Icemen, Saints Clash at Bright

Looked at one way, tonight's Harvard-St. Lawrence hockey game is a battle of lifestyles. Bustling Cambridge vs. cozy Canton, N.Y. The big city vs. the backwoods.

Looked at another way, it is a battle of status quo. Harvard, a perennial powerhouse, vs. St. Lawrence, a hungry insurgent. Monarch vs. revolutionary.

But whatever way you look at it--from top to bottom, side to side, or upside down--tonight's match-up is for first place in the ECAC. Both teams have eight wins, good for 16 points, good for number one in the league standings.

Two would-be kings will meet at the top of the hill tonight. One will come tumbling down.

Two years ago, the Larries--as the Saints were called during their gloomy days--came to Bright Center with an 0-7 record. Moe was SLU's leading scorer and Curly the number one goalie. The Larries fell to the Crimson, 7-0, and were laughed out of town.

Back in Canton, a sleepy New York village five miles beyond the edge of nowhere, there was not much to cheer about. The Larries were good for a few chuckles, but not many wins.

But, as if poked in the eyes and bopped over the head, the Larries awoke. They won 16 of their remaining 23 games and finished seventh in the ECAC with a 10-11 league mark.

They made the playoffs. They left the land of comedy and entered hockey's holy land. They shed their nickname and became the Saints.

Last year, SLU beat the Crimson at Bright (the first team in 29 tries to do so) during the regular season and finished second to Harvard in the post-season tournament.

"Being in the finals with Harvard last year was a great experience for our kids," St. Lawrence Coach Joe Marsh says. "Going to Boston Garden last year [for the championship game], we had three or four busloads of fans. There was great excitement."

Those fans, loyal even in the early days, have come out in droves this year. Tiny Canton has become a bustling hockey metropolis.

"It's a great community," Marsh said. "They're very supportive. We had 2900 show up for our game against Army last weekend."

This year, St. Lawrence is leading the ECAC in scoring, averaging more than five goals a game. The Saints exploded against Army, 10-1.

Offense sells--tonight's game is standing room only. And offense wins games.

The Saints are ranked in the national top 10. They were preseason favorites to win the ECAC. The pressure to succeed, absent in the past, is now on.

Now, Harvard is waiting. The champion is ready to prove it still deserves to wear the belt.

"I don't like to lose at home," Harvard Coach Bill Cleary says. "I don't like to lose anywhere, but especially not at home. We'll be going right at them."

Looked at one way, the Saints should win tonight's game. St. Lawrence did not lose many players from last year's ECAC runner-up. The Crimson, meanwhile, lost its five leading scorers to graduation and the Olympics.

Looked at another way, the Crimson should win tonight's game. Bright Center is the Crimson's haven. It comes with a money-back guarantee: Harvard wins or you get a complete refund.

If you can't get a look at tonight's game, there's always the rematch in late February. But that one's in Canton. And tickets are going fast.