Harvard's fighting defenseman, Chris Gurry, has been knocking other people off skates ever since he first put on his own at the age of nine.

Today, as a vital part of the Crimson hockey team's defensive unit, he has the top penalty total (18) on the team, a fact which doesn't bother Coach Cooney Weiland in the least.

"Chris is one of the best skaters on the squad," Weiland said, "and I like to see a fellow that's aggressive. It shows he has the right attitude toward defense."

Gurry, a two-time high school All-American at Andover Academy, almost didn't attend Harvard. At first he applied only to Yale and Cornell. Big Red Coach Ned Harkness spent a whole weekend persuading him to come to Ithaca.

No Question

"Bill Cleary (third leading scorer in Harvard hockey history) talked to me about Harvard," Curry said, "and after seeing the place there was no question about where I wanted to go."

"I didn't want to come to college just to play hockey," he said, "and when Harkness asked me if I wanted to attend the Agriculture School, I knew Cornell was out."

But hockey is what Gurry is doing most these days, and best.

Having played both defenseman and forward in his career, he feels more at ease on defense. "The play's always in front of you when you're on defense, and you get more of a chance to hit people," he said.

Gurry's crunching style of play has marked him as a key factor in Harvard hockey future. A good rusher and puck handler, he has "all the attributes of a top-flight defenseman," according to Weiland.

"About the only thing Chris lacks right now is experience on the varsity level. He's steadily improving and gains more confidence every game," he said.

Upsetting

Gurry started at defense early in the season and his good size (5-11, 170 pounds) and exceptional ability to bodycheck, make him a constant threat literally to upset enemy forwards.

In the spring, Gurry doubles as a golfer. Captain of his high school team, he played freshman golf at Harvard. This year he has a chance to make the spring trip south with Harvard's linksmen, but is undecided whether or not to go.

But hockey is his first sport, and Gurry is representative of the sparkling sophomore unit--Jack Turco, Terry Flaman, Ron Mark and George McManama--which can boost Harvard higher in the ECAC during the next two years.