Crimson Meets Clarkson in ECAC Semifinals Tonight

The Golden Knights of Clarkson bring two big lines, four bigger defensemen, and an adequate goalie against the Crimson in tonight's semifinal E.C.A.C. contest at the Boston arena. With the Eastern hockey crown at stake, the Crimson will need stellar play from all concerned to top the slightly-favored skaters from Potsdam, New York.

Clarkson boasts a 19-3-2 record in Eastern Collegiate play and is currently seeded second in tournament competition. The Knights have plenty of scoring punch in their first and second offensive lines (207 points in 24 games).

Behind the blue line, Clarkson has at least one stiff defensive unit in Cal Wagner and Pat Brophy. This defense with goalie Corely Gibbons has held Boston College to just five goals in their three clashes this winter, including a shut out in the initial meeting.

Sorely Missed

The Crimson's first defensive unit of Dave Johnston and Ron Thomson is every bit as good and probably a shade better than any twosome Clarkson has to offer. But coach Cooney Weiland will have to make do without all-Ivy defenseman Harry Howell on his other defensive unit. The scholastically ineligible senior could be sorely missed.

Godfrey Wood, in the Crimson nets, has been the top goalie in the East since mid-season. The tall net minder has contributed two shut-outs in three games and owns a .918 save percentage over the Crimson's regular season. With Wood in the nets, the Crimson has a good chance to win a low scoring contest.

Much will depend on the ability of Weiland's lines to get their shots off against Clarkson's tough defensive units. Recent performances considered, the Crimson should do reasonably well. Harvard has averaged better than five goals a game in its last seven outings and has scoring power in all three lines.

"Have to Wake Up"

All things considered, the varsity can beat Clarkson only if it plays as fine a game as it did in New Haven last weekend. As Weiland puts it, "We'll have to play better than we did against Colgate. We're going to have to wake up."

Boston College will take on St. Lawrence in the second semi-final match.

The winners of the two contests will face each other for the E.C.A.C. championship tomorrow night at the Arena at 9 p.m. In a consolation game, slated to precede the championship, tonight's losers will take each other on at 7 p.m.