Wildcats Claw Icemen, End Crimson Dominance

DURHAM. N.H.-It took an awful short time to end and awfully long streak and for the Harvard men's hockey team it was awful.

The Snively Arena scoreboard read 5-0 for the home team and it was only the end of the first period Forty minutes later the University of New Hampshire (U.N.H) had thumped the Crimson for the first time since 1977.

"It's like everything else," said a relieved UNH Coach Charlie Holt. "If you live long enough things will change."

Fortunately for Harvard one important thing hasn't changed Yale fell at Cornell 7-6, so Harvard 18-8-2 ECAC, 8-12-2 overall still owns a two game bulge over Yale (8-10-1 ECAC) in the loss column.

Even if Yale beats U.N.H tomorrow and Brown Saturday at New Haven the Crimson must take just two of its last three (Cornell, Princeton and Brown at Bright) to Clench the Ivy Division championship and the accompanying home ice advantage for the ECAC quarterfinal.

If the playoffs started at night Harvard would host U.N.H (13-6-0 ECAC, 19-13-1 overall) in the opening round.

Flood Gates

The Wildcats play a wide open skating game one the Crimson couldn't handle in last night's first period. Several U.N.H. breakaways happened when Harvard played the puck instead of the man and missed.

But even worse than the breakdowns at center ice were the ones in the Crimson one.

"The first two or three goals, we made passes to them," said Harvard Coach Bill Clearly.

Center James Richmond intercepted the first of those passes and fed fellow freshman Peter Douris just outside the crease Doris's shot bounced off goale Grant Blair's pads and onto the stick of left wing Mark Doherty who tapped it in at 2:48.

Scott Ellison was the second beneficiary of Harvard charity. He intercepted what was supposed to be clearing pass at the point them flipped the puck and to Wildcat scoring leader Dan Potter Blair committed to Poter, who passed it across to Dan Muse for the score.

With Harvard's Brad Kwong sitting out a tripping penalty. U.N.H created its own opportunity. Shane Skid more fired the puck to Paul Barton, who deflected it in at 5.16.

The next U.N.H tally came eight minutes later on a Ralph Robinson Breakaway Ellison added the fifth goal at 18.07

Harvard tightened up it play but not the score in the second period Skidmore's blast into the upper right corner made it 6.0 at 15:33.

Harvard avoided its second shutout loss of the year when center Rob Wheeler look a pass from Dave Connors and found the far side of the net 8:39 into the third period.

It looked like the birth of a belated Crimson comeback a minute later when Jay North slapshot from the center of the blueline got past Wildcat netminder Bruce Gilles Harvard was changing lines at the time.

THE NOTEBOOK : U.N.H clinched playoff spot with the win Harvard had won its last seven games against U.N.H. "We've beat some pretty good teams up here, "Clearly said after the game. "But all our average might have caught up with us." When U.N.H. travels to Yale tomorrow the Wildcats will be playing their fifth game in eight days U.N.H is still in the running for home ice in the playoff as either the Wildcats or Boston College (who both have six losses will win the third seed. At Snively Arena Harvard  0  0  2-2 New Hampshire  5  1  0-6

NH. Mark Doherty (Peter Douris James Richmond), 2:48. NH Dan Mise (Dan Poffer Scott Ellison), 4:15. NH Paul Barton (Ken Chishoim Shane Slundmore), 5:17. NH Ralph Robinson (Dewayne Robinson Barton), 13:04. NH Ellison (Doherty Bnan Bymes), 18:07. NH Skidmore (Alister Brown, D. Robinson), 15:33. H Rob Wheeler (Dave Connora Sharne Kuolowtiz), 8:30. H. Jay North (Unassisted), 9:49.

Savee-H Grant Blur 6-9.9-24. NH Bruce Gilles 8-7.7-22. Att-3670.

NH. Mark Doherty (Peter Douris James Richmond), 2:48. NH Dan Mise (Dan Poffer Scott Ellison), 4:15. NH Paul Barton (Ken Chishoim Shane Slundmore), 5:17. NH Ralph Robinson (Dewayne Robinson Barton), 13:04. NH Ellison (Doherty Bnan Bymes), 18:07. NH Skidmore (Alister Brown, D. Robinson), 15:33. H Rob Wheeler (Dave Connora Sharne Kuolowtiz), 8:30. H. Jay North (Unassisted), 9:49.

Savee-H Grant Blur 6-9.9-24. NH Bruce Gilles 8-7.7-22. Att-3670.