With their attack shattered by nervousness and lack of spirit, the Varsity hockey team bowed to McGill University in a 7 to 6 defeat at the Boston Arena Saturday night in what was for both sides the opening gun in the International Collegiate League season. The Crimson received their first shutout since Clark Hodder became coach here.

Though Harvard refused to surrender to McGill's frantic efforts for a rout, it never displayed its scrappy determination and team play which won the B.U. and St. Nicks tilts. Captain Bill Coleman and his team were worried from the start by McGill's superior, smooth skating outfit, and they never won the confidence to return a concerted attack.

Weakest on Offense

With the team as a whole seldom clicking offensively, the Crimson charges were made sporadically by individual players who occasionally allowed strong skating and stick-handling ability. Center Warren Winslow proved himself most able to match McGill's elusive stick work, while Coleman played the lone wolf on several occasions, almost getting by the opposing netman, Walt Johnson. Skip Erwin came closest to tallying, when only a lightning save by Johnson prevented him from banging home a rebound in the first period.

The brunt of the game fell on Vint Freedley, who time and again single handed withstood McGill charges which had penetrated the Crimson defense. At the most, only two of the McGill tallies can be blamed to failures at the not, and Freedley undoubtedly prevented a complete rout.