Sextet Will Travel North For Weekend

The word "Sweep" was pasted in the locker room and taped on the players' helmets all week. It stood for the ambitious goal in the Harvard hockey team's mind this weekend: an unprecedented sweep of Clarkson and St. Lawrence at their home rinks.

Looking at past records, the Crimson should want to take this trip to New York as much as Adam Clayton Powell. In nine games at the Potsdam and Canton, N.Y. rinks, Harvard has managed one win and one tie--eight years apart. Clarkson and St. Lawrence are two of only four Eastern teams with winning records against Harvard.

This year's prospects are especially bleak. Clarkson, tonight's opponent, was number one in the East last year and made it to the finals of the NCAA tournament. St. Lawrence, generally the less feared of the south-of-the-(Canadian)-border duo, looked underrated after walloping two Canadian teams and upsetting Western champion Michigan Tech, 4-1, in early-season games at Canton.

Cornell Better

Cornell took care of both teams, however, edging the Golden Knights, 3-2, in overtime at Potsdam, and massacring the Larries in Ithaca Tuesday, 8-0.

Cornell's wins offer little encouragement. Until it loses, the Big Red must be considered the best college team in the country.

Clarkson lost two all-star forwards and All-American goalie Terry Yurkiewicz from last year. But four of its top six scorers, its best defenseman, and Yurkiewicz's understudy are among 15 lettermen returning.

The Golden Knights also have the biggest home-ice advantage in the college ranks. Their rink is the smallest in the East, dimly lit, and surrounded by 1500 loud and partisan fans.

No one gives the Harvard players much of a chance, but they're not frightened. They walked away from their first two opponents, and are confident they can give anyone a battle.

Leading the fight will be scrappy sophomore goalie Bill Diercks. "I want to see what he can do against tough opposition," says Coach Cooney Weiland. He has such faith in the kid he will start Diercks ahead of veteran Bill Fitzsimmons in both games.

Up front Weiland will have his regular three lines, except for Kent Parrot, who will return to center the first line, switching positions with Ben Smith.

Grimble Out

Don Grimble suffered a mild concussion in Tuesday's practice, stamping last year's familiar question mark on defense plans. If Grimble can't play, Weiland will probably use Tag Demment, a defenseman last year who has played wing much of this season. There is also the possibility that Smith, an All-Ivy defenseman last season, will be moved back should the ranks thin any more.

Harvard flew to Ogdensburg, N.Y. yesterday morning and held a practice on the Clarkson rink last night. But the Golden Knights are a strong, talented outfit, and if the Crimson pulls any upset it will probably be in Appleton Arena against the Larries.