A Funny Thing Happened...Out West

I've been here watching Harvard hockey for three years now and after viewing last night's boring-as-a Harry Levin-lecture loss to Clarkson all I can say is that it never fails to happen...

"What never fails to happen?" asked the Serbo-Croation major who thought he knew about hockey.

I'll tell you what never fails to happen. Every year during Christmas vacation the hockey team takes a trip out West to play some of the toughest teams in the nation. And though everybody will tell you that the realcollege hockey is played in Denver, Madison. Ann Arbor and East Lansing, Harvard stakes a positive claim December-in and December-out that its ECAC team can skate and check with any college south of the Canadian border.

Witness the events of the past two seasons:

December1975--After an opening 9-7 loss to Notre Dame, the Crimson traveled to East Lansing for a pair of contests against the nation's number two ranked squad, Michigan State. Behind the mind-blowing play of Brain Petrovek in goal (quite possibly the only time in history an opposing goaltender has received a standing ovation in a game) and some key scores by a then-unknown freshman named George Hughes, the icemen set back the Spartans the first night 8-6 and then tied them the following evening, 2-2.

Ask Harvard hockey fans what they remember about that season and they'll tell you it was the opening round 6-5 loss to B.U. a little over a month after the Michigan State games.

December1976--After avenging last year's loss to the Irish with a 4-3 triumph at Watson Rink, the Crimson's western sojourn of last season not only featured an exciting overtime loss to number five ranked Minnesota, but a split of a two-game series against Wisconsin. Yes, that's right, Harvard upset the eventual NCAA champions 4-3 before losing 7-5 the following night.

Too bad Oshkosh native Bill Ginsberg was the only Harvard student to witness the biggest win of the hockey season. The rest of us were just content to point out that last season marked the first time in over a decade that Harvard did not make the ECAC playoffs.

And now this year. Less than a week ago the Crimson lost in overtime 3-2 to number one ranked Denver after defeating Notre Dame and Colorado College. Defenseman Jack Hughes received the MVP award for that Holiday Tournament in Colorado Springs though he had only one assist in the two games. That should tell you something about the way Harvard played.

And after a decisive win over St. Lawrence three nights ago, just when you're thinking that all those upsets and near-upsets out West over the past three years may not be flukes after all, the team plays super poorly for two periods and drops one at home to a Clarkson squad that didn't get much of a fight. The Crimson's uninspiring performance last night was topped only by the band.

Maybe it's the non-academic, eat-sleep-and-think hockey atmosphere of the vacation jaunts. Maybe it's coming back to the pressure of Reading Period and even more pressuring fight for a playoff berth. Maybe it's that good mountain air. Maybe it's the fact that ther's nothing to do in Potsdam, New York so why not play hockey...

Whatever it is, don't cash in your Beanpot tickets yet, for heaven's sake.