The University hockey team will begin a week of strenuous competition tonight when it meets a strong Dartmouth sextet at 8.15 in the Arena in the First of three contests which will determine the winner of the mythical college ice championship of the country. Yale will be met next Wednesday in the rubber game of the H-Y series, and Princeton will offer the opposition a week from today in the Tiger rink at Princeton.

Dartmouth has often been a stumbling block for former University sextets. Last year, aided by the brilliant efforts of Hall, the Green sextet defeated the Crimson 1 to 0. A comparatively inexperienced team will take the ice for Dartmouth in the game tonight, but the record of the Dartmouth skaters in their games thus far would indicate that it will take the best efforts of Coach Bigelow's stickmen before the Crimson will be returned a winner.

A comparison of scores shows that Captain Beals' men will take the ice to night with a slight edge on their opponents. During the Christmas recess the University of Toronto downed the Green but was defeated by the University sextet. The scores made by the teams against Yale that meet in tonight's encounter show that Dartmouth was defeated 3 to 1 by the Elis in a game played when the ice was in a poor condition. In a previous game these teams battled to a scoreless tie in a game halted by rain after two periods of play. The University has split even in two games with the Blue.

While it is not definitely known whether Beals will start at his regular position of right wing on the University team, the probability is that he is sufficiently recovered from an attack of grippe to lead the Crimson skaters from his regular berth tonight. Usually one of the most formidable of the University players, Beals' ineffectiveness last game had much to do with the defeat of the Crimson team, and the brilliant showing of Harry Scott, Yale forward. Beals has always sacrificed individual effort for team work, and his speed makes him potentially one of the best skaters in college hockey. In the Toronto game his work was of the highest order, and if he can regain the form he displayed in that contest, prospects for the Harvard team emerging a winner in these next three games will be considerably enhanced.

Pratt and Chase at Guards

Although Pratt was prevented from practicing during the early part of the week by a slight case of water on the knee, he will probably hold down his regular defense position when the University team takes the ice tonight. Pratt is especially strong on defense play, and he has also shown considerable ability in carrying the puck down the ice. Chase, who was the only Crimson luminary in the last Yale contest, will be at the other defense position, with Howard the first substitution for either of these positions.

Everett, Green captain and Mansur, center ice player, are the bright stars of the Dartmouth sextet. Everett has not played much lately owing to a severe illness. In the feature contest of the Dartmouth Winter Carnival, with Yale as the opponent, he got into the game during the last period only. Mansur is fast, and a clever stick handler who will give Hodder plenty of work to night.

The Dartmouth defense men are big and powerful. Yale experienced great difficulty in getting around these men, all of the Ell scores being made on long shots from around mid-ice.