Harvard's unpredictable hockey team seems to be on the upswing again. Led by Joe Cavanagh's hat trick, the Crimson overcame a very real threat from Penn, snapping the Quakers' eight-game winning streak, 5-1, last Saturday night at Watson Rink.

Harvard's resurgence may have arrived just in time. Tonight in the Beanpot finals, the Crimson will take on the best team in the East. B. U., a sextet whose record is marred only by a loss to Cornell at Ithaca and a 4-4 tie with Harvard.

When the Crimson steps on the ice at 8:30 p. m. before a capacity crowd at the Garden, it will be a team without the flying momentum that deadlocked the Terriers in a nearly perfect game last December, but with the experience that it takes to beat B. U.

Several decisive factors in Harvard's win over Penn bode well for the Crimson's chances tonight. The defense avoided some of the glaring errors that have given away goals all season and held a fairly high-scoring Penn team to one goal. A strong skating third line may have finally emerged in Tommy Paul, Jay Riley, and Bobby Havern. And Harvard's penalty killing so thoroughly stymied the Penn power play that Harvard outscored the Quakers while short-handed, 1-0.

A Tough Task

Harvard will have to avoid defensive mistakes, the third line will have to balance the first two and the penalty-killers will have to fly against the most efficient power play in the East if Harvard is to upset B. U.

For the first ten minutes of the Penn game, it appeared that Harvard might have to go into the Beanpot finals on a losing note. The Quakers outshoot and outskated the Crimson from the first face-off and took a 1-0 lead at 10:47 of the first period. Harvard managed to snap out of its lethargy, however, as Dan DeMichele converted a perfect feed from Cavanagh at 14:48.

Harvard dominated the second period, skating as well at times as the team has all season and notching two more goals. Cavanagh picked up the first after less than two minutes of play, and Bobby Havern scored the second, taking a Jay Riley pass and possibly securing a place for himself on the third line with his first goal since December.

Despite numerous penalties, Harvard upped the score to 5-1 in the third period as Cavanagh finished off his hat trick and tied the Ivy League career scoring record with 76 points.