Icemen Lose At Penn, Face Terriers Tonight

A group of Boston University hockey players were gathered at the Dugout, the local campus tavern, last weekend to chat about prospects for tonight's Beanpot Tournament, when the subject of Harvard's performance Saturday night came up.

The results of the game, to the Terriers at least, were the most amusing thing they had heard since B. C. forward Tim Sheehy broke his nose last December.

Because Saturday night, a Harvard team that hopes to defend its Beanpot championship against Boston University tonight lost to the worst squad in the East's Division 1. The Crimson was beaten by Pennsylvania, 5-4 in overtime at the Quaker's Cherry Hill Arena.

B. U. usually meets Harvard at least once before the Beanpot, but because of a freak schedule, the two teams have yet to face each other this winter. The Terriers, victims of a 5-3 loss in last year's Beanpot finals, were looking forward to tonight's contest with rare zeal. Last weekend, they could hardly control their enthusiasm.

"We've been waiting to stuff Coach Owen all year," one of the Terrier for wands smirked. "This is beautiful."

"We'll eat them up," said another.

And unless the Crimson can return to its pre-exam form - which was superb - the Terriers might be correct.

There are reasons, for the loss to Penn-a three week layoff during exams, and extreme overconfidence-but there can be no excuses. Pennsylvania had won only two of 11 games this winter-a, one-goal squeaker over Massachusetts and a victory over Air Force at Christmas. The Quakers had lost twice to Dartmouth which Harvard crushed 6-1, once to inept Army, and was shut out by Vermont, a Division Two team.

In addition, three regulars had quit the Penn team in January, and almost the entire defensive corps was wiped out by knee injuries. Coach Jim Salfi, not generally famed for creating something out of nothing, was reduced to two forward lines, four defense-men, and a second string goaltender.

And the Quakers still were able to wipe out an early two-goal deficit, hang on while substitute goalie John Marks kicked out 57 Harvard shots, and win on the power play in overtime.

But although what happened Saturday night is deeply, humiliating to a Harvard team that was. and perhaps still is, ranked fourth in the East, it means little either in terms of Ivy standings or tonight's game with Boston University.

Elimination

A loss to Cornell in early January and a prior defeat at the hands of Brown had already virtually eliminated the Crimson from the Ivy title chase. And tonight, when the Crimson takes on a Terrier squad that destroyed Boston College last week, 8-3, it will hardly be overconfident. So the incentive is there.

Last year, the Crimson entered the Beanpot Tournament ranked a shaky third in the East, but largely because of its victory in the finals, vaulted to a second place seeding that even a final-game loss to weak Yale could not damage.

B. U. will be tough. The Terriers are always a second-semester hockey team, and their strategy of carrying the playto the opponent will put as serious a test to the Crimson defense as did Cornell. But somehow, the Crimson always seems to play quite well against Boston University, certainly much better than it does against Boston College.

Last, year, the Crimson decked B. U., 7-4, in early December, lost a 2-1 decision at Christmas, then roared from behind in the Beanpot to take the cup. The Pennsylvania loss notwithstanding, the same is possible this year.

And every Harvard player understands that a loss tonight ends any chance Harvard has of making the NCAA playoffs, unless it can dump Cornell at the ECAC's. That's not impossible, but beating B. U. is somewhat of an easier task.