Hockey Team Crushes St. Nick's in Opener

The Harvard hockey team rolled over the St. Nicholas Hockey Club at Watson Rink last night with an easy 5-1 victory that dispelled none of the Crimson optimism for the upcoming year. Five players representing all three lines scored in an impressive warmup for the college opener against Northeastern Saturday.

The third of line of Bobby Bauer, Pete Mueller, and Ron Mark provided the early excitement with fast skating, sharp passing, and two first-period goals. Bauer lit the first Harvard light after 3:36 of play on a beautiful setup.

Mueller brought the puck across the blue line and passed to Mark down the right boards. Mark drew St. Nick's goalie Godfrey Wood '63 toward him and fed a perfect pass across the goalmouth to Bauer.

Mark's initial varsity marker came at 9:50 on a 15-footer through Wood's pads after a goalmouth scramble.

The New Yorkers got back in the game on Buzz Hill's pinpoint shot at 4:31 of the second period. The former Princeton defenseman carried down the left boards, fought off two checks, and picked up the exact lower right corner with his shot.

But second-line wing Don Grimble batted home Ben Smith's pass from the corner at 10:26 to restore Harvard's two-goal lead.

The big story of the third period was the play of the theoretically potent first line. Shut out for two periods, Jack Garrity, Bob Fredo, and Kent Parrot combined for their first goal at 3:30 of the third.

St. Nick's was caught changing lines as Fredo skated behind the visitors' cage and passed out front to Garrity. The Crimson captain controlled the puck and swung it in under Wood from ten feet out.

But it was on the seniors' next turn that everything started to click. Parrot, who had looked like a center most of the night, stuck to his left wing and barely missed two goals. One breathtaking left-to-right sequence--Parrot to Garrity to Fredo--ended in Wood's pads but brought loud applause from the optimistic fans. If the three can get used to their new positions and each other they will match up successfully against any line in the East.

Garbage Goal

Harvard's fifth goal followed Garrity's shot by 20 seconds, as Barry Johnson punched in a garbage goal from the edge of the crease. Don Grimble nudged the puck across to his left wing, and also received an assist on the scramble.

Diercks looked quick and confident in making 29 saves. His defense played well in front of him and featured a crowd-pleasing debut by sophomore Chris Gurry.

Gurry stickhandled and skated like a forward and showed a slap shot that can be dangerous from outside the blue line. He is clearly a coming star if his penchant for explosive checking doesn't draw too many costly penalties or get him caught too far from his goal.

Ben Smith played an offense-minded defense which improved the Crimson attack: but his tendency to stickhandle in his own zone led to trouble on several occasions.