The Harvard hockey team suffered its worst day in a month yesterday, and it didn't even play.

Goaltender Wade Lau, whose superb play has helped the squad to its current six-game unbeaten streak, strained or tore a ligament in his left knee during practice yesterday, and will miss this weekend's games at Princeton and Cornell.

The Big Red, tied with Harvard for second place in the Ivy Division of the ECAC, went a long way towards securing a playoff berth last night by breaking a 3-3 deadlock and streaking to a 5-3 victory at Providence College last night. And, the team ahead of Harvard and Cornell in the playoff chase, Yale, also won on the road yesterday, edging Brown, 6-4, on a Dan Brugman hat trick.

For the Crimson, the more immediate concern is Lau, last week's ECAC goalie of the week. His injury--which will be officially diagnosed this morning--leaves the goaltending chores to freshman Mark Whiston, who has not played since the Princeton contest in Cambridge on January 10.

In four games earlier this season, Whiston compiled a 1-3 record and a 4.47 GAA.

"This is a dreadful circumstance for Mark," Lau said last night. "He'll be playing two straight games this weekend and possibly two next weekend, all on the road. And you couldn't ask for worse places to play. Cornell, Dartmouth and Vermont have to be three of the most difficult places to play in the ECAC."

The Crimson stands at 7-9-1 in the ECAC with four games remaining, and will probably have to win all four to earn a playoff berth. Cornell, now 8-9-1, also has four games left, while the Elis, at 9-8-1, must play three.