In preparation for the opening game of the season against a St. Nicholas Hockey Club six a week from today, Clark Hodder sent his squad through an intensive, hour-long scrimmage yesterday afternoon at the Boston Skating Club rink.

Hodder shifted forward Gordy McGrath back to a defensive post this afternoon in an effort to plug the defense, which at present is considered the Crimson's most vulnerable spot. In his new position, McGrath, who has not played defense since his prep school days, alternated with Captain Greely Summers and George Dreher.

Paine Centers First Line

At present, the first two Harvard lines are class affairs. Johnny Paine centers the same '43 trio which found itself late last year as the third line, and which at present seems to be first on Hodder's list. Paine is flanked by classmates Caleb Loring and George Gebelein. The second trio is an all Sophomore group, pivoted by Al Evarts, who has great potentialities, and Marc Beebe and Johnny Burton.

With the wealth of potentially good, equally matched material, Hodder's line problems should take care of themselves, for there is nothing like close intra-squad competition to keep a team on its tees and start it winning games.

Repeats Last Year's Shift?

Possibly Hodder is planning to repeat last year's strategy when he shifted speedy Stacy Hulse from his forward position back to defense to team with Sherm Gray. Hulse's scoring breaks down the length of the ice against Princeton proved the benefits of this plan, and although Hodder has not said whether he plans to keep McGrath in his present position or not, it would seem that he has hopes of McGrath's acclimating himself.

Burgy Ayres and Tom Cowen, late of Dick Harlow's squad, were on the ice in addition to Summers. Ayres goes into training in September and stays there until late June, as the training periods of football, hockey, and baseball all overlap