Skaters Break Slump, Win 2, But Lose to Wolverines, B.U.

The varsity hockey team scored its first two significant victories of the season during vacation tournaments while dropping games to NCAA champion Michigan and to B.U.

The Crimson's only previous win in seven games had come against weak Bowdoin. But in the Boston Garden Festival, Dec. 18, sophomore Dennis McCullough's last-second goal beat Providence, 2-1. 'McCullough scored both goals for Harvard.

The team's biggest win came in the Boston Arena Christmas Tournament on Dec. 30. It was a 5-1 victory over the same Northeastern club that had beaten Harvard, 6-2 a month earlier.

But unlike a month ago, Harvard woke up against Northeastern. The Huskies were tired after playing almost continuously for a week but it was a clean win for the Crimson nonetheless.

Juniors Pete Miller and Gordie Price got the Crimson off to a 2-0 first-period lead. Miller got his first varsity goal on a behind-the-net pass from Ken Burnes at 5:55. Price stole the puck at the Harvard blue line and scored all alone at 12:29.

If that seemed a bit audacious for a team as lowly as Harvard was supposed to be, the rest was incredible. Sophomore Ed Zeliner added a goal at 4:24 of the second period on assists from Price and Pete Waldinger.

Fifty seconds into the last period, Burnes raced the length of the rink to score unassisted. Two minutes later McCullough, assisted by Alden Harrington and Baldy Smith put Northeastern five goals behind.

With the Crimson's Bill Fitzsimmons turning in 25 saves in the game, the Huskles could never come back. Jimmy Leu tipped in Don Turootte's well-screened slap shot to spoll Fitzsimmons' shutout at 3:45 of the final period.

Fizzimmons and McCullough were the stars in the win over Providence.

Frank Brander's backhander beat Fitzsimmons early in the first period, but from then on, the sophomore stopped all the Friars had to offer. He had 15 saves. Providence's Bob Bellemore had 32 as the Crimson offense kept up its best pressure of the season.

McCullough's first varsity goal, at 3:49 of the last period, came from about 30 feet out, on a pass from Smith. The second came with Harvard a man short. It was set up by a perfect pass up the boards from Bob Clark; McCullough's shot whizped into the upper right corner of the net, just over Bellemore's shoulder.

The team also lost two games--a 4-2 setback against Michigan and a less-satisfying 8-0 walloping at the hands of B.U. The Terriors, held to a 1-0 overtime victory over Harvard earlier in the season, were making up for their first loss of the season, against Northeastern the night before.

Michigan, a contender for the national title once again this season, made the Crimson look very bad for almost two periods. The Wolverines kept the puck in Crimson ice most of the time; Crimson players took shots on just two occasions in the first period.

By the third period, Harvard was showing that it too could play hockey. Waldinger finally got the Crimson on the scoreboard when he stole the puck behind the Wolverine not and scored at 9:45. By now the Crimson was playing aroused hockey. At 17:57 Kenny Burnes poked in Frank Mackey's shot to pull Harvard within one goal.

But Harvard's hopes ended half a minute later when Michigan sophomore Dan Walter stole the puck right in front of Fitzsimmons and fired. The shot bounced off the goalie's stick, over his arm and into the not.

Disaster set in the next night against B.U. After 5:53 of the first period, the Terriers had a 2-0 lead. At 10:38, Mike Sobeski of B.U. had a hat trick. Fitzzimmons made 28 saves while B.U.'s Jack Ferreira barely had to take off his coat.

Michigan finished the Arena Tournament undefeated, beating B.U., 4-3, and Northeastern 7-8. B.U., Harvard, and Northeastern all had 1-2 records.