In its first appearance in the NCAA hockey tournament in ten years, Harvard challenges defending champion Denver in the semifinal game at 8 p.m. (MST) tonight at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs. WHRB will carry the game live, beginning at 9:55 p.m.
Cornell will meet Michigan Tech--Western Collegiate Hockey Association champion--tomorrow night in the other semifinal game, and the winners will face off in the finals Saturday night.
Harvard's highest finish in the NCAA competition was third in 1955, and its chances of bettering, or even equaling, that finish seem slim.
Denver compiled a 26-6-0 season record and ranked second in the WCHA behind Michigan Tech with a 14-2-0 league mark. The Pioneers trounced Minnesota (Duluth) and Colorado College in the WCHA playoffs last weekend to win the other berth in the national tournament, and have earned victories over the Canadian Nationals, the Czech Nationals, and first-place Michigan Tech this season.
A comparison between the ECAC and the WCHA shows how superior the Western teams are. Minnesota (Duluth) was the only western squad to play a number of eastern teams. It last to Cornell, 2-1, in double overtime; split with B.U., defeating the Terriers, 5-2, and losing, 10-4; and downed Colgate, 7-5. Minnesota's season record was 3-19.
Denver faced only one Eastern team, Colgate. The Pioneers trounced Colgate in both contests, winning, 9-1, in the first and 13-3 in the second.
But the Crimson--though undeniably the underdog in the tournament--does have a chance against the giants of the West. Its narrow loss to Cornell in the ECAC finals Saturday proved its potential, and Harvard almost upset the Big Red without the services of four top players--Terry Flaman, George McManama, Chris Gurry, and Joe Cavanagh.
All four were playing with nagging ailments, and Cavanagh, who scored a hat trick and assisted twice against Clarkson the night before, was hindered by a sore shoulder injured in the last minutes against Clarkson.
Harvard will need a healthy Cavanagh and a productive sophomore line if it is to stay in the game tonight. Cavanagh and wings Steve Owen and Dan DeMichele combined for 65 goals--over 40 per cent of the team's total--and led the squad in scoring with 61, 46, and 37 points respectively.
Cornell's Ken Dryden was unbeatable in the ECAC finals, and he managed to blank Harvard's explosive line. Surprisingly, the second line of Jack Turco, Chip Otness, and Dwight Ware--the team's lowest scoring regular forwards--picked up the slack by teaming for Harvard's two scores. This line does not have the stickhandling finesse of the other two trios, but its scrappy forechecking style may upset Denver's powerful offense.
Inevitably, the crucial factor in the contest will be goalie Bruce Durno's performance. The Crimson will not be able to play aggressive offensive hockey, and much of the burden will rest on the sophomore goaltender's shoulders.
Denver's high-scoring line of center Tom Miller and wings George Morrison and Don Thiessen will present the biggest defensive dilemma for the Crimson tonight. The trio produced 62 of D.U.'s 140 goals in regular season play, and are the team's top three scorers.
The Pioneers' other dangerous line features Bob Trembecky at center, with Allan Genovy and Craig Patrick on the wings. Patrick, who just returned after an injury, ranks fifth in scoring although he has missed ten games.
All-American Keith Magnusson anchors the defensive corps of Ed Hamilton, Randy Ward, and Zeman. Magnusson, an outstanding offensive player as well, has picked up 26 points--21 of them assists.
In the goal, coach Murray Armstron starts Gerry Powers, an iron man who played in all 28 Denver games. Powers has five shutouts and has allowed an average of only 2.29 goals per game.
