How ironic life is.

The Harvard hockey team enjoyed a successful western swing over the holidays, going 2-1, getting more consistency from its performers, and earning the respect of non-ECAC competition. Meanwhile, the fans back East, oblivious to all this, still remember the icemen as the team that lost, 7-0, to Boston College on December 12.

The one setback that the team suffered came at the hands of Denver University on December 30 in the finals of the Holiday Tournament at Colorado Springs. Denver, ranked number one in the nation, edged the Crimson, 3-2, in overtime.

Harvard took the lead, 1-0, in the second period on a power play goal by George Hughes. Hughes's tally came on a pretty feed from freshman Rick Benson, who has filled in well for the injured Barney Cook on man-up situations.

The Pioneers regrouped in a hurry with two goals in the first minute of the third stanza to go ahead before Gene Purdy tied the contest five minutes later and sent the game into the extra frame.

"Denver was very, very good and they should be rated number one," Purdy said. "But we played them tough and could have won the game, and we proved that we're definitely one of the best teams in the nation," he added.

Harvard won its opening game in the tourney two days earlier with an easy 6-4 triumph over Colorado College. Purdy led the attack with two goals, but the game was highlighted by the return to action of George Hughes after a two-game absence in which he was sidelined with an injured shoulder. George chipped in with a goal.

The presence of the Hughes brothers was most assuredly felt in the tournament, as both George and Jack garnered all-Tourney honors and Jack copped the MVP award in the two-day elimination battle.

Probably the most pleasant surprise of the holiday road trip was the play of sophomore Brian Murphy in the nets. Murphy was called upon to start his first game of the year against Notre Dame on December 22 and responded with a 24-save performance in the Crimson's 4-3 victory over the Irish. Murphy also played in the overtime loss to Denver.

"Brian played really well," Purdy said. "We kid him a lot in practice about being puck shy, but he's like a different goaltender in the games."

The Crimson basketball team traveled to the desert, to Worcester, and to inner-city Detroit over the holiday, coming up with only one win in four tries but playing its first inspired ball of the season.

Led by the inspired efforts of center Brian Banks and diminutive guard Glenn Fine, the Crimson challenged nationally-ranked Detroit in the opening round of the Motor City Classic before falling, 77-69, then downed Long Island University, 73-67, in the consolation game.

Tough

Earlier, the cagers traveled to Tucson to take on the highly-touted University of Arizona squad, but came up on the wrong end of an 83-60 decision.

The squad returned to more familiar parts in its game at Holy Cross December 20, but with similar disappointing results.

Harvard squandered an early 3-0 lead as the Irish came around to tie the tilt in the third period. Then John Cochrane fired his second game-winning goal of the season at 13:07 of the final period to give the Crimson its sixth win of the season. Phil Evans, Bob Leckie, and Jon Garrity also had tallies for Harvard.

The icemen travel to Canton, New York tonight to face surprisingly tough St. Lawrence University. St. Lawrence, a perennial doormat in the ECAC, already has a 4-3 Division One record which includes a victory over Cornell. Last season the icemen de-canonized the Saints with a 10-0 sandblasting at Watson Rink.

THE NOTEBOOK: George Hughes went over the 100-point mark during the Holiday Tournament in Colorado Springs with a two-goal, two-assist performance. Hughes now has 102 career points, 11th on the all-time Harvard scoring parade.

Brian Banks made a go of it against the Crusaders' tough front line in the first half before fouling out in the second frame, as Michael Vicens and Ron Perry led Holy Cross to a 101-79 victory.

Then came the post-Christmas fireworks in Motor Vity, December 26 and 27. The fun started in the opener against 20th ranked Detroit, as Harvard ran to a 14-point halftime lead.

With the Motowners shooting a pitiful 27 per cent, the Crimson outrebounding the Titans 17-3 at one point, and the Harvard offense running like a well-oiled Cadillac, an upset was in the making.

That's when Detroit got in gear, sinking ten of 11 shots to outscore the visitors, 20-4, in the first five minutes of the second half. Led by Banks (28 points, ten rebounds, seven blocked shots) and Fine (15--yes 15--assists), Harvard stayed in the game throughout, but could not muster the final challenge needed for victory.

Despite a letdown from the loss, the cagers came back the next day against Long Island, leading virtually the entire game an route to their first road trip victory. The Blackbirds threatened near the end, but six unanswered Harvard points put the game away.

Roosevelt Cox banged home 16 points in his first appearance of any significant length this season, and Fine dished out nine assists.

For their efforts, Banks and Fine won berths on the All-Tourney team, while Brian was also named the best defensive player and Glenn walked away with a "Mr. Hustle" award.