Skaters Build First Period Lead, Coast To Easy Win In New Haven

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Feb, 28-Harvard's hockey team may not have gotten what it wanted at Yale's Ingalls Rink Saturday night, but it got what it needed-a satisfying 6-2 triumph that strengthened its hold on fourth place in the ECAC standings.

The Crimson had traveled to New Haven intent upon humiliating the Elis to avenge last year's shocking 3-2 overtime loss, and for the first few minutes of the opening period, it seemed as though Harvard would do it.

Senior center George McManama, who eventually tallied five points, poked a rebound past Blue goaltender John Cole after 45 seconds of play, and less than three minutes later, sophomore Red Jahncke lofted a 20-foot wrist shot into the Yale net for another. Already. the Bulldogs were a beaten hockey team.

Buzzing

And Harvard was buzzing the Yale defense unmercifully. The Elis most glaring fault this season had been consistent indecisiveness, disorganization, and lack of hockey sense, and Harvard's hustling forwards were taking advantage of it.

The Bulldog's defense was bumbling, its forward play often uncoordinated, and in the first period, its goaltending shaky. At the fifteen-minute mark, Crimson defenseman Joe Cavanagh gathered in the puck at the red line, swerved and faked around a panting Yale team, and flipped a third goal past Cole from point blank range.

It was the same in the second period. At 1:03, McManama took a pass from Ron Mark behind the Yale net and lifted it past a sprawling Cole. At 9:03, Cavanagh fed Jack Turco with his feet in front of the cage, and it was 5-0, But soon after, Harvard's machine began grinding to a halt.

Stolen Puck

At 14:58, with the Crimson on the power play. Yale's Greg Luck stole the puck from Harvard defender at the Eli blue line, outraced Terry Flaman into the Harvard zone, and beat Crimson goaler Bruce Durno coming across.

Then, with the Crimson attack continually disrupted by penalties. Bulldog junior Terry DeMeza added another at 10:20 of the final period, and Harvard's hopes of a rout were fading.

But even then Yale was increasingly unable to put together any kind of effective, scoring punch, although Harvard played shorthanded on nine separate occasions throughout the game.

Twice, the Elis were unsuccessful even in putting a shot on the Harvard eage during a power play, and once, while Old Blues bellowed in disgust. Cavanagh raced through the entire Yale squad with the Crimson a man down, circled the Elinet, and returned the same way he came-without a stick laid upon him.

At 18:25, Crimson defenseman Dave Jones dumped in a low shot from the point; it was 6-2, and the Harvard players left Ingalls for a few beers with the Connecticut alumni.