Watson Rink Slaughter: Harvard Stuns B.U., 7-2

The Harvard hockey team put it all together last night, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The opponent was ECAC rival Boston University and the outcome was a devastating 7-2 whelping of the highly touted Terriers.

Cleary's 4-0 icemen managed to dominate every phase of the game from the goaltending to the forechecking. The Crimson defensive corps stymied the B.U. offense, while Harvard forwards, especially the line of Dave Bell (2 goals), Dan Bolduc (1 goal) and Kevin Berke, rifled Terrier goalie Pat Devlin.

The Terrier fans missed former All-American goaltender Ed Walsh, but in fairness to Devlin he didn't receive much help from the Terrier defenders. The Crimson's forechecking kept the pressure in the B.U. end most of the game, as Harvard fired off 37 shots to Boston University's 18.

Brian ("Only the Lord Saves More Than Petro") Petrovek had a relatively easy night in the Crimson nets, as few of the Terrier shots got through to him. The Harvard defense was brilliant in blocking shots all evening. Only Rick Meagher and Mike Eruzione could put the puck behind Petrovek.

Cashing In

Even the Harvard power play got untracked last night, cashing in on three man-advantage situations. The first came at 4:43 of the opening period as Bolduc converted his own rebound for a 1-0 Harvard lead. The early goal seemed to settle the somewhat jittery Crimson squad and send it on its way to the convincing victory.

By the end of the first stanza Harvard was in control with a two-goal bulge on a Dave Gauthier shot at 11:46. The Terriers, meanwhile, tested Petrovek only five times in the period, with three of the shots coming in the final 30 seconds.

The Crimson came out flying in the second as Jimmy Thomas continued to play excellent, aggressive hockey which paid off in a score only 1:54 after the face-off. Thomas took a pass from Leigh Hogan and fired a backhand past the hapless Devlin.

Meagher's goal, resulting from a strange bounce off the boards, brought B.U. to within two, 3-1, at 2:44 of the second, but Bell chimed in with a goal at 9:08 to up the count to 4-1.

Jerry Gryp, who is following the foot-steps of his brother and former Terrier defenseman Bob, deliberately tripped Bolduc at 8:23, picking up a two minute penalty and setting up Harvard's second power play tally. Steve Dagdigian put the game out of reach, 5-1, 30 seconds later, converting from in close.

The power play and Jim McMahon struck again at 16:19 after Eruzione had taken advantage of a B.U. man-advantage by deflecting one between Petrovek's legs. The second Terrier tally came just three seconds after Harvard had killed off a two-man deficit.

Crowd-Pleasers

It was the high-flying, crowd-pleasing Bell line that put the final touches on the Terrier collapse. Burke sent a perfect pass across to sophomore center Bell, who fired it past a much-abused Devlin.

The final score brought out the inevitable dead chicken from section 18 and a standing, roaring ovation from the packed house at Watson Rink.