Twenty-four hours before the Varsity takes the ice for the opener against B.C., Coach Johnny Chase received another blow to his strategy last night when Olympic candidate Lou Preston went on probation until mid-years.

With Preston's defensive partner Charlie Coulter out until after Christmas with virus pneumonia, this weakens the Crimson considerably as an ice threat, and leaves Chase's plans in an uncertain state.

Meanwhile, Boston College Coach Snooks Kelley pleaded equally serious difficulties. Center forward Warren Lewis is definitely out of the lineup due to illness, while first-string defenseman Ed Songin's status is still uncertain due to an injury received in the Holy Cross football game last Saturday. Both were all-New England and all-Arena players last year.

Line Returns

Graduation has taken his entire last year's starting forward line and several reserves, but Kelley still has co-captain John Cocoran at right wing, Johnny McIntyro at center, and sophomore John Mahler up to fill in at left wing.

Johnny Gallagher and Joe McCusner are slated to start at defense, while another all-New England player, Bernie Burke, is once again tending the nets this year.

Kelley expresses trepidation at this lineup's ability to trounce the Crimson, but he said the same thing twice last year, once before his boys inflicted a 6 to 3 defeat on Harvard, and again before they notched up a 10 to 5 decision. B.C.'s season record ran to 15 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie last year.

The Lineups: HARVARD  BOSTON COLLEGE Sears  lw  Mahier D. Key  o  Meintyre Crocker  rw  Cochran Greeley  ld  Gallagher A. Key  rd  McCuaker Yetman  g  Burke

Game starts at 7 o'clock