Masters' Beanpot: Of Ice and Men

"This'll do until another one comes along," former Crimson Coach Cooney Weiland said after his all-time Harvard men's hockey team captured the first Masters' Beanpot Tournament this weekend at Bright Center.

The 80-year-old Weiland (below, far left) took a two-day train ride from Florida to return to coach a team that included two Olympic gold medallists, the five top scorers in Crimson history and a few former pros. Weiland, a member of the NHL Hall of Fame, led the Harvard program for 21 years before turning over the reins to current coach Bill Cleary '56 (below, far right).

And what was it like to see them all back in uniform? "I was speechless, speechless with affection," Weiland said.

Bill Cleary teamed with brother Bob '58 once again (above right), just as they did for Harvard in the mid-50s and for the victorious 1960 United States Olympic team. It didn't take long for the sibling skaters to click, as the pair set up Harvard's fourth goal of the tournament. "We know each other's moves," explained Bob, the Crimson's all-time career scoring leader.

Among the Clearys' teammates this weekend was Assistant Coach Kevin Hampe '73 (below, center right), who teamed with his boss in a defensive painting. 'It's important to give him the puck,' joked Hampe. "I've never seen anybody handle the puck the way he hardles it" he added.

Hampe's Class of '73 provided most of the firepower in the two Crimson victories (10-1 over Northeastern and 11-8 over B.C. in Saturday's final). The Local Line (Bob McManama '73, Dave Hynes 73 and Bill Corkery '73) returned to chip in eight of Harvard's goals. Tournament MVP Joe Cavanagh '71 did most of the rest, scoring four goals and assisting on another.

The Clearys weren't the only Olympians on the ice, as 1980 U.S. gold medallists Mike Eruzione and Jim Craig both played for B.U. Craig's saves (below, center left) weren't enough for the Terriers, as they fell to B.C., 4-3, in the opening round.

At the awards ceremony, tournament organizer and founder Godfrey Wood '63 presented the Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with a check for the proceeds from the charity event (above left). Wood, who played in goal for the Crimson, summed up the feelings of many participants: "I used to get real worked up for the national anthem. I think I got more worked up tonight than ever before."