Harvard's hockey team plays its second contest in three days tonight when it faces Northeastern in the opening round of the Beanpot Tournament at 7 p.m. in the Boston Garden.

The Crimson trounced Penn, 6-1, Saturday in Cherry Hill, N.J., for its tenth victory of the season after the two week exam lay-off.

Harvard has won four Beanpot championships in the tournament's 16-year history, but it has not won a title since 1962.

Favorable Pair Off

This year, however, the Crimson has a favorable draw and momentum in its favor. B.C. and B.U. pair off in the other half of the draw tonight at 9 p.m. which means that Harvard will not face both powerhouses for the third consecutive year.

Northeastern which was routed 10-2 by B.C. Saturday, should not seriously challenge the Crimson tonight, but it could possibly keep the game close if Harvard is not sharp. Ken Leu. the Huskies captain, is an outstanding goalie, but he will need extra support from his defense if he is to hold Harvard below the total it scored in its 8-4 opening win over Northeastern.

Flamen Might Return

There is also a possibility that junior defenseman Terry Flaman, who has been on academic probation for the season, will return against Northeastern tonight, Coach Cooney Weiland indicated yesterday.

If Flaman does not return tonight, it is almost certain that he will he eligible for Princeton this Saturday. Flaman teamed with Chris Gurry on the second defense last year and amassed 16 points and 49 penalty minutes--the high total on the team.

With games against Northeastern and Princeton, another weak opponent, this week Harvard will be able to pull itself back into shape for the final without endangering its four game winning streak.

Harvard showed the effects of its lay-off against Penn even though it had little trouble defeating the Quakers. Playing under sub-standard conditions--the Quakers' Zamboni broke down and the players had to scrape the ice with shovels between periods--Harvard suffered through two sloppy periods before regaining its sharpness in the final period.

Dan DeMichele scored two goals in the win as the sophomores line continued its scoring streak, and the other two lines showed the ability to score that they have lacked at times during the season.

Joe Cavanagh, leading scorer in the Ivy League with 20 points, continued his streak with two assists.

WHRB will carry tonight's game live beginning at 7 p.m.