Mermen Sink Middies; Sextet Closes Season With Elis

Sentiment and strong, traditional rivalry will be cast in relief tonight as Crimson and Blue sextets pitch battle on the Garden ice in what may be the most exciting battle of the season.

Fresh from a 5-4 victory over the Elis at New Haven the Stubbsmen are out to cinch their title while the Blue skaters are counting on an upset encounter in a last-stand effort to wrest the laurels for themselves.

Last Game for Six Men

Six seniors may pass the rubber for the last time this evening--six doughty forwards who through four years of Freshman and Varsity hockey have never lost a game to Yale, winning 3-2 as Yardlings, 11-0 and 5-2 as Sophomores, and 8-5 and 5-0 last year.

The six are George Roberts, Johnny Mechem, and Ned Cutter, a forward trio who have been playing together for three years and who have scored a dozen goals against the Elis, and Ralph Pope, Gene Emerson, and Traf Hicks.

Yale Threatening

Counting on the sparkling power which the Yorkmen turned on in the third period of the New Haven game when they just failed to tie the Crimson, the Blue sextet has its best chance in many seasons to smash the five-game winning streak chalked up by Harvard.

Strengthened by the addition of Fred Burr, Freshman captain of a year ago, and George Seabury, big defenseman, Yale is capable of playing its best hockey of the year, and Coach Holcombe York believes he can send the series into three games and additionally take the title on New Haven ice next Thursday.

Coach Joe Stubbs had decided to start Dave Mittell, surprise selection for the first game at New Haven, in the goal, and the Harvard starting defense will be Captain Hicks and Gene Emerson. Alternate defense will have Al Kevorkian and Win Jameson.

The Crimson will use three lines in the game, George Roberts will center for Johnny Mechem, right wing, and Ned Cutter, left, Joe Patrick will center for Austie Harding, left wing and Ralph Pope, right. Warren Winslow will take the center position for Fred de Rham, right wing and Henry Ervin, left.

Nine Eli Sophomores

With nine of the 14 players whom Coach York has brought up of the class of 1940 the tilt will be sophomores against seniors. Two of them, Fred Burr, last year's freshman captain, and George Seabury, defensemen, have added materially to the strength of the team since they recently became eligible.

Dudley Humphrey at right wing, Gilbert Humphrey at center and David Bois at left wing for a first line are regarded as the best in intercollegiate ranks. But Coach Stubbs is betting on the edge his second and third lines hold over the Elis, revealing last night that the latter may "surprise everybody." HARVARD  YALE Mechem, l.w.  r.w., D. Humphrey Roberts, c.  c., G. Humphrey Cutter, r.w.  l.w., Boies Hicks, l.d.  r.d., Howe Emerson, r.d.  l.d. Gibson Mittell, g.  g., Holt