Indians Face Crimson Sextet In League Opener Tomorrow

Dartmouth and the varsity hockey teams, both victory-starved and Canadian-sick after disastrous Christmas tours of the West, pair off tomorrow night in the Lynn Arena at 8:30 p.m. for the opening game of the 1954 Pentagonal League.

Best sight of the year for Crimson hockey followers will be the appearance on the ice of two-year veteran Jeff Coolidge, rated as perhaps the top defenseman in the East, for his first game of the season tonight.

Best sight of the month for Dartmouth and Harvard players will be all native Americans on the rink. "We're back in our own league at last," Crimson captain and high scorer Normie Wood breathed yesterday. Indian captain John Titus is probably echoing Wood's relief.

The Indians compiled a better record than the varsity out West, but had to play little Minnesota at Duluth to do it. They edged the small branch of Minnesota University, 5 to 4, in overtime, but lost every other game. The Crimson just lost every game.

Bliss on First Line

Starting for Cooney Weiland will be the two lines the varsity coach assembled halfway through his Christmas tour. Captain Wood will team with wings Jeb Bray and Ned Bliss on the first line, and Doug Manchester will center for Joe Crehore and Scott Cooledge on the second.

Weiland is top-heavy with good defensemen, but defense continues to be his number one problem. Tomorrow, Coolidge will start, probably with ex-first liner Dick Clasby. But Coolidge may work with Ned Almy, with Clasby and Jim Moynihan on second defense.

But just as Coolidge returns, his ex-partner, two-year starter Ed Mrkonich, appears out. Mrkonich skated yesterday for the first time since he injured his ankle against Colorado, but it is very doubtful whether he will play tomorrow. Definitely out is Tony Patton, who ag- gravated his shoulder injury throwing a check two days ago.

Sophomore Pete Summers, who opened the season at defense, has been shifted to wing on the third line, and will team with center Frank Mahoney and Art Noyes. Mario Celi, another converted defenseman, is the extra line-man.

George Anderson and Charlie Flynn are both dressing, but sophomore Flynn will start as usual in the cage.

For Dartmouth, it will be the same veteran combination, led by goalie Gordie Russell, that topped the varsity, 5 to 1, in a non-league game last Dec. 3 at Hanover.

Weiland feels that with Coolidge back in the lineup, his team will definitely give the Indians a closer battle than it did in its opening encounter.

Weiland explains his moving last year's only returning first line letterman, Dick Clasby, back to defense this way: "Dick's a definite scoring threat. He's fast and a good defenseman. This way he will be able to help us by being on the ice longer." Last year Clasby was one of the team's top scorers.

The Indians have almost their entire 1952-53 lineup back, and with a first line of Bruce Haertle, Sever Peters and Captain Titus they have high scoring potential