Hockey Team Faces Brown in ECAC's; Home Ice Is Not an Important Factor

Brown, one of Harvard's most frustrating tormentors during the regular season, will try to spoil Harvard's post-season efforts tonight at Watson Rink in the first round of the ECAC's.

Brown is a particularly irritating opponent. Slow, young, and generally mediocre, the Bruins have been out scored this season, 83 to 74, yet they have managed to rack up a 13-6 record and fifth seed in the ECAC's.

The Key to Brown's surprising, success has been a fanatically devoted crowd and a style of play Ideally suited to inadequate talent. The Bruins play a rough, close-checking game, flailing around in the corners and trying to force the opposition into making mistakes.

Brown's scrambling game is particularly effective on home ice. The Brown band leads the fans in screaming "Eat it ret" every time a Bruin heads for the penalty box, and the Bruins have obliged the fans by winning all of their nine home games this season.

Even though the game is being played in Cambridge tonight, Brown is not exactly losing its "home ice" advantage. Eight hundred and thirty-five fans, including the band, will accompany the Bruins to Watson Rink, and it is a good bet that Brown's 40 per cent of the stands will be more vociferous than Harvard's 60 per cent. Furthermore, Harvard is having trouble unloading all its $2,50 ECAC tickets.

The Bruins and their fans will be psyched enough to reproduce last month's 3-2 upset of the Crimson. The question is whether Harvard will be psyched enough to avoid it. Harvard emerged bloody but easily on top last December with a 5-0 win over the Bruins at Watson Rink, but the roof has fallen in numerous times since then.

It isn't going to be easy for Harvard to prepare themselves mentally after losing to Cornell last week, 3-1, in a game that could have turned the season around. And although Harvard has a chance to "scarf all over again" in the ECAC's with a win over Brown, the odds against upsetting B. U. and Cornell are very great.