Down By A Pair of Field Goals

It's never been done before. And the Harvard men's hockey team has no reason to believe it will be done tonight.

No team has ever climbed back from a six-goal deficit after the first game of a total-goals NCAA quarterfinal. That's because no team has ever been behind by that much.

For the Crimson, it may not be too late to get super-saver tickets to Detroit.

Since 1981 when the NCAA instituted the two-game, total-goal format for its quarterfinal series, only three teams which won the first contest have gone on to lose the series. In 1985, Providence and Boston College beat their opponents after having fallen the first night. Bowling Green did it in 1984, the year it won the NCAA Title.

But even more impressive for Harvard, the Crimson's 7-1 lead marks the biggest advantage that any team has ever held after the first 60 minutes of action.

Several teams have tallied seven goals in the first contest, and Minnesota scored nine in its first game against New Hampshire in 1983, but no team has ever jumped out to a six point lead before.

That 1983 Minnesota squad went on to score 16 goals--the most ever in a quarterfinal series. But the '83 Wisconsin Badgers, which destroyed St. Lawrence, 13-3, holds the record for the most punishing defeat in a series.

Bowling them over: Don Sweeney and C.J. Young are still at it. Both players have put on impressive offensive performances in the last few games, and they show no signs of slowing down.

With his two goals last night, Young has now scored in eight consecutive games, and has nine goals and four assists over that span. Honorable Mention All-ECAC defenseman Sweeney has now tallied in three straight games and in five of the last seven.

Powering along: When will opposing teams learn? You've got to stay out of the penalty box if you hope to beat Harvard.

RPI and St. Lawrence tried to disrupt Harvard's man-up unit by coming out to the top of the circles and pressuring the Crimson point men. The Falcons instead stayed back and huddled protectively around the goal.

But the Crimson simply passed the puck around at will until it could find an open shot. Four of the five Harvard power plays resulted in goals.