Auld Lang Syne

You probably didn't notice it, but it happened last night. Maybe you were chatting with your roomates, washing your grungy exam period clothes, or rereading that classic tome Courses of Instruction 1984-84.

The Harvard men's hockey team noticed the change, it does every year. The magic minute comes shortly after first semester finals; one night the clock strikes 12, Coach Bill Cleary rips January off the calendar and the Crimson starts winning again.

This season the icemen celebrated the new year in the traditional way. They won as many January games as they have in three of the last four years put together--one (1980, 1-4; 1981, 0-5; 1982, 0-4; 1984, 1-4). Even with the phenomenal 3-2 effort of last year's ECAC champions, Harvard's January average for the last four years is .208.

But today is February 1, and the season is starting again. Over the last four years, Harvard has racked up a .631 average in games played in February and March. And if that weren't enough to lift Crimson spirits. ECAC cellar-dweller Dartmouth limps into Bright Center tonight at 7:30. At 2-10 in the ECAC and 2-15 overall, the Big Green has fared worse all year than Harvard has in January.

When the teams opened the season at Hanover. N.H. on November 23, Dartmouth trailed by only one goal for a 15-minute stretch in the third period. It took five goals from the geriatric line--seniors Gary Martin, Phil Falcone, and Dave Connors--for the Crimson to pull out a 5-3 victory.

Falcone won't be playing tonight; he'll be sidelined another three to five weeks with the leg injury he suffered in Czechoslovakia. But three of his teammates returned to the lineup in Sunday afternoon's 5-3 month-ending loss to Colgate.

Jay North looked strong in his first game since mid-December, and Tony Visone appears to have bounced right back from his arthroscopic surgery. Freshman center Allen Bourbeau celebrated his return from probation with a game-tying third-period goal. And for the first time this year, the Harvard offense got more shots on goal than the opponent did.

Still, the Crimson had spotted the Red Raiders a 3-0 lead in the first period before Tim McMahon decided to fight back against the forces of anonymity.

McMahon, the only Crimson iceman with-out a name on his shirt or in the game program, dropped a pass off the faceoff to Martin, who slapped the puck towards the Colgate net. The puck struck goalie Jeff Cooper's glove and fluttered over his head into the net.

Five minutes later Martin scored again, assisted by McMahon and Connors. Harvard trailed by a goal 17:34 into the second period.

Bourbeau knotted the score 2:34 into the final 20 minutes, but Colgate scored two goals 58 seconds apart midway through the period to clinch the victory.

Despite the setback, Harvard enters tonight's game at 5-7-1 in the ECAC, good enough for a half-game Ivy Division lead over 5-8 Cornell and Yale, which lost to North-eastern last night At Bright Center Colgate  3  0  2-5 Harvard  0  2  1-3

C. Gerard Waslen (Lou Wager, Harold Duvall), 2:38; C. Steve Smith (Wall Dubas, Mike Lebianc). 9:31; C. Jim Wallace (Dan Maillet), 17:50; H. Gary Martin (Tim McMahon), 12:34; H. Martin (McMahon, Dave Connors). 17:34; H. Afen Bourbeau (Rob Wheeler, Bill Cleary Jr.). 2:24; C. Waish (McKinnon), 9:23; C. Waslen (Maillet). 10:21.

Saves-C. Jeff Cooper 15-15-16--46. H. Grant Blair 12-15-9--36.

Att-2720.

C. Gerard Waslen (Lou Wager, Harold Duvall), 2:38; C. Steve Smith (Wall Dubas, Mike Lebianc). 9:31; C. Jim Wallace (Dan Maillet), 17:50; H. Gary Martin (Tim McMahon), 12:34; H. Martin (McMahon, Dave Connors). 17:34; H. Afen Bourbeau (Rob Wheeler, Bill Cleary Jr.). 2:24; C. Waish (McKinnon), 9:23; C. Waslen (Maillet). 10:21.

Saves-C. Jeff Cooper 15-15-16--46. H. Grant Blair 12-15-9--36.

Att-2720.