Icemen Dumped, 6-3

PROVIDENCE, R.I. --In the NHL, it's a two-minute penalty for delay of game. In college hockey it's just enthusiasm. Call it what you may, the Providence College Friars emptied their pew repeatedly last night to congratulate teammates on the way to a 6-3 shellacking of Harvard at Schneider Arena.

Not that Harvard (now 1-2 in ECAC play) didn't make it a contest--in fact, the Crimson battled back from a 2-0 deficit to knot the score, 2-2, at one point. But the favored Friars kept a territorial advantage throughout and broke the game wide open with three rapid-fire man-up goals in the second period.

The P.C. power play's three moments of truth came between 8:30 and 15:05 of period two. For those who didn't catch the game on WHRB, here's what it sounded like.

"Rap-Rap-Rap." That's Jeff Whisler passing to Paul Stasiuk passing to Dan Miele, deflecting the puck past Crimson goalie Giff Duffy, who never had a chance. (Duffy, in his first start of the season, stopped 25 of 31 shots on the night.) 3-2, P.C.

"Whap." Kurt Kleinendurst, wristing a shot to the far corner. 4-2.

"Ker-thunk." Denis Martin's cruise missile from the point, which leaves a considerable dent in the back of the net. 5-2, Friars, five minutes left in the second period, and what's Carter saying on the radio?

Bang-Shang-a-Lang

Harvard could only retaliate by clanging the far goalpost, and the third period exchange--Tom McCarthy's stuff shot for P.C. and Mark Fusco's screener for Harvard--just filled out the scorecard.

Crimson coach Billy Cleary blamed the defeat on inexperience and "a lack of discipline--that's hitting it on the nutshell."

"Most of our problems are in our own end," Cleary added.

Although outplayed in the first 20 minutes, Harvard trailed by only 2-1 as some clutch saves by Duffy kept things close.

We Tried

Moments after a Crimson penalty expired, P.C. forward Mike Bolstad tipped in a meandering flip shot from the point to put the Friars out front 5:13 after the opening face-off. When Miele converted a set-up from behind the Crimson net, it looked like the rout was on, but Dave Burke sent Tom Murray in alone to cut the margin in half and sober up the euphoric Friar fans and cheerleaders.

Schneider Arena turned positively sepulchral when Harvard converted a slashing call on P.C. goaltender Scott Fiske into a tie contest 1:19 into the second period. Picking up a perfect Mike Watson pass at the P.C. blue line, freshman sensation Greg Olson waited for Fiske to make the first move and then calmly slid in a backhander for his fourth goal of the season.

But then, as the Hartford Whalers official scouting the press box might have commented, the roof fell in on the Crimson.

BLUE LINES: Harvard will next visit Walter Brown to face the perenially fearsome and currently undefeated B.U. Terriers. Face-off is set for Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. Be there.