Undefeated Freshman Sextet Mixes Explosive Offense, Untested Defense

Clean hard body-checking and 33 goals in their first four games have made the undefeated freshman hockey squad one of the most exciting teams at Harvard.

When Coach Nat Harris, Jr. speaks of a "fairly solid defensive corps" he includes such men as 215-pound freshman football captain Don Chiofaro. When he speaks of being "a big hockey team" he has in mind such men as Ben Smith, a 6 ft., 3 in., 200-pound forward, Dennis Clark, a 6 ft., 1 in., 195-pound defenseman, and Montague Demment, who plays both up and back and checks in at 6 ft., 189 pounds.

Having won their first four games against relatively weak opposition, the schedule gets tougher when Brown visits Watson Rink Wednesday. Brown beat Northeastern 9-1 after the Crimson dropped them 9-3. Harris says the Brown freshman squad "could be one of their best ones."

The trio of Smith, Ken Parrot, and Captain Donald Grimble, with 27 points in four games, gives Harris a solid first line. Parrot has six goals and five assists. Harris classes him as an exceptionally "clever puck handler." Captain Grimble with five goals and three assists is "a good, fast skater." Smith is a "big, strong 200-pounds" and has three goals and five assists in the four games.

The second line consists of John Garrity, Jr. whose father demolished Eastern hockey scoring records during his B.U. career. Jeffrey Schmidt, and Robert Fredo. Even though this line is credited with 17 points. Harris feels that it has yet to jell. At this point lack of teamwork is the team's greatest problem. Thirteen different players have scored for the Crimson already.

Ironically, Montague Demment, who is not a member of either of the first two units, is the only skater to have scored in each game. Known for a strong slap shot, Demment also leads the team in penalty minutes with six.

The first defense of Clark and Robert Carr has played well, but the overwhelming Crimson attack has given them more rest than Harris might like. Against Exeter, for instance, the puck spent almost the whole game in the Exeter zone. Exeter's goalie made 55 saves to nine for Harvard goalie Franklin King.

Chiofaro teams up with 145-pound Jerry Delaney to form an effective Mutt and Jeff combine for the second defense. Demment drops back to fill in at times.

Harris feels that the defense looked sloppy in the opener with Northeastern, but that it showed real improvement in the 10-5 victory over B.U. Even though the Terriers scored five times, Harris saw "some other things, body-checking esment. Harris claims the squad "has the pecially," that convinced him of improve-makings of a fine freshman hockey team."

"As long as everyone keeps spirits up and cooperates with one another," he adds, "I think we'll do all right."