The varsity hockey team opens its season against North-eastern tonight at 8:30 p.m. in the Boston Arena. In pre-season competition, the Crimson defeated its Alumni 9-3, while the Huskies won its first regular season game over Yale by a 7-3 count.

Top Scorers Return

Coach Cooney Weiland, New England Coach of the Year in 1962, is looking forward to a successful season. Five of the six top scorers of last year's ECAC champions return this year. Only leading scorer Tim Taylor has graduated. But prospects are not so bright defensively. The Crimson will miss All-American defenseman Dave Johnston, as well as defenseman Harry Howell and goalie Godfrey Wood, both all-Ivy last year.

Tonight Weiland plans to use basically the same combinations that defeated the Alumni. Captain Gene Kinasewich, Most Valuable Player in last year's ECAC Tournament, is the mainstay of the first line. Centering for him is sophomore Gordon Price. Junior Baldy Smith completes a line which can play strong defensive hockey as well as score.

Billy Lamarche centers for Barry Treadwell and Ike Ikauniks on the second line. This trio accounted for 43 goals last year. Weiland is pleased with the development of his sophomore third line of John Stevens, Peter Miller, and Jorge Gonzales. Stevens is injured, however, so junior Ken Burns will probably skate with this line tonight.

Experienced Back Lines

Experienced defensemen Mike Patterson and John Daly make up one of the Crimson's back lines. Senior Bill Fryer, a wing in 1962, and sophomore Bobby Clark, last year's best all-around freshman, according to his coach Nat Harris, form the other. Bob Coleman may occasionally fill in for Fryer, whom Weiland also hopes to use up front.

Senior Brandy Sweitzer, who has had little varsity experience, is the starting goalie. Wieland feels that he is adequate now, and should improve as the season progresses.

The Northeastern squad which Harvard meets tonight is led by high scoring Leo Dupere. Last year the Crimson beat the Huskies 11-6 in their first encounter in December, and won an overtime battle 4-3 in January. Weiland feels that Northeastern has improved this season. He plans to use his best players tonight as much as possible, rather than experiment with his newcomers.