Icemen Visit Upstate NY

The Harvard men's hockey team last faced Clarkson and St. Lawrence in the second week of January.

The Crimson owned an 8-2 ECAC record--second behind Vermont's league-leading 7-1 mark--and was looking for a weekend sweep to keep pace with the Catamounts, who had defeated Harvard, 3-2, a week earlier.

Harvard earned that sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Knights and a 7-0 trouncing of the Larries, as Vermont lost to Colgate and Cornell.

Suddenly, Harvard stood alone in first place in the ECAC.

And the Crimson has remained there ever since.

By beating the Catamounts, 7-3, Friday, Harvard (18-5-1 overall, 17-2 ECAC) wrapped up the regular season ECAC title and the top spot in the league tournament, which begins March 7.

So as it prepares to do battle with St. Lawrence (15-12 overall, 9-10 ECAC) Friday and Clarkson (13-10-3 overall, 10-6-3 ECAC) Saturday in upstate New York, the Crimson must ask itself one question.

Why win?

Imagine Harvard Captain Scott Fusco, the ECAC's leading scorer with 16 goals and 31 assists, shattering his collarbone against the glass in a scuffle with bruising Saint defenseman Hank Lammens.

Or forward Tim Smith, second in the ECAC in scoring with 38 points, tripping over the stick of Clarkson goalie Jamie Falle (owner of a 3.26 goals-against average) and breaking his hip.

Why not skate the second-stringers?

The JV team?

The Harvard band?

Why win?

"I think a lot of it has to do with pride," says second-line wing Ed Krayer. "We want to be 19-2, not 17-4."

Well, okay.