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Sheehy Misses by Inches

On The Beat

With one minute left in the Beanpot final Monday night, it looked like NEIL SHEEHY'S streak of scoring a goal on his birthday during each of the last four years was coming to a close. Sheehy, who had made several fine plays on defense during the course of the evening, had unleashed at least one slapshot at B.C. goalie Bob O'Connor, but, like everyone else, had been stymied by the aerobatic sophomore. But with Boston College losing, 2-0, and no goalie in the nets, Sheehy suddenly found himself all alone on a breakaway. He took his time, skated up past the blueline, and slowly flipped the puck... wide of the net. "I can't believe I missed it." Sheehy grinned after the game, "but I actually did score a goal. Winning the Beanpot was my goal, and we did it, so that counts."

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Seven swimmers and two divers from the women's swim team have qualified for the Eastern Seaboard Championships to be held in March. Freshman phenomenon DEBBIE ZIMIC leads the Crimson--having qualified in seven events--followed by sophomore TERRI FRICK with six qualifications, KATHLEEN Mc. CLOSKEY with five, and JEANNE FLOYD with four. MAUREEN GILDEA, KATHY DAVIS and SUSAN KIM have also swum qualifying times, and divers PAM STONE and ADRIANA HOLY have both made the cuts in the one and three meter events. Much maligned--but by no means hapless--breaststroker GWEN KNAPP is sure to qualify, simply because she deserves to...Travelling to Princeton last weekend to see the swim meets were the entire Knapp family of Wilmington, Delaware, TONY MEIER's parents from Los Angeles, and TED CHAPPELL's family from nearby Ramsey, N.J. The men took advantage of some Princeton illnesses and injuries to record a surprisingly easy 86-27 win, while the aquawomen succumbed, 107-42. Both teams are in action this afternoon, with the men facing Cornell at noon, while the women try to avenge last year's loss to Yale at 3:30.

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Former Crimson racquetman MIKE DESAULNIERS won last week's $25,000 World Pro squash championships in Montreal. The tournament marks the second time in as many weeks that the former Crimson, captain has beaten his nemesis Sharif Khan. Two weeks ago, Desaulniers whipped Khan in a tourney in Minneapolis...Desaulniers is currently ranked second in the world according to the mid-year computer rankings of the World Professional Squash Association, behind Sharif Khan. Bill Kaplan--captain of the 1976-77 Crimson racquetmen, is ranked thirteenth...Most of the members of the men's squash team received a special kind of inspiration prior to leaving for the match against Princeton last week. Compliments of number seven Chris Gabriell, a belly dancer--with the words "Beat Princeton" stenciled on her stomach--visited the squad. Only coach Dave Fish missed the estravaganza. He was being a good dad, and had stayed home for his son's fifth birthday party. Says Gabrieli about the visitor: "She looked midly middle eastern, but her strong Boston accent gave her away." ...Squash players JOHN DINEEN and GEORDIE LEMMON missed the Porcellian Club initiation dinner because of the Princeton match, so they get one of their own.

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People around the Ivy, League have been saying some interesting things about the quick start the Crimson hoopsters--through Thursday they were 12-4 overall and 5-0 in the Ivies--are enjoying. In general, one finds a certain amount of condescension in the sports information offices around the league, particularly at Penn and Princeton, but the highest kind of respect from the coaches themselves. According to UPenn assistant coach Tom Snyder. "In this business you learn that there are no definites, so Harvard's start is not astounding to anybody around the League. Everybody around the league has the highest respect for everyone else." Nothing that Harvard currently leads the league in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage, Snyder said the team's performance is "certainly impressive, but not what I would call an astounding beginning. It's just that McLaughlin's coaching and all their hard work has come to fruition." Princeton SID Steve Raczynski, on the other hand, called Harvard's play "very astounding," adding, "As I'm sure most people are around the league, I'm somewhat surprised." He continued, "Maybe in a sense they still have to be tested, and if anyone will test them, it'll be Penn and Princeton."

Snyder attributed the difference to the fact that people in the sports information offices "not play the game, and they do not sweat out on the court, so they just can' know."...Crimson freshman forward Monroe Trout was named the ECAC Ivy League Rookie of the Week for this 21 point, 12 rebound performance in the Crimson's 107-94 win over Yale last week. People around the league are beginning to take notice of Harvard's stellar freshman class, most notably Trout and forward/center JOE CARRABINO...

A consortium between the ice scream scoopers of Cahaly's has revealed the interesting fact that the HARVARD WOMEN's BASKETBALL TEAM remains their most ardent and consistent customers, coming in en masse virtually every evening for their usual ice cream fix, much like the hapless bar-frequenter who returns to his favorite watering hole for his usual stuff.

An interesting sidelight: co-captain KIM BELSHE is a maple-nut purist and refuses to compromise her well-cultivated tastes, while MARGET LONG and PAT HORNE can be counted upon unfailingly to demand oreo with Reeses mix-in and coffee with Heath bars, respectively. NANCY BOUTILIER and FRANESSA HALL, much less predictable and more adventuresome (curiously paralleled by their court play) will down just about any combination.

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