Sextet Will Battle Michigan In Colorado Opener Tonight

WHRB will have the final score of the Harvard-Michigan hockey game on its 12:05 sports round-up.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., March 9--The varsity's revised second line may be the deciding factor tomorrow when the Crimson sextet faces the greenest Michigan University team that veteran coach Vic Heyliger has brought to the NCAA Championship Tourney in eight visits.

The game, starting at 20:15 p.m. (EST) tomorrow, will open the three-day hockey tournament here at the tiny Broadmoor Ice Palace.

Coach Heyliger said tonight that the Wolverines will be depending heavily on their first line for a scoring punch, since the second trio is "nothing extraordinary." Michigan's starting forwards will include two of the western league's top scorers, Captain Bill MacFarland and wing Tom Rendall, and the squad's best playmaker, Dick Dunnigan.

The Crimson's second line, now reshuffled because of Terry O'Malley's ineligibility, will be centered by Frank Mahoney, with Ned Bliss and either Arty Noyes or Joe Crehore as his wings.

Coach Cooney Weiland said there was little chance of Doug Manchester playing on the second line because he wanted to keep the high-scoring defenseman on the ice with Bill Cleary.

With Manchester at defense behind Cleary's line, Weiland expects to present an offensive attack that will more than stand up to Michigan's best.

In back of the Wolverines' front wall, however, will be two burly defensemen ready to show the Eastern teams how rough their Western sport can be. Mike Buchanan, a former Chicago Blackhawks' prospect, and Bob Schiller start at the blue line for Michigan.

The teams will each run an hour practice tonight in order to loosen up after the nine-hour plane ride today and become accustomed to the dryer climate.

Captain Scott Cooledge expressed little concern about the difference in altitude compared to the East. "It slows you down a little at first," he said, "but you get used to it before a period is over."

All but five members of the squad played here last season when the sextet made a Christmas trip through the West.

Two-thirds of the Wolverines are sophomores. Many of the varsity skaters are hoping that a quick lead will break their spirit. Center Frank Mahoney com- mented today that "if we can get a real jump on them, perhaps two goals, I think they may get rattled. Most of us played out there last year, though, and something like that shouldn't bother us."

Almost all of the Crimson squad were pleased at drawing Michigan for their semi-final opponent, although playing on the opening day will deprive them of an extra day of practice in the Colorado climate.

"It'll bother Michigan as much as it will us," goalie Charlie Flynn said today. "And it's Colorado College's home rink. They played 20 out of 26 games here this season."

Flynn, starting tomorrow in the varsity nets, should find an equal in the Wolverines' goalie, Lorne Howes, who has allowed only five goals in his last six games.

Michigan fans report that Howes was trying out with the Hershey, Pa., Bears, of the American Hockey League last fall. He quit suddenly, without telling the Hershey coach, to register at college. The professional team's scouts quickly traced him to the university to find out what had happened to their "promising prospect."

Coach Heyliger said today that he had made no special defensive plans for his sextet to concentrate on Cleary or anyone else, "because I just haven't heard enough about the Harvard team. If they use three lines, however, I always have two extra forwards I can put in, including Mike Buchanan's twin brother, Neil."

Both teams will carry victory streaks into the game, with Michigan seeking its ninth win and the Crimson its 15th.

The Crimson last faced Michigan on ice in 1931, and defeated the Wolverines, 7 to 0