Mighty Icemen Mow Down New Hampshire, 7-5

"We're number one," the Crimson crowd roared in the waning minutes of the Harvard hockey team's 7-5 victory over New Hamphire last night at Bright Center.

And it wasn't just fan rhetoric, either, because the Crimson now stands as the last remaining undefeated, undefeated Division I team in the NCAA. When the icemen finished off UNH, one of the powers of the ECAC, they notched their eighth straight regular-season win dating back to last season and raised their record this year to 4-0.

The teams treated the 2350 fans on hand to some of the most electrifying hockey at Bright in recent memory, perhaps more exciting than Harvard's late-season surge last year. Then the Crimson rolled past its opponents, last night, both teams played superlative hockey until Harvard broke the contest open in the final five minutes.

Like the Harvard-UNH games of the last two years (both one-goals Crimson wins), there was incessant end-to-end action, hard skating and hard hitting, the two teams hammered 96 shots on goal last night.

"It's a tribute to college hockey to see games like this," said Harvard Coach Bill Cleary afterward.

The contest had all the elements of a game from the early-and mid-70s, the last time Harvard hockey teams held away in the ECAC. With the same incredible scoring punch that characterized those teams, the Crimson took on a rival powerhouse squad and heat it going away Still, said UNH Coach Charlie Holt. "It's not like the Harvard teams I saw when they had [Joe] Cavanagh and that crew [including the 1971 ECAC champs]. You'd never want a penalty against that team Before the game I'd tell my players. 'Don't take a penalty,' and I'd mean it."

Survivors

Holt's Wildcats may have survived Harvard's two power-plays last night, but other teams have been decimated by the Crimson man-up attack. Harvard's 37.5 percent effectiveness on the power play has been a key to its seven-plus goals per game offense. And it has outscored its opponents on their own power plays, 5-2.

It was a shorthanded score that tamed the Wildcats last night. After Greg Britz broke a 4-4 tie at 15.35 of the final period, taking an across the slot pass from Jim Turner and beating UNH netminder Todd Pearson from 10 feet out. UNH quickly took a man advantage when a charging call sent Turner to the penalty box Ninety seconds later Mark Fusco relieved star Wildcat defenseman Peter Herms of the puck near the Harvard blue line and brother Scott took it away, zooming in on Pearson for his second coal of the game.

Just over a minute later Crimson Captain Greg Olson put it out of reach, sending first the puck and then himself, head first past a hapless Pearson Only the statistic cared about a final UNH goal with 39 seconds left.

The finale was a rare display of killer in stand by the icemen who nearly last control of the match in the second period. Nursing a 3 I lead following a goal by Olson and two by Phil Falcone. Harvard faltered after three minutes of terrific penalty-killing when left wing Paul Barton backhanded a loose rebound between freshman goalie Dick McEvoy's pads and teammate Dan Muse pupped one home from the slot 19 seconds later.

UNH a powerful shooters made McEvoy play an exhausting superb game. Their shots weren't too well-placed but they came off the but, he noted. The Yardling made more saves in each succeding period. By his own count, the insides of the posts helped out three times too.

THE NOTEBOOK Referee William Riley called a loose game he's coach of Division II titlist Lowell, known for it rough play. The icemen head west this week end for games at Colgate and Cornell, Scott Fusco still leads the NCAA with an averaged of three points per game. At Bright Center UNH  1  2  2-5 Harvard  2  2  3-7

Scoring UNH. Ellison (Doherty, Skidmore) 3:39, H. G. Olson (S: Fusco, Turner) 9:31:H, Falcone (Visone, Britz) 16:32 H. Falcone (Britz, Vicone) 2:05. UNH Barton (LaCombe Robinson) 6.59 UNH Muse (White Forgel) 7.18 H. S. Fusco (G. Olson Sheeny) 10.00: UNH While (Forget. Muse) 1:55: H. Britz (Turner M. Olson) 15.35: H. S. Fusco, (M. Fusco, Code) 17:36, H. G. Olson (M. Olson Turner) 18:57: UNH Ellison (Skidmore, Herms) 19.21.

Saves: UNH, Pearson--45 H. McEvoy--39

Attendance: Not bad.

Scoring UNH. Ellison (Doherty, Skidmore) 3:39, H. G. Olson (S: Fusco, Turner) 9:31:H, Falcone (Visone, Britz) 16:32 H. Falcone (Britz, Vicone) 2:05. UNH Barton (LaCombe Robinson) 6.59 UNH Muse (White Forgel) 7.18 H. S. Fusco (G. Olson Sheeny) 10.00: UNH While (Forget. Muse) 1:55: H. Britz (Turner M. Olson) 15.35: H. S. Fusco, (M. Fusco, Code) 17:36, H. G. Olson (M. Olson Turner) 18:57: UNH Ellison (Skidmore, Herms) 19.21.

Saves: UNH, Pearson--45 H. McEvoy--39

Attendance: Not bad.