Keeping Things Loose and Steady at Bright

Lined-up on the basketball court of the Malkin Athletic Center, stretching their arms and legs, they obviously were not ballet dancers. Grace had been replaced by a fumbling attempt at balance. Their bodies, used to high speeds and pounding, now were required to move serenely in an effort to get loose.

It was pre-season and the players on the Harvard hockey team were beginning their quest for the Ivy League, the ECAC and the NCAA championships with an aerobics class. Many of the players were thinking how much easier it is to punch a puck into a net from 40 feet out than to do a deep knee bend.

During one particularly strenuous stretch, a voice--half comforting, half comical--boomed out from the back of the line: "Steady."

The voice belonged to Randy Taylor, Harvard's 6-ft., 2-in., 215-lb. senior defenseman. The plea was both a pleasant warning to the hockey players cum fumbling dancers and a description of the kind of influence Taylor has had on his team.

Randy Taylor often isn't the most consistent player on the ice--his play has varied from average to magnificent this year--but his commanding (and large) presence on the first defensive unit, on the power play and as a penalty killer has had a steadying influence on his team-mates.

Taylor's work ethic has also been inspirational. After practice, Taylor often will spend 10 to 15 minutes with Harvard Assistant Coach Ronn Tomassoni, skating between the blue lines, building up speed.

The NHL has taken notice. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who drafted Taylor in the supplemental draft last year, are following his career closely.

"Just playing in one NHL game would be like a dream," Taylor says. "Not many players get the chance to do it. Of course, it's not easy to get there."

"He's a hot commodity," Harvard Captain Peter Chiarelli says. "He's a big guy who will take the man. He's got a nice shot, and he's always been a solid defenseman."

While a career in the NHL may be lurking in Taylor's future, he's not thinking about that yet. There are other matters to take care of--10 more regular season games, the ECAC Tournament and (perhaps) another crack at the NCAA Championship.

Last year the Crimson came within one goal of winning the national title. Not long after, the thought of scoring that final goal the next year grew big and wonderful inside the heads of the Harvard players who would return for another season.

"I think it started on the bus ride back," Taylor says. "The undergraduate players were talking about how close we had come and how much we wanted to get back there next year. I don't know whether [an NCAA Championship] is a dream. We're thinking we can get to the Garden [for the ECAC Championship game]. And then, maybe, get home ice for the NCAA Tournament. If we do that, I think we'll be in the Final Four."

The Crimson is off to one of its best starts ever. The team won 15 games--13 in the ECAC--to begin the season before dropping a close contest to Yale before exams.

"We've had one setback and it may have been a blessing," Taylor says. "We now know what it's like to lose. I think it will inspire us for the rest of the season."

Taylor has contributed two goals and 16 assists to the cause. He ranks among the ECAC's leading scorers--not typical for a defenseman. He is within striking distance of Ed Rossi's Harvard single-season assist record of 38.

In his career, Taylor has recorded 13 goals and 69 assists. Last year he was named Second Team All-ECAC.

"Randy has worked awfully hard since he first came here," Tomassoni says. "He's improved steadily since his freshman year. He's always working on his quickness and on accelerating off a stop. And for a big guy, he has a great set of hands."

"When he was a recruit and even as a freshman few of us expected him to be able to play on the point of one of the country's best teams," says Yale Coach Tim Taylor, who tried to get Randy Taylor to play for the Elis. "He's not a darting skater. He's good on his feet and always seems to get where he has to go. What he lacks in speed and quickness, he makes up for in intelligence."

Randy Taylor never envisioned himself playing on one of the nation's finest hockey teams, let alone being a forceful contributor to that team. He grew up in the small town of Cornwall, Ontario (population 40,000) and played hockey and basketball.

His father and brother are basketball players--Robert Taylor Sr. played at Clarkson Univeristy and Robert Jr. played for Ottawa University. Randy Taylor occasionally puts on a pair of sneakers and hits the court himself--with mixed results. Perhaps the spector of his older (and bigger) brother lurks in the background, even in the pick-up games Taylor plays in.

"My brother was a hockey player, too," Taylor says. "But when he was about 13 he decided to concentrate on basketball. He grew up to be 6'-6" so I was always in his shadow."

"I don't play basketball much during the hockey season," Taylor continues. "I played Saturday night and I couldn't do anything. There must be something about the co-ordination required for the two sports that just don't go together."

Taylor may not be able to put a basketball through a hoop, but he doesn't have much trouble putting a puck where he wants it. He and partner Mark Benning make up one of the most polished defensive duos in the country.

Benning and Taylor have played together for two years, so they know each other's moves inside and out. Sometimes, they know where the other man is without seeing him.

"A lot of times I'll pass it over to Randy without looking," Benning says. "I'll just know Randy's there. Part of it is because we've worked together for so long. And part of it is because he's where he's supposed to be, where a good hockey player would be."

Benning has been in an ideal position to watch Taylor's improvement over the years. From the other side of the blue line, he's seen Taylor grow more confident and more versatile as a defenseman. Taylor has not only become an excellent defensive player, but he now poses a serious offensive threat.

"He's a steady player, but he also shows flashes of brilliance," Benning says. "He's taking more risks offensively. People in the NHL will like that. They like a defensive defenseman, but they like a little offense, too."

The 5-ft., 8-in. Benning concludes ruefully: "I wish I had his size."

Off the ice, Taylor is quiet. He is well-liked by his teammates for both his steady personality and his humorous streak. During road trips, he'll keep the team in good spirits with a joke or two.

"He's always a lot of fun," Harvard forward Lane MacDonald says. "When we were playing in Toronto in my freshman year, he took over the loud speaker on the bus. He and [former Harvard player] Pete Follows started giving us a tour of the city. They talked about the beer in Toronto. Their explanation of the Molson brewery and the Labatt's plant was very interesting."

Perhaps it's no surprise that Taylor's nickname is "Bud."

"I like to keep things loose," Taylor says. "During the last part of the season, there's a lot of pressure. It isn't good to be thinking about hockey all the time. The pressure can become unbearable."

Come February 2--when the Crimson's season resumes with a game against Northeastern in the first round of the Beanpot Tournament--the pressure will be on. And it won't be turned off for several months.

And the Harvard players probably will be grateful then--even more than in the beginning of the season--for the voice which announces cheerfully: "Steady."