Tonight at 8.15 o'clock in the Arena the Crimson hockey team, its real power yet untried, will face the Toronto University sextet, the strongest team in Canada and called by many the amateur champions of the world. Coach Claflin's men will enter the contest with the odds heavily against them. Not in years has a University hockey team been pitted against a more formidable combination than Toronto, whose record during the past two weeks has been considered by hockey experts to be remarkable.

Since beginning its invasion of this country the Canadian team has won nine straight games from some of the strongest American ice sextets. Toronto twice defeated Pittsburgh, cleaned up a series with the Quaker City team at Philadelphia, and then smothered the St. Nicholas team of New York with two consecutive wins. Finally last night at the Arena the Canadians continued their winning streak by crushing the fast B. A. A. combination 4-2.

Last year Toronto won the Allan cup, which practically means the amateur championship of Canada. In addition it carried off the Ontario Hockey Association cup and the Intercollegiate League trophy. This winter the team is rated even stronger with Carson, the talented center, and Captain Langtry, the star goal-guard, displaying great ability.

Toronto Prepared for Crimson

The B. A. A. sextet, composed almost entirely of former University hockey men, plays exactly the same kind of game as the Crimson. Hence Toronto, after last night's experience will not be running up against anything new or bewildering this evening. The Crimson team, however, is a better drilled and more smoothly working unit than the B. A. A. combination; and for this reason Toronto is sure to meet stiffer resistance than it did last night.

Coach Claflin realizes that as far as individual ability goes the Canadians are superior. Most of them are faster skaters than the Crimson men; the visitors are also better stick handlers; they have had more experience. Yet in the face of all this the chances of a University victory tonight are by no means poor. Coach Claflin is basing his hopes on superior team work and an impenetrable defense in which the forwards and defense men will play an equally important part. He also believes that the University men will make good every scoring opportunity.

The problem of substitutes will be a difficult one for Coach Claflin in tonight's game. Larocsue who has been counted on to alternate with Martin and Baker at center and right wing respectively, will not be able to play on account of a bad cold. This leaves Coach Claflin with no first-class players to substitute in these two positions. Hill, Walker and Angier will take care of left wing and it is probable that the last named will play on the right extremity for part of the time. In order to give Martin and Baker their necessary breathing spells, Owen or Crosby will very likely come up into the forward line for brief periods. At the same time Graves or Gratwick will be sent in as defense men.

Carson Outstanding Player

The outstanding player on the Toronto team is Carson, the center. He is classed as a second Hobey Baker and is probably the best amateur forward in the game today. He has been the star in all the recent Toronto contests, scoring almost as many goals as made by all his team-mates combined. In one game he sent the puck home five times.

Carson's colleagues in the forward line will be Wright at left wing and Westman at right. Wright is a veteran of three years' experience and is especially good at checking back. Westman, 200 pounds in weight, is fast for his size and a hard man to stop.

On the defense Captain Langtry, a net-protector of great experience, is the Canadians' best man. Supporting him will be Ramsay and Brown. The former was captain of Toronto last year and has few equals in amateur hockey. Brown has played three years on the Canadian team and is a player of the first rank.

Crimson Squad Reports Early

Coach Claflin called his University hockey men back for their first practice after Christmas Wednesday afternoon, December 28. The Crimson squad has worked out at the Arena every weekday since that time and has shown marked improvement in team work and general physical condition.

The Crimson players have scrimmaged the M. I. T., Pere Marsuette and B. A. A. sextets and have more than held their own against these three combinations. Coach Claflin has managed the practice games as he would a regular contest, sending in his first string men and substitutes in the same order which will be used tonight.

Angier Out Temporarily

There has been no radical change in the University line-up since the St. Paul's game. Higgins has been at goal, Captain Owen and Crosby on the defense, and Baker, Martin, and Walker in the forward line. Angier has been temporarily out of the game during the last few days on account of a bad ankle. He will probably displace Walker at left wing when he gets back into shape.

It is probable that there will be no further cut in the University squad this season. The 17 men who returned for early practice and who will report at the training table at the Varsity Club today are as follows:

Forwards.--Donald Angier '22, C. W. Baker Jr. '22, Nelson Cabot '24, F. S. Hill '24, Corliss Lamont '24, Joseph Larocque Jr. '23, J. J. Lee '24, J. M. Martin '22, R. S. Phillips '24, and G. G. Walker '24.

Defense Men.--W. E. Crosby Jr. '24, Mitchell Gratwick '22, S. C. Graves '24, and George Owen Jr. '22.

Goals.--J. G. Flint '23, and R. R. Higgins '22