Harvard lost to the two best hockey teams in the East at the Arena Christmas Tournament, and recovered just in time to salvage a 5-4 overtime win over Northeastern in the three-night round-robin.

Boston University, which had trouble downing the Crimson 7-5 on December 28, and Cornell, which scored a 4-1 win over Harvard the next night, tied 3-3 in double overtime in the Tournament's eagerly anticipated Friday night climax.

Twice on Wednesday it appeared that Cornell and B.U. would not enter the Tournament final with spotless records. Lightly-regarded Northeastern opened up a 2-1 lead over the top-ranked Cornell Big Red, and at the close of the second period it was still 2-2.

The Huskies were playing their best game of the year, passing well and hitting hard (Harry Orr, one of Cornell's roughest, limped off the ice three times because of colhsions). But the Ithacans pulled ahead, then added an opennet goal in the final 30 seconds to win, 4-2.

Harvard. B.U.

The Harvard. B.U. tilt went a period and a half further down the road to upset city. The Crimson found itself possessor of a 5-4 lead and seemingly in control of the game with seven minutes to play.

A goal by sophomore high-scorer Herb Wakabayashi tied the contest at 13:48, Crimson nemesis Fred Bassi put the Terriers ahead at 18:30, and then Serge Boily raised the final margin to 7-5, seconds after Coach Cooney Weiland lifted goalie Bill Diercks for an extra forward with a minute remaining.

Harvard had built up its lead through the efforts of Bobby Bauer and Kent Parrot. Parrot matched Wakabayashi's opening goal at 4:51 of the first period, with his team a man down. Two Terrier defensemen collided and Parrot was all alone for a 15-footer between goalie Wayne Ryan and the near post.

Defenseman Dennis Clark stopped a B.U. clear inside the blue line and passed to third-line center Bauer, who was stationed 30 feet in front of Ryan. Bauer's quick shot went between deenseman Pete McLachlan's legs and under the splitting Ryan to give the Crimson a lead at 12:22.

Bassi tied the game, but Parrot restored the lead at 1:15 of the second period, with an easy rebound from a shot by captain Dennis McCullough.

Forty seconds later, B.U. defenseman Brian Gilmour notted the game for the third time with a low hard screen not, and the score stood at 3-3 for the remainder of the period.

Bassi moved the Terriers ahead 40 seconds into the third period, but a great individual effort by Bauer, who scored from 15 feet on his own rebound, evened matters once more. Four minutes later Bauer held the puck on the left boards and timed a perfect pass to rushing roommate Dwight Ware. The sophomore winger tipped the puck just inside the left post to give the Crimson its shot at victory.

But Boily won a battle with Bob Carr behind the nets and somehow passed to Wakabayashi, who somehow put the puck past Diercks at 13:48. Then Bassi, who can smell a goal like other bears smell honey, half-volleyed a bouncing puck into the lower left corner to spoil Harvard's bid for the tourney's only upset.

Harvard - Cornell

The Crimson skaters played well again the next night, but, with no breaks going for them, couldn't get closer than three goals to Cornell.