The final regular-season game in Watson Rink is usually just a formality. It provides a chance for the fans to applaud the departing seniors, and when the opponent is Yale, it serves as a scrimmage for the upcoming Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division I hockey tournament.

But last Saturday was different. Unlike past years, Harvard entered the home final unseeded in the tournament and coming off a 9-2 thumping at the hands of Dartmouth. The ECAC selection committee waited for the outcome of the game before deciding Harvard's fate. Fortunately, however, some things don't change. Yale turned out to be as talented as its 1-20 record and as obliging as in past years when Harvard has won 14 of the last 15. The Crimson seniors, specifically Phelps Swift, rose to the occasion, and Harvard insured itself of a place in the tourney with a 7-2 rout of the Elis.

The win assured Harvard the seventh seed, and a game against number two seed New Hampshire tomorrow night in Durham.

But for a while Saturday, it looked like the Crimson might have to settle for the number eight spot and a game against Boston University.

Yale jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first and held it until midway through the second period. Jim McDonald stole the puck from the Harvard defense at the blue line and broke in alone on goalie John Aiken, beating him to his stick side at 16:24.

Swift came to the rescue in the second period, saving his teammates from embarrassment and helping Yale to its 13th straight loss. The senior from Pinedale, Wyoming scored the first goal of eventual hat trick at 8:12 to tie the score.

ECAC Tournament

The ECAC Division I hockey selection committee finished its work late Saturday night, naming Harvard and Boston College to join six other teams in the 15th annual tournament tomorrow night, and announcing the seeds for the eight teams.

Harvard fans can pick up tickets for the New Hampshire game today at the 60 Boylston Street ticket office. Reserved seats are $4 and student unreserved are $2 each.

The Harvard power play rolled the score up to 3-1 before the period ended, as a Dave Bell slapper beat Yale netminder Ira Evans at 10:57 and Swift picked up his second at 17:16. Swift's linemate Bill Hozack picked up an assist on all of the first three scores, and another in the third period.

McDonald scored his second for Yale at 1:54 of the final period, flipping a backhander past a dazed Aiken. But that was all Aiken gave up, as he put in a solid performance before coach Billy Cleary gave senior Jon Harris his first varsity appearance with five minutes left in the third. Seniors Aiken and Harris combined to stop 29 Yale shots.

The roof fell in on Yale, with the first of George Hughes's two goals at 5:40 of the third. Hughes pushed in a Swift shot on the power play to make it 4-2.

Hughes picked up his second at 14:33, deflecting a Todd Nieland shot past Evans.

Less than a minute later, Swift notched the hat trick with an assist from Bell and Hozack. The trio finished the regular season second, third and fourth in scoring behind Hughes. Bell scored 12 goals and picked up 23 assists while Hozock tallied 10 goals and Swift wound up with 16 goals and 13 assists.

Harvard finished up the scoring at 18:35, after Cleary sent a fourth line of Charlie Peterson, Brian Cook and Wiz Wyatt out against the demoralized Yalies. Peterson got the goal, assisted by Cook and Rob Leckie.

The victory gave Harvard a shot at the Eastern crown and gave Yale a tie for the school record for the most losses in a season.