In one of the duller games seen at Watson rink this year, the varsity hockey team coasted to an easy 5 to 1 victory over Princeton. In the process, the Crimson clinched its fourth straight Ivy League crown.
More important than the Crimson's victory, however, was St. Lawrence's 3-1 upset of powerful Clarkson last night. As Clarkson was supposed to be a sure bet to go to Colorado and the Larries were the chief rival of the varsity's for the other position, this news will come as quite a shock to Harvard hockey fans. The problem will now be thrown into the laps of the selection committee while the only thing the varsity can do is to look as good as possible against Yale.
With the execption of a few tense moments in the second period, there was never any doubt as to the outcome of the game. The varsity was in command throughout and had it not been for the excellent goal-tending of the Tiger's Dave Robinson, the game would have been a complete rout. Bob McVey led the Crimson scorers with two goals while Bob Cleary, Dick Reilly, and Dick Fischer each scored one.
The game was dull because the teams were so unevenly matched. To a man, the Crimson players could skate rings around any of the Tigers, with the exception of their fine forward, Henry Rulon-Miller. Unfortunately, the varsity realized this fact early in the game, and consequently did not put out as much as they could have. This fact accounted for some really poor hockey by both teams in the second and third periods.
The Crimson's attack was hampered by the absence of Paul Kelley who was out with a bruised knee. Dick Reilly came up from the third line to take Kelley's place along with Cleary and Lyle Guttu, and although Reilly played well enough to score a goal, it is natural that some of the effectiveness of the line was missing.
Robinson's play in the first period came close to the spectacular as he consistently turned back the rushes of all three Crimson lines. The varsity's passing in this period was very good indeed and the first line especially, as was the case against Yale, missed several goals by the slightest of margins. The Princeton defense was completely confused and many times the only way they could clear the puck out of their zone was to ice it.
Princeton's attack was built around Rulon-Miller, and although he played a very good game the Crimson defense had little trouble in stopping him. Unless he himself brought the puck up, the varsity forwards could almost always skate fast enough to take the puck away from any other Tiger lineman.
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