Brown Surprises Hockey Team 3-2

(Special to the CRIMSON)

PROVIDENCE, R. I., Feb 10-Harvard has an exasperating habit of playing to the level of its competition. Skating against a mediocre but tenacious Brown team, fired by a fanatic SRO crowd here in Providence, the Crimson blew another game they shouldn't have lost, 3-2.

Outshot and outplayed in the third period, the Crimson picked up a penalty and gave the Bruins a chance to break a 2-2 tie late in the period. Brown responded as sophomore Mike Powers picked off a feeble clearing attempt and bombed home a slapshot with only 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the game.

Harvard went nowhere in the final seconds and Brown skated off the ice with their second Ivy League upset of the season, a duplication of its 3-2 win over Cornell.

Harvard played miserably all night. With Brown skating sluggishly and defensively in the first period, the Crimson did manage its only bright moment of the evening as Cooch Owen knocked in a Dan DeMichele pass on the power play, but it was all Brown after that.

The Bruins tied it up on a nice shot by Wayne Radomsky early in the second period and continually gave Harvard abuse in the corners that was infrequently returned. Harvard regained the lead on a fluke, no-angle shot by Bob McManama, but Brown came right back on another nice slapshot, this time by Dave Patterson.

Brown completely outskated Harvard in the third period, putting constant pressure on goalie Bruce Durno in the last ten minutes. With Doug Elliott out for cross-checking the pressure finally paid off with the winning goal.

Brown played as well as a slow, mediocre team can, and the Crimson played right into its hands. Brown repeatedly out forechecked Harvard and came out of the corners with not only the puck but a shot at a Crimson player. There was little retaliation, and when a Harvard player did strike back, he more often than not ended up in the penalty box.

Durno turned aside 26 shots in a strong performance. The Crimson was outshot by Brown 20-15 in the final two periods.