Crimson Rules the East

Giant Blair skated way out of net for one final time in Harvard's ECAC season as the crowd counted off the final seconds last night of the Boston Garden.

He controlled the puck in the corner of the rink nearest to the Crimson crowd until the siren sounded and a horde of jubilant teammates mobbed him, so that the fans had a close-up view of the first Harvard hockey team to celebrate an ECAC title in 12 years.

Not only did the Crimson capture its third crown in the tournament's 22-year history last night, but it virtually clinched the East's top seed for the NCAA tourney and a shot at the fourth-ranked team from the two western leagues.

Harvard hosts the two-game, total-goals quarterfinal series Friday and Saturday at Bright Center.

Harvard's 4-1 defeat of Providence, the East's regular-season champion, was more than just the climax to one of its best-ever ECAC campaigns. It also capped a five-year ascent from two of the most horrendous seasons in Crimson history in 1978-79 and '79-80, to a mediocre finish the next year, to a runner-up playoff finish last year, to Harvard's championship this year.

Perhaps appropriately, the one player still with the squad who can remember the nadir of Harvard hockey the took a year off) was named the MVP of this year's playoffs. Mitch Olson, who scored two key goals against New Hampshire in the semifinals, contributed the insurance goal late in the third period in last night's contest after the Crimson had nursed a one-goal lead over the Friars for 14 minutes.

Until then, Providence goaltender Mario Proulx had managed to keep his team within striking distance, turning away 36 Harvard shots Combined with his 44-save blanking of St. Lawrence in the semifinal round and his quarterfinal performance against Yale, the French-Canadian junior had five straight periods of shutout goaltending to his credit before the Crimson scored in the second period.

Friar Coach Lou Lamoriello felt his netminder, who allowed just five goals in his four playoff games, deserved consideration for the MVP award. "Mario has given us the big save all year long. I'd like to see your voting for MVP," he said after the game to the reporters who had voted on the award. "Not to take anything away from the fine player who won."

Virtuoso

But as superb a performance as Proulx registered last night, the story of the game was that Harvard put the pressure on the Friars and kept working until the pucks began crossing the goal line. "That's been a trademark of this team," Crimson Coach Bill Cleary said. "They just kept banging away until it went in."

The thought that Proulx might frustrate Harvard all night long didn't really worry the Crimson, Greg Britz said later. "He really wasn't making great saves," the senior right wing said. "He was leaving rebounds and pucks were going over him. He wasn't looking very solid."

"We knew we couldn't play that well and not score goals," Scott Fusco, who scored the go-ahead goal, added.

Actually, in the early going Harvard couldn't produce the continuous pressure that led to its goals. Both teams came out looking very hesitant. The defenses controlled the play in the opening period, ruining every scoring threat at each end. The Friars, especially, made a point of forming a protective ring around Proulx, allowing only four Crimson shots on net in the first 20 minutes.

The Crimson blueliners foiled several Providence chances along the way Ken Code stickchecked the puck away from Friar Rich Costello right on the doorstep midway though the period. Brad Kwong smothered Costello's centering pass on a two-on-one break three minutes later and Mark Fusco stymied high-scoring Friar Paul Guay on a late one-on-one, riding him into the boards.

At the opposite end, Jacques Delorme stopped a Harvard threat, shoving Scott Fusco from in front before he could take a centering pass, and Steve Taylor later alertly cleared the puck after Proulx dropped a routine glove save in the crease.

One offensive foray did get past the Harvard defense, though, a two-on-one dash by Guay and Kurt Kleinendorst. But Guay lost control of Kleinendorst's pass as he skated by the Crimson net.

It was in the middle stanza that Harvard turned to the attack, pumping 22 shots on Proulx.

Less than two minutes into the period, the puck got past the Friar goalie, but referee Robert Quinn disallowed the goal, ruling that winger Dave Connors had kicked the puck with his skate. Mark Fusco and Code kept Proulx on his toes with several tough slap-shots in the next few minutes. And after Greg Chalmers stole the puck in the Providence end, forcing defenseman Randy Velischek to take a holding penalty, the Crimson finally broke the ice.

With time about to expire on the two-minute penalty. Code blasted the puck just wide of the net. The rebound came out to Mark Fusco at the point, who set up Code for a second try. This time, he connected, putting Harvard ahead at the 7:12 mark.

Both teams had their chances in the ensuing minutes. With Blair out of position after a tough save. Providence's Steve Anderson faced a wide open net but couldn't keep it on his stick long enough to backhand it into the ocean. At the other end. Mark Fusco, hit the post flush five minutes later.

But after his near-goal, the senior defenseman took a booking penalty, giving the Friars the chance to tie it up with a power play goal of its own.

A half-minute of sharp passing led to Velischek, the ECAC Player of the Year, slapping the puck from the left point into the upper corner of the net, just beyond Blair's outstretched glove.

The Friar goal apparently reduced the title game to a simple 20-minute showdown in the third period. But in fact, the Crimson had a substantial advantage--Providence was by now a much more tired team. Having played the late game Friday night, the Friars were no longer able to keep up with the fast-skating Crimson. (St. Lawrence, Providence's lategame opponent Friday, also lost its game last night; both late-game semifinalists lost their Saturday games last year, too.)

Providence was no longer able to combat Harvard's fast-moving game with its own more aggressive style. "We didn't have the stamina to be as physical as we'd like to be," said Lamariello.

Scott Fusco broke the tie 4:08 into the final stanza, scoring what proved to be his sixth game-winning goal of the season. Linemate Jim Turner dug the puck out of the corner and passed to Fusco, who put a 10-footer through a slim opening in Proulx's pads.

Without going into a defensive shell for the remainder of the game, Harvard defended its lead.

Blair made a tough glove save at the 11:15 mark, scooping up a shot by Providence's Taylor, and Mark Fusco broke up a very threatining two-on-one just before Friar Dave Wilkie could take a pass directly in front of the Crimson net. And with Fusco grabbing at him. Wilkie failed to score on a semi-breakaway with four minutes left.

But the Crimson never stopped applying pressure at the Friar end as time ran down. With three minutes left. Proulx made a fantastic save to rob Shayne Kukulowicz on a two-on-one.

And just a minute-and-a-half later, right after a Providence timeout. Olson took the puck off a faceoff in center ice, skated into the Friar zone and found Turner to his left heading for the net. Proulx made one more diving save, his last of the night, to stop Turner's shot but was hopelessly out of position when Olson lifted the puck into the goal.

Providence immediately lifted Proulx in favor of a sixth skater. But after one rush into the Crimson end. Harvard sent the puck the other way and the Friars couldn't threaten again. With 48 seconds left Mark Fusco gave himself a little more to celebrate on his 22nd birthday by putting a soft backhander into the open net from the red line.

After the Crimson players had finished their on-ice rejoicing and had collected their various awards, it was Fusco who described the victory from the perspective of one participated in Harvard's gradual climb to Eastern hockey supremacy.

"We had a bad team freshman year," he said, "and we've gotten better every year. My class--we have eight seniors--we've played together for a long time.... This is what I came to Harvard to do."

THE NOTEBOOK: The championship was Cleary's first in his 12 years as Harvard's head coach...The last title came in 1971, the year before he took over from Ralph "Cooney" Weiland.... Since then, his teams have gone to four ECAC finals, losing to B.U. in 1974 and 1975 and to Northeastern last year...Seedings for both Eastern and Western teams in the NCAAs will be announced tonight...The four Western teams that seem to be headed for the NCAAs are Wisconsin and Minnesota of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (known as the WCHA) and Michigan St. and Bowling Green of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (the CCHA).... Michigan St. edged Bowling Green in overtime yesterday, 4-3, to win the CCHA title and Wisconsin beat Minnesota in the first contest of its two-game total-goals WCHA championship showdown... The Crimson was seeded fourth among the ECAC squads in the Nationals last year, losing at Wisconsin, 6-1 and 4-3 in the two-game series...Providence's Velischek is headed for the pros (the Minnesota North Stars) as soon as the NCAAs finish...Harvard's overall record going into the NCAAs is 21-8-1. At the Boston Garden Harvard  0  1  3--4 Providence  0  1  0--1

H. Ken Code (Mark Fusco), 7:12; P. Ranoy Veliechek (Rich Costello, Tim Army), 17:30; H, Scott Fusco (Jim Turner), 4:08; H, Mitch Olson (Turner), 18:31; H.M. Fusco (unassisted), 19:12.

Saves: H, Grant Blair, 6-6-7--19; P. Mario Proulx, 4-21-11--36.

Alt: 12,049.

H. Ken Code (Mark Fusco), 7:12; P. Ranoy Veliechek (Rich Costello, Tim Army), 17:30; H, Scott Fusco (Jim Turner), 4:08; H, Mitch Olson (Turner), 18:31; H.M. Fusco (unassisted), 19:12.

Saves: H, Grant Blair, 6-6-7--19; P. Mario Proulx, 4-21-11--36.

Alt: 12,049.