Puckmen Take on B. U. In ECAC Semifinals

Cooch Owen stood at the ticket window at 60 Boylston Street yesterday trying to decide how many ticked to buy for the ECAC "? this weekend," I might just buy two for my parents or I might buy ten for my friends for Saturday night." Cooch said to freshman coach Tim Taylor. "It's a tough decision. There might be a little accident on Friday night. You can never tell about this team."

Unfortunately for Harvard, it will be no "accident" if Harvard gets knocked out of the running tonight.

Harvard's opponent tonight at 8:30 in Boston Garden is probably the best college team in the country, Boston University. Tied by the Crimson in a near perfect game in December, the Terriers have gone on to win all but one of their remaining games. B. U. was one of two teams to solidly beat Harvard this season, topping the Crimson, 44, in the Beanpet finals.

And unlike Cornell, the other team to take the Crimson by more than a one goal margin, B. U, did not need to rely on sheer adrenaline to beat Harvard. Cornell cutskated the Crimson, using its speed and endurance to out-backcheck and out-cover Harvard. B. U. simply outplayed the Crimson, stick-handling and passing better than a team with great play-making ability and finesse.

B. U. has three lines with nearly equal scoring potential, while Harvard has only two. Furthermore, the Terriers have two sophomore de?ensemen, Bob Brown and Rick Jordan, who are extraordinary two-way players. Brown, a bull on defense, is the second highest scorer on the B. U. team.

The Terriers' most decisive advantage may be on the power-play B. U. scores on about 40 per cent of its man up situations, while the Crimson's power play, potentially an unstoppable one, has cooled off recently. Harvard failed to score during seven straight minutes of power play hockey during the Beanpot finals, and the Crimson has no chance to upset the Terriers if it can't take advantage of breaks like that.