Looking to Knock the High-Riding Knights

Harvard men's hockey Captain Scott Fusco missed the Crimson's two first-round ECAC playoff victories over Colgate last weekend with a separated shoulder but will likely return to action tomorrow for the semifinal game against Clarkson.

If he is able to play, Harvard's alltime leading scorer will rejoin the first line and Allen Bourbeau, who stepped in for Fusco at center last week, will return to the second line.

For the second time in two years, the Crimson faces off against the Golden Knights in the semifinals of the ECAC tournament.

And if the last three Harvard-Clarkson clashes are any indication, the winner will escape from Boston Garden tomorrow with a one-goal victory.

The Crimson (21-6-1 overall, 18-3 ECAC) is looking to repeat last year's semifinal game performance, in which it scored a 2-1 victory over the Golden Knights (17-10-3 overall, 12-6-3 ECAC).

In that contest, Fusco scored a goal with less than a minute remaining in the game to break a 1-1 deadlock and send his team to the finals.

Meanwhile, the Golden Knights would like to see an outcome similar to their 5-4 victory over the Crimson in Potsdam, N.Y., two weeks ago.

In that contest--the last regular season game for both clubs--Harvard fell in overtime and lost the services of Fusco, who separated his shoulder after being pinned to the boards by Knight forward Charlie Meitner.

Meitner (18 goals, 25 assists) will probably be the first target for any revenge-minded Crimson icemen tomorrow.

Fusco has had problems with the Knights all year. In the first Clarkson-Harvard clash in late January, the Burlington native was held scoreless for the first time in eight games, and only the second time all year.

Clarkson is the only team to have completely shut down Fusco this year--Boston College held the captain scoreless in a 4-4 deadlock between the two clubs in November. But Fusco returned to score a pair of goals against the Eagles in the opening game of the Beanpot Tournament, which the Crimson lost, 4-2.

But because he was knocked out of action on the first shift in the season finale, Fusco finished with a 0-0-0 line against the Golden Knights this year.

Had it not been for Bourbeau--who returned to action last week after sitting out for over a month with a stomach muscle pull--the Crimson might have lost the first Clarkson-Harvard battle of the year.

But Bourbeau tallied twice and Harvard goalie Grant Blair stopped 31 Knight shots to lead the Crimson to a 3-2 victory.

In the Colgate series, Bourbeau replaced Fusco on the Firing Line (which also includes Tim Smith and Lane MacDonald) but only recorded a single assist.

Nevertheless, his linemates were pleased with Bourbeau's performance.

"We're creating more opportunities because we're more aware of where Al's going to be," Smith said. "But sometimes it's more difficult because of Al's right-handed shot."

If Fusco, a left-hand shot, returns tomorrow, Bourbeau will likely rejoin his old "Killer B" line of Tim Barakett and Ed Krayer.

In Bourbeau's absence, the second-line has been buzzing.

In their last five games, Barakett, Krayer and center Greg Chalmers have pocketed 12 goals and 16 assists--including three goals and five assists in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Red Raiders.

Krayer has come on especially strong, with five goals and five assists in the Crimson's last five games.

"Eddie Krayer is a very good player," said Red Raider Coach Terry Slater after his team's season came to an end at Bright Center Saturday. "I tried to get him to come to Colgate. But, unfortunately, he chose Harvard."