The Kirkland G-14 Scoring Race

HANOVER, N.H.--Neither Pete Ciavaglia nor Mike Vukonich will admit it, but there may be a scoring competition in Kirkland G-14.

Ciavaglia, Harvard hockey's leading scorer for the past two seasons, has always been the star of this rooming group. Vukonich says he doesn't even try to compete.

But six games into this not-so-average season, Vukonich is rolling with four goals--two in the Crimson's 4-2 win over Dartmouth here last night--and six assists. And suddenly Ciavaglia is looking to his roomie for a few tips.

"I guess living with Pete so long is beginning to wear off," said Vukonich, who has scored half of his 10 season points in Harvard's last two games. "He's teaching me how to score a few goals."

Ciavaglia, who is one goal and four assists behind, calls that, "the biggest bunch of garbage" he's heard in his entire life.

After Vukonich's performance in Harvard's last two outings, it's easy to understand Ciavaglia's disbelief.

At RPI last Saturday, Vukonich tallied both on even-strength and the power play, and last night, he chipped in a pair of goals in the first period.

Vukonich's first goal came just 3:25 into the game, when he took a pass from John Murphy and stuffed the puck past Dartmouth goalie Steve Laurin. Near the end of the period, senior Tod Hartje sent a beautiful pass across the ice to Vukonich, who stuffed the puck in again to put Harvard up, 2-0.

"In the locker room, Pete said to me, 'You have to go for the hat,'" said Vukonich, who has never tallied a collegiate hat trick. "But I told him that I don't score hat tricks. I get two goals and then I quit."

The trick never came, although a sweet give-and-take with Murphy notched Vukonich an assist on Harvard's late-game insurance goal.

"We didn't expect to be playing together again this year, but it feels good," said Murphy, who shared a line with Vukonich all last season. "He's a real goal-scorer. He just hasn't shown what he can do."

In reality, it has been less Ciavaglia's influence than a simple position switch that has sparked Vukonich's scoring surge. After sitting out the Army game for disciplinary reasons, Vukonich moved from his second-line spot at wing back to third-line center. And when Ted Donato was injured the following night, Vukonich moved into a similar spot on Harvard's power play. Since the shakeup, he has scored all five of his goals.

"The coaches decided to move me back, and I'm a little more familiar with this position," said Vukonich, who played his first two seasons at center. "It gives me a lot more room to move."

Apparently, as Ciavaglia was quick to point out, the coaches know best. Vukonich has been taking great advantage of his new-found freedom on the ice.

"Mike has been shooting and he's been hitting the net," Harvard Coach Bill Cleary said. "I told them that they'd be surprised--shoot at the net a little, and the puck might go in."

Now that's a lesson that Ciavaglia--known as Mr. Assist for his tendency to make plays rather than finish them--could garner some advice from.

And suddenly, he doesn't need to look too far for someone to teach him.