It was apparent, just from the manner in which Harvard's hockey team was skating during the first period Saturday night, that the Crimson's season had ended the previous evening. Consolation games usually mean little to any hockey team, and it was clear that the ECAC playoff contest with Boston University meant nothing-at least to Harvard.

But the Terriers care quite a bit about the outcome, and with the possibility of the second NCAA tournament bid hanging on the result, B.U. routed Harvard, 8-2, to clinch third place in the East.

Ultimately, however, the Terriers' effort obtained them little more than the satisfaction of knowing that they are the best squad in Boston, Clarkson, which would have had to lose badly to undefeated Cornell to cause a question to arise about the NCAA bid, stayed with the Big Red tenaciously, and lost only 3-2.

Distressing Disinterest

Harvard's lack of enthusiasm about the contest, while understandable, was still distressing. It did nothing to silence the critics who have maintained all winter Harvard gets up only for the big games, and hardly cares about the others. That nonchalance had been the difference between a fourth-place seeding in last week's tournament, or fifth. It had been the difference between second place in the Ivy League or third. It was, finally, the difference between an outstanding and a mediocre season.

Terriers Larry Davenport and Dick Toomey each scored in the first period last night, and Harvard gave up right away. Wayne Gowing made the score 3-0 early in the second period, and soon after Harvard's Bob Havern put the Crimson on the scoreboard at last, Davenport increased the margin to 4-1.

By now, B.U. was well aware of the possibility of the NCAA berth, and went after it vigorously in the final period. The Crimson did little to deter the effort. John Danby knocked in a ten-footer at 3:28 to make it 5-1, and even Crimson wing Jack Turco's seventh goal of the tournament failed to keep Harvard alive.

By the fifteen-minute mark, the Crimson was just going through the motions, and Toomey scored again, Guy Burrowes added a seventh at 18:34, and at 19:19, Toomey, all alone in front of the Harvard net, completed his hat trick.