Bok's Hockey Predictions

Never fear, Harvard hockey team.

According to President Derek Bok, the Crimson couldn't ask for a better set-up in this weekend's best-of-three NCAA quarterfinal series against Lake Superior State.

Told that The Crimson forecasts a close game against a strong Laker team, Bok went on the record with his own prediction.

"But we don't lose in Bright," said Bok, citing Harvard's perfect record at home this season. "I think it's about as favorable to us as it could be. They're coming here on our home ice; they're not rated number one in the nation. If we lose we have two or three games, so if we get beaten by a fluke we have a chance to come back."

Bok is already looking ahead to the Final Four, and predicting that the semifinal schedule--which would place Harvard in the Thursday night game--could prove to be a big boost for the Crimson.

"I gather if we go out [to St. Paul for the Final Four] we play on Thursday, which is the advantage, because then if you win you've got a day's rest," said Bok, pointing out that Harvard lost 6-5 to. Minnesota in the 1986 final in Providence after playing the night before.

But will Bok make the trek to St. Paul?

"There's such a huge conspiracy in favor of ice hockey already," he said, "that I think that I should reserve my loyalties for the basketball team and let [Dean of the Faculty A. Michael] Spence take care of the hockey."

Goal of the Week: To beat Lake Superior State in two games.

Hockey, Hockey, Hockey: Harvard Coach Bill Cleary had a weekend off from hockey--but he just couldn't stay away from the game.

Cleary by-passed silent Bright Center and headed across the river to catch a little NCAA first-round action at Boston College's Kelley Rink. The Eagles eliminated Bowling Green to advance to the quarterfinals at Michigan State this weekend.

In Other NCAA Action: The East faced the West in first-round playoffs, with two teams coming up victorious from each division.

While B.C. was beating Bowling Green in Boston, the Lakers blew St. Cloud State out of the playoffs with a two-game sweep in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

The Providence-Northern Michigan series was the only one to go to the full three games, with the Friars (the fifth seed in the East) recovering from a game-one loss to upend N. Michigan (West #4) on Saturday and Sunday nights and earn a ticket to Orono, Me. for a quarterfinal series against the Black Bears.

St. Lawrence, ECAC tournament champion and the number-three seed in the East, was the victim of the biggest first-round upset. Wisconsin (West #6) dumped the Saints in Canton, N.Y., on their home ice in straight games. Wisconsin faces Minnesota (West #2) in Minneapolis in the quarterfinals.

Tickets for Sale: Tomorrow night's Harvard-Lake Superior State game is already sold out, but a limited number of tickets are still available at $8 apiece for the Saturday and Sunday night games.

Tickets are on sale at the Harvard Athletic Ticket Office in the basement of Harvard Hall. No coupons are necessary.