Sophomores, Spirit Spark Improved Crimson Sextet

With graduation taking away his established stars, Crimson hockey coach Cooney Weiland last year looked forward to a season well below the standard set by the teams in the 'Cleary era.' Forced to rely heavily on sophomores, Weiland saw as the season progressed that the first line was the only one with any scoring punch. The result was the loss of the Ivy League title.

This year the outlook seems identical, as there is only one senior with five juniors on the first three teams. There is, however, one significant difference.

The sophomores on the squad are among the best Weiland has seen in several years, three of them good enough to be set as his first line. Providing great depth and ability, the rookies could be enough to bring back the title. At any rate, they are sure indication that Harvard hockey is about to get back on its feet.

With the BC game this Saturday, Weiland is still undecided on the exact make-up of his secondary lines, due to tight competition at all positions. Another healthy sign, the competition, has produced stiff, fast practices this last week, and has given the squad an increased incentive and spirit. As one player put it Monday, "Last year we lost several games which we entered as distinct favorites. This year that won't happen."

There is no question about the first line, where Dave Grannis will center wings Bruce Thomas and Dave Morse. Grannis, the high scorer on last year's Yardling team with 20 goals and 24 assists, has what Weiland calls, "perhaps the best shot on the team." Thomas at left wing, generally conceded to be the best hustler on the squad, and Morse at right, both picked up over thirty points last year. With Grannis they give Weiland a line which with steady improvement should be excellent by the middle of the winter.

It's an old axiom that varsity play with smarter and quicker opposition is always much tougher than freshman. For the boys who come up to Weiland's squad this is even more true than at most colleges. Weiland's brand of hockey is essentially defensive, "stop the other team from scoring and get your scores on breaks," and it's often a totally new concept for the sophomores.

Used to chasing the puck, they must learn to stay with their opposite wings and destroy the opponent's plays. Weiland's philosophy, "you can cut a better player down to size if you cover him" is a perfectly valid one but hard to instill in a group of goal-hungry forwards.

The sophomores have looked well so far, but their effectiveness at defensive play had yet to be proved. It can only be built up in game competition, which makes the varsity's hopes, for the early part of the season at least, somewhat dubious. With the needed game experience, however, Weiland feels the team is certainly capable of picking up the league title.

Beyond the first line, position are anything but set. Stew Forbes will center the second unit, with Crocker Snow at right wing, and either Bill Beckett or Jim Dwinnell at left. Forbes and Snow, who played through the entire season a year ago, have both made tremendous strides this fall according to Weiland. A teammate referring to Forbes said Monday, "he's played the best hockey of his life this last week."

The third line is probably the best the Crimson has had in several years. Weiland in the past has had to rely mostly on the scoring punch of the first unit, but "this fall," he said, "There's not so much difference between the lines." That he will be able to throw three lines of almost equal ability at the opposition, constantly, keeping the pressure on the opposing goalie, unquestionably will be an important factor in lifting the team's point total.

The third line has been referred to by members of the team as the "hatchet line." Big, fast, and strong, it is centered by Tom Heintzman, with Dean Alpine at left wing and Ted Ingalls at right. Heintzman and Alpine were members of the Yardling '30 point club' last year, while Ingalls played much of the season at third line varsity.

With the three best of last year's defensemen returning, the defense is the most experienced unit on the team. Bob Anderson, among the most proficient checkers in the league, Greg Downes, extremely aggressive, and a healed captain Mike Graney give Weiland reason to relax. Graney, laid up periodically last year with a wrenched back, has more or less recovered.

Dave Crosby, a forward a year ago, has switched to defense and rounds out the group. Still learning the fundamentals of his new slot he has been much more at home on his own side of the blue line, and has caused Weiland to be "very pleased with the way he's shaping up."

During the last two seasons the goal has consistently been Weiland's greatest headache. This year, however, he finds himself with three men any of whom will be a considerable improvement: Pete Tague, Willy Henderson, and last years Yardling captain Bob Bland.

What the versity accomplishes by the end of the season will depend entirely on how rapidly the sophomores develop. With Dartmouth, the present title holder, and Yale ready to make impressive bids for the top, the Crimson must become a cohesive unit early in the game. If it does not, Cambridge will have to wait another year for a really first rate outfit. But the spirit is excellent, and the passing and hustle so far have been more than adequate. As Weiland said, "the boys are anxious to get started. They think they can do something.