Crimson should be the dominant color of the 25th year of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

With the return of its top seven scorers from last year, as well as one of the nation's best goalies, Coach Bill Cleary's Harvard squad is a good bet to cop its first ECAC title since 1983.

The Crimson finished second in the conference last season, outplayed on three occasions by the tenacious and talented Engineers of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the eventual NCAA champs. The Engineers were decimated by graduation and by defections of underclassmen to the pro ranks. In all, RPI lost 12 players, including its top scorer, its leading defensman, and its outstanding goalie.

Harvard's time has come--or so say the coaches.

The Crimson was the unanimous first-choice selection in the league's pre-season poll of its 12 coaches. If they are right, then Harvard should skate away with the ECAC title, followed by Cornell, RPI, Yale, Clarkson and St. Lawrence.

Harvard

This, quite simply, may be the greatest Harvard hockey team ever assembled. After finishing second in the ECAC last year and making it to the quarterfinals of the national championships, the Crimson lost only three players to graduation. With several stellar recruits, Cleary may have found better players to fill their skates.

Senior center Fusco (34-47-81), the ECAC Player of the Year, will lead the squad, after a season in which he won just about every award, except the Hobey Baker, college hockey's Heisman Trophy. Expect him to add that to his trophy case this year. The ex-Olympian spearheads the potent first line that boasts sure-shot wing. Tim Smith (31-22-53) and sophomore Lane McDonald (21-31-52). This unit converted on over 33 percent of its power play opportunities and knocked in 86 of the squad's 147 goals.

Three-year starter Grant Blair may be the nation's best goalie--or he may not. But there is no finer backstop in the East. With his kick saves and sprawling stops, Blair is as acrobatic in the net as any gymnast doing the floor excercises. Expect him to collect enough gold medal-winning performances this campaign to give Fusco chase for ECAC Player of the Year honors.

Aside from its relentless first line, Harvard's greatest strength--aside from goaltending, of course--is the defense, arguably the finest in the East. The defense is bolstered by returning starters Randy Taylor, Jerry Pawloski and Mark Benning, all of whom quietly established themselves last season as three of the league's steadiest performers. The Crimson blue line corps will be even stingier with the addition of 6-ft., 3-in., freshman Chris Biotti, a Belmont Hill 'standout who was the 17th player chosen in the NHL Draft.

And for those who need more reason to believe that Harvard has the tools to cop the ECAC title, add a second scoring line anchored by Alan Bourbeau and freshman Ed Krayer. If those two can add the extra scoring spark to the Crimson offense and, if the defense and Blair can continue to perform, Harvard will clearly be the team to beat in '85-'86.

RPI

Maybe RIP would be more fitting. After the Engineers steamrolled over all comers last season, posting a lofty 36-2-1 mark, six skated off to the pros and two others were lost to graduation. Coach Mike Addesa will look to junior Mark Jooris (19-16-35 in the ECAC) and left wing John Carter (26-13-39), the league's number four scorer last year.

After two seasons as backup goalie, junior Brian Jopling will get the starting nod. A 13-1 career mark shows he can do the job when given a chance. Jopling will have to replace two-year starter Daren Puppa, who jumped to the Buffalo Sabres after compiling a career mark of 56-7.

RPI's fortunes will rest on the performance of several beefy recuits: 6-ft., 3-in., 212-lb. wing Graeme Townsend, 6-ft., 2-in., 175-lb. Steve Moore, and 6-ft., 5-in., 210-lb. defenseman Red Brescia. Unless these newcomers can fill the immense gaps left by the NHL exodus, then hockey fans of other ECAC teams won't have to worry about seeing too much of RPI's annoying mascot.

Cornell

With the return of 20 lettermen, including the top scorers and a dependable goalie, the Big Red is a good bet to improve on what was a characteristically strong performance last season when it posted a 18-10-2 record.

Tri-Captain Duanne Moeser (28-19-47), Cornell's leading scorer for the past two seasons, will again be one of the league's most dangerous scorers, as will Joe Nieuwendyk (21-24-45), the ECAC Rookie of the Year. Tri-captain Peter Natyshak, Pete Marcov and Mark Major round out what is one of the league's most prolific scoring units.

Last year, freshman goalie Doug Dadswell jumped in as a starter. He responded admirably, posting a 3.57 goals-against average with a .889 save percentage in 20 league games. This season, when the ECAC is crowded with outstanding backstops, Dadswell will be one of the league's finest.

The Big Red's solid defense will be anchored by sophomore Chris Norton, chosen by the Winnipeg Jets in the most recent draft, and Tri-Captain Mike Schafer, a four-year starter who will be the team's cruncher at the blue line.

After going 12-1 on its home ice last year, Cornell looks to improve on its record away from friendly Lynah Rink. With a feisty offense and the tight D, look for the Big Red to make a run for the ECAC crown.

Clarkson

The Golden Knights lost nine players to graduation, including an All-American defenseman, the leading scorer, and several other top players.

But the Knights still have Jamie Falle. The outstanding senior goaltender kept Clarkson in contention throughout the year, making brilliant saves, one after another, in numerous contests--including an electrifying 2-1 ECAC playoff loss against Harvard.

The offense is highlighted by center Charlie Meitner (18-23-41), sophomore Luciano Bersato (15-17-32) and Al Hill (15-14-29), while the defense is led by Andy Otto and Mike Harvey.

If Falle maintains his 2.91 goals-against average, second only to Blair's in the ECAC, and the offense can score some clutch goals, then expect Clarkson to battle atop the upper echelon of ECAC hockey.

This may be the year the Saints come skating in. If some of St. Lawrence's question marks can be answered with resounding exclamation points, then the Saints will make a charge for the ECAC title.

Goalie Scott Yearwood presents the first major query. Plagued by mononucleosis last season, Yearwood still managed to post a 2.98 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, the league's best--and mighty fine numbers for a freshman. SLU will pose a tough test for any team if Yearwood is healthy.

The offense, which lost three top players, is, well, questionable. If Mike McShane and the Lappin and Gerrie Brothers can provide consistent goal-scoring punch, then the Saints will look to Yearwood to do the rest.

St. Lawrence was the only ECAC team to derail the RPI express last year. Expect similar carnage--and more--from the 1985 Saints.

Yale

If Harvard is the smoothest skating team in the ECAC, then Yale is the biggest, strongest and most lumbering. The huge Elis will be back to their favorite clutch-and-grab tactics on the warm ice of Ingalls Rink.

Randy Wood, the first 50-point man in Bulldog history, returns to lead a dangerous Yale squad that had a 13-7-1 ECAC record last year. The offense benefits from the return of several players, including Tom Walsh and Sean Neely. Along with other returning starters, Wood, Walsh, and Neely accounted for two-thirds of Yale's goals last year.

Captain Scott Webster is the bright spot on the blue line. In goal expect to see Crimson-killer Mike Schwalb or Mickey Kappollo.

Colgate

First, the good news. The Red Raiders boast an offense that is virtually intact after last year's mediocre 9-12 ECAC campaign. Top scorer Gerard Waslen (14-5-19) is joined by Lowell MacDonald and Harold Duvall to form what should be a lively, if thin scoring corps. In addition, the return of Paul Jenkins and the arrival of four highly touted freshman ensures the Red Raiders will have a strong defense.

Now the bad news. Standout goalie Jeff Cooper graduated and the Raiders are searching to find a competent replacement. Cooper was the ECAC First Team netminder and finding a new goalie of his caliber may prove to be impossible.

The quality of Colgate's starting goaltender will go a long way towards predicting how successful this season will be. Actually, it may not make a whole lot of difference--even with Cooper, Harvard overwhelmed Colgate by a combined score of 14-4 in the ECAC Tournament a year ago.

Vermont

There are some bright spots for Vermont this year. Goalie Tom Draper is one Behind a young defense last year, he had a 4.50 goals-against average through 19 games.

On offense, Vermont lost several starters from last season's 4-17 squad. Rich Laplante and Jeff Capello will account for most of the scoring threat this year. The defense will be keyed by Tom Maher.

Even with a stellar season from Draper, the Catamounts have a long, icy way ahead of them.

Princeton

The Tigers copped the last ECAC playoff spot last year--this season, they should do even better. Top scorer Cliff Abrecht (5-17-22) returns, along with most of the heart of last year's offense.

The defense may be the team's weakest area, but the sizzling goaltending of Dave Marotta--he had a 2.94 goals-against average--should do more than an adequate job at picking up the slack.

Brown

The Bruins will have a lively offense this year, thanks to the return of last year's top five scorers. The defense will do much to slow other teams as last year's top eight blue liners are back, including Dan Allen.

The problem is finding a new goalie to replace standout John Franzosa. Three sophomores will scramble to be the replacement. The success of the new netminder may well determine the Bruins' fortunes.

Dartmouth

The Big Green was small last year, finishing with a 3-17-1 ECAC mark. It should remain pint-sized again this year.

Sophomore Bill McInerny, the Green's leading scorer, leads a young offensive unit that was outscored by 72 goals in its 21 ECAC contests.

Three goaltenders battle for the starting nod--it will most likely go to Mark Hoppe, who started 14 games last season.

Army

It's a good thing Army's football team has improved over the past few years, because its hockey program has done the best about-face one could imagine. After faring well in Division II, the Cadets last year jumped to the ECAC and Division I.

Some are probably sorry they did. Army lost all of its II ECAC games, and the prospects are not bright for this campaign.

It's a good thing the football team does well.RPI's mascot may not have much to cheer about when the Engineers meet the highly touted Crimson this year.