Harvard Athletes go to Lillehammer

The attention of Lillehammer was focused on Nancy Kerrigan yesterday as she took first place in the short figure skating competition at the XVII Winter Olympics. Among those eyes most likely watching at Lillehammer were some of Harvard's very own.

This year's participants and coaching staff in the Winter Olympics include a total of five Harvard graduates.

Harvard's hockey team has given team USA four members, including head coach Tim Taylor '63, goalie coach Joe Bertagna '73 and forwards Peter A. Ciavaglia '91, and Ted E. Drury '93-'94.

The faith Harvard Olympian is bobsledder Jim Herberich '85.

To most current Harvard students, Drury's name is familiar. Many upperclass students remember Drury's MVP play in Harvard's successful 1993 run for the Beanpot.

Drury was also the 1993 East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the year and a finalist for the 1993 Hobey Baker Award as the nation's most outstanding hockey player.

As a sophomore, Drury participated in the 1992 Olympics Albertville. Drury appeared in seven games, scoring one goal and having one assist before a knee injury side lined him.

Team USA eventually placed fourth at Albertville after losing the bronze medal game to Czechoslovakia.

This year, the former Harvard student anchored an Olympic front line that reached the quarterfinals of the medal round before falling to Final last night.

Drury's prior participation in high-stakes games expected to help Team USA.

"He bring us Olympic experience and a lot of international experience," Taylor said in an interview last summer.

Drury's return to Harvard after the 1992 Winter Olympic was some-what a surprise, but he said at the time that he "wanted to come back and contribute something to Harvard hockey."

Following his return, Drury became the first Harvard junior to serve as the team's captain since 1921.

"He led by example...and worked as hard as he could," said forward Benjamin M. Coughlin '95 yesterday. "He inspired the rest of us to do the same."

Drury is currently playing professional hockey for the Calgary Flames.

Next to Drury, Peter Ciavaglia is probably best remembered by Harvard students. The 5'10" center has compensated for his small size by being a finesse player.

"He's a magician with the puck...[with] tremendous discipline...and can slip and slide his way through traffic," Harvard coach Ronn Tomassonisaid yesterday.

Ciavaglia's Olympic highlight occurred thisyear against Italy, when he earned a goal and anassist to help the U.S. to victory.

Ciavaglia was a well-recognized player aHarvard as well. As a senior, he was a finalistfor the 1991 Hobey Backer Award and was named 1991ECAC Player of the Year.

In 1989, Ciavaglia scored a team high of 63points en route to the school's nationalchampionship.

At Harvard, Ciavaglia played on the "DynamiteLite" front line with captain Ted Donato '91 andMike Vukonich '91.

Taylor, Team USA's Coach

Taylor, the Olympic hockey team's head coach,was also a star player at Harvard for three years.

As a senior, captain Taylor led Harvard to a21-2-3 record, capturing All-Ivy honors along theway.

In 1969, six years after graduating, Taylorreturned to Harvard as assistant coach for thehockey team, and eventually became coach of thefirst-year team.

Taylor took a temporary leave from his currentrole as head coach at Yale in order to coach TeamU.S.A.

One of Taylor's assistants is a fellow Harvardalum goaltender coach Bertagna.

Bertagna has some experience in the role,having served as part-time goalie coach for theBoston Bruins. Bertagna was netminder forHarvard's varsity squad from 1971-73.

After graduating from Harvard, Bertagna went onto serve four years as the Harvard sportinformation director, and was eventually namedECAC director of hockey.

Herberic the Bobsledder

Herberich has the distinction of being the onlyHarvard Winter Olympian not to come from thehockey team. He will compete for Team USA as thedriver of the second two-man bobsled team.

Herberich's is a Cinderella story of sorts--ayear ago, even he wasn't opimistic about hisOlympic prospects.

He had participated in the 1988 Winter Games inCalgary as a side pusher, but didn't compete atall in Albertville.

Herberich was originally expected to just watchthe Lillehammer games as well, as part of thethird team. But he gave an impressive performanceduring the Olympic trials, beating top-rankedBrain Shimer by. 24 seconds to earn a position onthe second team.

Herberich's success as bobsledder is a bitunexpected, since he was originally a track starfor Harvard.

But during his senior year, Herberich receiveda recruitment letter from an Ohio bobsled teamthat changed his life. With the encouragement ofHarvard track-and-field coach Frank Haggerty, hebecame a bobsledder.

Even as a runner, though, Herberich wasoutstanding. As a 200 and 400-meter sprinter,Herberich set new all-time records for Harvard.

Articles from the Boston Globe, the New YorkTimes and other publications provided by theHarvard Sports Information Office were used in thereporting of this article.

Ciavaglia's Olympic highlight occurred thisyear against Italy, when he earned a goal and anassist to help the U.S. to victory.

Ciavaglia was a well-recognized player aHarvard as well. As a senior, he was a finalistfor the 1991 Hobey Backer Award and was named 1991ECAC Player of the Year.

In 1989, Ciavaglia scored a team high of 63points en route to the school's nationalchampionship.

At Harvard, Ciavaglia played on the "DynamiteLite" front line with captain Ted Donato '91 andMike Vukonich '91.

Taylor, Team USA's Coach

Taylor, the Olympic hockey team's head coach,was also a star player at Harvard for three years.

As a senior, captain Taylor led Harvard to a21-2-3 record, capturing All-Ivy honors along theway.

In 1969, six years after graduating, Taylorreturned to Harvard as assistant coach for thehockey team, and eventually became coach of thefirst-year team.

Taylor took a temporary leave from his currentrole as head coach at Yale in order to coach TeamU.S.A.

One of Taylor's assistants is a fellow Harvardalum goaltender coach Bertagna.

Bertagna has some experience in the role,having served as part-time goalie coach for theBoston Bruins. Bertagna was netminder forHarvard's varsity squad from 1971-73.

After graduating from Harvard, Bertagna went onto serve four years as the Harvard sportinformation director, and was eventually namedECAC director of hockey.

Herberic the Bobsledder

Herberich has the distinction of being the onlyHarvard Winter Olympian not to come from thehockey team. He will compete for Team USA as thedriver of the second two-man bobsled team.

Herberich's is a Cinderella story of sorts--ayear ago, even he wasn't opimistic about hisOlympic prospects.

He had participated in the 1988 Winter Games inCalgary as a side pusher, but didn't compete atall in Albertville.

Herberich was originally expected to just watchthe Lillehammer games as well, as part of thethird team. But he gave an impressive performanceduring the Olympic trials, beating top-rankedBrain Shimer by. 24 seconds to earn a position onthe second team.

Herberich's success as bobsledder is a bitunexpected, since he was originally a track starfor Harvard.

But during his senior year, Herberich receiveda recruitment letter from an Ohio bobsled teamthat changed his life. With the encouragement ofHarvard track-and-field coach Frank Haggerty, hebecame a bobsledder.

Even as a runner, though, Herberich wasoutstanding. As a 200 and 400-meter sprinter,Herberich set new all-time records for Harvard.

Articles from the Boston Globe, the New YorkTimes and other publications provided by theHarvard Sports Information Office were used in thereporting of this article.