird, against whom he played in high school. "[Soucy] was pretty good back in Ottowa," Baird said. "He's obviously a good goalie now. But we're just going to stick to our game plan and not worry about what they're going to do."

THE NOTEBOOK: Soucy gets help from the Catamounts captain, senior defender Aaron Miller. Miller, who often logs 40 minutes on the ice for the Catamounts, is a two-time All-ECAC Defender, and with Soucy, he has led Vermont's top ranked defense...The Catamounts have allowed 15 goals in six league games, and in victories over Clarkson and St. Lawrence, held the ECAC powers to five scores between the two teams...Vermont has had trouble scoring this season and will look for sophomore Dominique Ducharme and junior Nicolas Perreault to break out of their offensive shells...Harvard will make a decision on its starting goalie after practice today.