Icemen in Semifinals Tonight

The last time the Harvard hockey team met up with Clarkson, the Crimson was mired in the middle of an eight-game winless skein--from mid December into February--which included four straight ECAC losses. One of the latter contests was against the Golden Knights, an 8-1, give-'em-the-puck-and-they-put-it-in-don't-they" loss in Potsdam, N.Y.

But that game, more than two months ago, seems so far removed from the new Harvard hockey team, one that has won five straight ECAC contests since its loss to Yale on February 20 and is 7-1-1 in its last nine conference games, including Tuesday's opening-round playoff win against Boston College at Bright Center.

"Yes, I think this is a different Harvard team," said B.C. Coach Len Ceglarski, whose squad had beaten the Crimson, 4-3, only four days prior to the Clarkson game. "They've grown up. They've got a lot of composure now. And they do a lot of good things out on the ice."

Tonight, fourth-seeded Harvard meets top-seeded Clarkson for the second time this year, at 9 p.m. at the Boston Garden in the ECAC semi-finals Number-two Northeastern faces off against number-three New Hampshire in the early game, at 6:15 p.m. (There are still tickets available, at the Garden, but not at the Harvard ticket office. Also, WHRB will broadcast the Harvard game, starting at 8:40 p.m.)

Clarkson Coach Bill O'Flaherty knows that Harvard has metamorphosed in the last six weeks.

"I think [Harvard Coach] Billy [Cleary] would have a hard time denying that has team's playing as well as they have all season," O'Flaherty said at yesterday's ECAC Tournament Press Conference at the Boards and Blades Room in the Boston Garden. "We're just playing as a team now," Cleary answered in his turn at the microphone.

Of course, Flaherty's Golden Knights have been playing as well as Harvard is now over the entire season. Including a 7-4 pasting of Colgate in the first round on Tuesday, the Knights' record in ECAC play stands at 16-4-1 (27-4-1 overall).

And Clarkson has more than its share of big guns. Senior center Steve Cruickshank, named yesterday as the ECAC Player of the Year, leads the team in scoring with 24 goals and 30 assists for 54 points. Sophomore wing Colin Patterson (21-29-50), junior wing Bruce McDonough (17-28-45), freshman wing Gord Sharpe (18-25-43) and what seems like a cast of thousands can all turn on the red light with equal skill.

In net, the Knights have Don ("If we put him up for trade, there'd be a lot of buyers"--O'Flaherty) Sylvestn, last year's first team all ECAC goaltender as a freshman. He boasts a 15-4-1 ECAC record, with a save percentage of 88-5 and a goals-against average of 3.02.

Although Cleary says, "Our game is skating. When we skate we can be tough on anyone," the icemen will certainly have their work cut out for them tonight at the Garden.

ALL-ECAC TEAMS

At yesterday's press conference, the All-ECAC teams were announced. The first team: goaltender Brian Hayward, Cornell, defenseman Chris Renaud, Colgate, defenseman Scot Klemendorst, Providence; forward Steve Cruickshank, Clarkson; forward Kirk McCaskill, Vermont; forward Andy Brickley, New Hampshire.

And on the second team: goaltender Bob O'Connor, Boston College, defenseman Mark Fusco, Harvard; Randy Velischek, Providence; forward Billy O'Dwyer, Boston College, forward Kurt Kleinendorst, Providence; forward Dan Poliziani, Yale.

Player of the Year Cruickshank.

Rookie of the Year. Norm LaCombe, UNH.