Although handicapped by lack of ice and a huge turn-out of aspirants, Coach Clark Hodder feels that the Crimson will send a "better than average" Yardling hockey team onto the Boston Skating Club's rink tonight in their first ice contest of the season to face a strong Framingham High School sextet.

Clark has finally been able to cut down the original turnout of 65 men down to a workable unit of 27, but most of the pre-season practice sessions have been devoted to weeding and selecting a first team rather than concentrating on developing and polishing up plays and offensive tactics.

At the present time this year's crop of Yardling ice men stacks up a little behind last year's near-championship aggregation, but shows good possibilities. The wings, centers, and especially goal are the weakest positions, with the defense the strongest factor in the team. However, it can't be expected that successive years will produce men like Beebe, Evarts, Cowan, Reeves, and O'Neil.

The starting line will see Art Lee on the left, Tom Ayers, brother of Burgy in the pivot position, and Dick Whittington on the right wing.

Dick Mechem is at left defense, and Paul Coste is paired with him, both are veterans of several hockey seasons, and big, rugged boys who will be a stiff wall for the Framingham linesman to pierce. Gus Summers will start between the gas pipes.