Durno's Style Avoids Flashy Saves

"When Gump Worsely comes to the Boston Garden the fans don't give him the credit he deserves," Harvard goalie Bruce Durno said. "They say he's just lucky because the Bruins are hitting the puck right at him. They don't realize Gump's not giving the Bruins any alternative."

Durno, too, has been maligned by fans for not being as flashy a goalie as Cornell's Brian Cropper or Clark-son's Bruce Bullock. But in several games during his career, particularly in the big victory over B. U. Friday night. Durno has indicated that he has the potential to be one of the best goalies in the East.

"Several years ago all the leading NHL goalies were 'stand-up' players," Durno said. "The key is learning the angles from positions on the ice and not giving the forward a shot."

Durno emphasizes the fact that the destination of the puck is usually pre-determined by the position of the shooter and goalie. "No matter how good your reflexes are, there's no way you're going to react and glove a shot from ten feet out off a forward like Hynes or Cavanagh. You have to make it look like they were stupid to hit it right into you."

Flashier Goalies

Some goalies are also flashier because they go down to stop a shot more often, but Durno's size (5' 6") eliminates that alternative. "A short goalie will leave the top of the net open, but besides that, a goalie's playing better if he doesn't have to go down."

In particular, Durno recalls the Vermont goalie. "I looked down at his end before the game and he was taking warm-up shots on his knees! That's not my way."

Playing the angles in the net, Durno worries most about the unexpected. "Backhand shots are the most trouble. The forward never knows where it's going and neither do I. If you can't stop a slapshot, you don't belong on the ice. When they wind up to the rafters for the shot, you can't act surprised by the direction."

But Durno was surprised by one Princeton slapshot goal. "The guy fanned on the shot. It was moving so slowly, I grabbed for the puck and brought my hand down before the puck reached the crease."

Several Ivy League programs this year have characterized Durno as a "streak" goalie, varying from very hot to very bad during the season. Durno denies that criticism. "You can't judge seasons or games, you have to look at the kind of shot taken. A team may get only four shots in a period, but if three of them are from players parked in front of the net, that doesn't show in the statistics."

"I play as well as the team. If the team gives their line several open breaks then we'll all look bad."

Right now Darn and Harvard are number one in the East, and the Harvard senior is quick to point out the importance of that rating. "When we went to the nationals two years ago as number two, we knew already that we had lost a title game to one team. Now we'll go to Syracuse knowing we've won the big games before."

Thesis Due

Durno also has a senior thesis on his mind, but he gave away the priority of this thought last night. "The thesis conclusions are due on Wednesday, but It looks like they might have to go into sudden-death overtime."