Cornell's old we-won't-let-up--until-we've-embarrassed-you explosiveness isn't there anymore, but with the kind of stifling defense the defending national champions played yesterday, they didn't need it. Holding Harvard to just 28 shots, the Big Red got to stingy Crimson netminder Jimmy Michelson often enough to win, 12-5.

The top-ranked juggernaut clinched its 21st straight win with a flurry late in the first half and another outburst just after the intermission.

With his team ahead by only one goal after almost a full half of play, Cornell's current superstar, attackman Eamon McEneaney, fed the ball off to Tom Marino for a fifth tally and then scored one of own. That put the Big Red up at the half, 6-3.

No Back Burner

After the intermission, McEneaney kept right on cooking, sandwiching two more goals around a nifty feed to midfielder Steve Page. The superlative attackman finished a routine day's work with four goals and an equal garnering of assists.

For 25 minutes, the visiting Crimson stickmen had kept the contest close. After Cornell had taken an early 2-0 lead, Harvard attackmen Steve Martin and Billy MacKenzie each connected in less than half a minute to knot the score.

McEneaney and Marino, whose brother Billy graduated last spring after winning All-Ivy honors three years running, clicked fo the Big Red as the curtain came down on the first quarter.

Junior Jimmy Ossyra, taking a regular turn on midfield for the Crimson because starters Gordie Nelson and Billy Forbush were injured, notched his second tally of the spring to pull Harvard close, 4-3.

Explosion

But that threat just set the stage for McEneaney's explosion, and the chance for the upset went down the drain.

Cornell's precision man-up unit and miserly defense proved to be Harvard's undoing. The home team clicked on five of nine power-play opportunities, while the Big Red defensive trio was helping goalie Dan Mackesey hold Harvard's high-scoring attackmen to just four points.

The Crimson front line of Martin, MacKenzie, and freshman Pete Predun had burned the team's first seven foes for 48 goals and 90 points, but that was ancient history as far as Cornell was concerned.

Harvard does battle against less awesome opposition on Saturday when the stickmen collide with hapless Yale.