Cream of ECAC Battles at Bright

The beans have been counted, the trophy elevated, the kudos received.

But now it's time to get back to business.

Coming off of its recent 4-2 Bean-pot Championship victory over Boston University, the Harvard men's hockey team must knuckle down for two games this weekend in Bright Hockey Center against some pretty stiff ECAC competition.

The fifth-ranked Crimson (15-2-1 overall, 12-1-1 ECAC) should be favored to win tonight against tenth-ranked Yale (13-6-2, 10-2-2) and tomorrow afternoon against Princeton (6-11-1, 4-9-1).

Harvard is a perfect 8-0-0 on the friendly ice of Bright, and the team should be well rested--it hasn't played since Monday.

But something strange always seems to happen when these Ivy League rivals clash.

Back in November, the Crimson struggled against both the Tigers and the Elis. Harvard escaped Princeton unscathed when senior Matt Mallgrave's overtime goal gave Harvard a 6-5 victory.

In New Haven, however, the Crimson's Ingalls Rink jinx continued--65 minutes wasn't enough to decide a very physical, penalty-marred, 5-5 draw.

"I don't know what it is about both teams that makes it so tough to play them," sophomore Cory Gustafson said. "I don't want to say that it's pressure; we have showed recently that we can handle the pressure of big games.

"It just seems that [Yale and Princeton] raise their level of play against us. They may not have the most talent of anybody we play, but they are very hard-working."

Coming off of an emotional Beanpot experience, the question begs asking: Might the Crimson be poised for a letdown?

"I don't think so," senior Steve Flomenhoft said. "Playing Yale is the best thing that could happen to us right now--we are only three points ahead of Yale and four ahead of RPI [in the ECAC standings], and we know that every point counts. I'd say we are pretty focused."

Indications from some of the Crimson are that freshman Aaron Israel will start in goal for Harvard against the Elis.

Israel had 32 saves in New Haven the first time around, and he'll have his work cut out for him again this time.

Leading the Yale attack is senior Mark Kaufmann--he leads the ECAC in scoring, and he netted both game-winning goals in Yale's two wins last weekend against Cornell and Colgate.

Princeton has less to offer Beanpot hero Tripp Tracy, who figures to start between the pipes against the Tigers. Senior Terry Morris leads Princeton in scoring with eight goals and eleven assists.

Flomenhoft isn't so concerned about Princeton's offense--he wonders about playing the Tigers so soon after what figures to be another physical showing by the Elis.

"Playing an afternoon game gives you four hours less to recuperate after the night before," he said. "There is certainly no way that we can take anything for granted."

One thing that can almost be taken for granted--junior Hobey Baker candidate Ted Drury will score his 100th point in a Harvard uniform this weekend. All he needs is one point from either game to become the 32nd player in Harvard history to reach that plateau.

Just try to find someone to bet against him.