Crimson Icemen Destroy Huskies, 8-5, In Beanpot Tourney Consolation Game

There isn't much less inspiring than a Beanpot Consolation game, especially one between the East's number one team Harvard and a 13-11 Northeastern squad. The Crimson icemen last night in Boston Garden built up a 7-2 lead after two periods then hung on to beat the Huskies 8-5.

The game got under way at a slow pace, neither team getting untracked until the second half of the opening stanza. As one fan put it, its not a question of whether Harvard is going to lose, it's when are they going to get around to winning.

Bob McManama got the Crimson underway at 9:31 of the first, scoring on a wrist shot from the faceoff circle to the left of Husky goalie Tod Blanchard. Larry Desmond put Harvard out in front by two at 18:06 when he deflected a pass from McManama towards Blanchard and the puck bounced off his leg and into the net.

Northeastern charged back on its first power play opportunity getting a goal by Dan Condon at 18:40 just 19 seconds after McManama was whistled into the box for holding. The Crimson skated into the locker room with a one goal margin.

Harvard broke it open in the second, scoring five goals, enough to put the game out of reach. Jim McMahon, who has been playing some great hockey lately, tallied at 2:59 on a picture play. Ted Thorndike battling in the corner, sent the puck out in front to McMahon, who was positioned at the left corner of the crease, and Jim poked it home.

Ten seconds later the line combined for another score, as Gauthier got the puck from Thorndike to give the Crimson a 4-1 edge. McManama converted on Harvard's third power play at 12:31 and Thorndike put the puck past Blanchard two minutes later.

Condon scored his second of the night and Northeastern's lone tally of the period on a hard shot from about ten feet out in front. Bill Corkery the scoring at 19:03 with the Husky's Norm Reise off the ice for holding.

The third period was another story, as the sparse crowd began to swell with B.U. and B.C. fans, almost all of whom were rooting for the underdog Huskies. The game began to feel like last Monday's opening round game when Northeastern rallied in the third against B.C. Fortunately, however, they were only able to come with three goals and Harvard was able to hang in there for the win.

John Lovell jammed one home in from in close at 2:33 and Allan Dunkle came in on the left side at 9:01 to beat Joe Bertagna for the Husky's fourth of the evening. Paul Scherer converted on a three on one rush for Northeastern's final tally.

Husky sophomore Bill McKenna, who replaced Blanchard in the final stanza, came up with some spectacular saves, including two within 30 seconds during a Crimson power play. Thorndike notched his second of the game and Harvard's lone score of the period at 18:00, as he grabbed a rebound that McKenna had bobbled, and slammed it in.

BEANPOT CHAMPIONSHIP

Boston University defeated Boston College 4-1 last night in the championship round of the Twenty-First Annual Beanpot Hockey Tournament. B.U. got to the finals by beating Harvard 8-3, while B.C. beat Northeastern 9-8.