It was a reassuring thing to ride on the Harvard hockey team bus returning from the victory at Yale three weeks ago. The Crimson had avenged its loss at New Haven the previous year with a convincing 6-2 victory that evening, and with the senior line scoring at an amazing pace, it seemed as though Harvard might have a good chance at slipping into fourth place in the East, getting the home ice advantage for the playoffs.

And the atmosphere on the bus was different, too. The Crimson was relaxed, confident, and after a cock?? reception at New Haven, also jovial. But the best part of the entire trip back to Cambridge was watching Joe Cavangh and coach Coo?? Weiland chat in the front of the bus.

Weiland, usually withdrawn on road trips, was loosening up, telling a few hockey stories, and Cavanagh was doubled over with laughter most of the time. There was an informal air about the conversation, a mutual fondness for each other, and most of all, a deep respect on both sides, that made me hope that the squad would dept? Cavanagh captain after the season. Tuesday it did, and it can only mean success for Harvard's hockey team next year.

Despite the Crimson's 16-9 record, the 1969-70 season must be classified as disappointing. Harvard had nearly everything returning-two strong forward line? ?? unbroken defensive unit, an All-Ivy goaltender. Cornell, which had lost five of its starting six, was not going to be nearly as impregnable as the year before, and both B. C. and B. U. were rebuilding. If Harvard had ever had an opportunity to do a little damage in the East, this was its chance.

But things never gelled, or at least not for more than two games at a time. On occasion, when everything ran smoothly and the Crimson was emotionally ready for the game. Harvard was extremely impressive. Early in the season, the squad had gone to Durham. New Hampshire, quite apprehensive about playing in UNH's raucous Snively Arena against a Wildeat team that often pulls upsets at incredible times.

But Harvard came out with a 11-3 triumph, and as Skip Freeman said after the game, the wagon started to roll. Or so it seemed.

But after every New Hampshire-style victory, there would come a Penn-style defeat. After winning at Durham. Harvard lost to both Brown and Boston College. After playing a beautiful game with Cornell, the Crimson dropped an overtime game to Penn. At a time when a consistent effort would have brought Harvard third-seeding in the East, at the very least, the Crimson was having trouble staying above 500. On February 2, after its loss to B. U. in the Beanpot, Harvard's record was 7-6.

Part of Harvard's problem, of course, was physical-the defense was hardly playing up to its 1968-69 form, several forwards weren't back-checking, and the team overall was making careless, costly mistakes that either allowed beaten opponents back into games or kept them in contention longer than they should have been.

And after the physical woes began to show up as losses, the attitude of the team became divisive. Players who hustled only to see their efforts negated by teammates' sloppiness became embittered. Players who were on the ice only for themselves dismissed that bitterness as sour grapes. And the two people connected with the quad who should have shaped up that attitude, Weiland and captain Chris Gurry, either did not or could not do anything about it. Cavanagh will do something about it if it happens again next year.

Harvard's success last year was due in great part to the rapport between Bobby Bauer, the captain, and Weiland. Whenever Weiland needed something communicated to the team, Bauer could do it well. He was a good mediator, and this is what Harvard needed desperately this year and never got.

When Weiland benched Steve Owen and Dan DeMichele without telling them, and sent a manager to give the message instead, it was as much an indication of lack of rapport with the captain as anything else. This must not, and will not happen next year. If only for the sake of this year's freshmen, who are used to a cohesive team spirit after playing for Billy Cleary, the varsity should stay together emotionally.

And Joc Cavanagh, one of the few players on the varsity who was idolized by the entire squad, is the sort of person who can cope with attitude problems, just by being on the team, and being in a position of mediator between Weiland and the players. Next year, Harvard will have the material to battle Cornell. With Cavanagh as captain, it should have the cohesiveness.