Jim Higgins built a big orange wall in Bright Center last night.

But the Crimson huffed and it puffed and it blew that wall down.

After it sorted through the orange rubble, the Harvard men's hockey team had topped Higgins' defensive-minded Princeton squad, 5-2.

"It's hard to play against a team like that," Harvard Coach Bill Cleary said. "All they do is play defense. It gets to be a wrestling match. There were five orange shirts on the blue-line all night."

The Tiger's head-'em-off at the pass strategy worked to perfection until the end of the second period. The visitors showed the game down enough to prevent the slick-skating Crimson from getting into its run and gun offense.

With the score tied at two Princeton's Rob Scheur took a holding penalty at 17:48. Thirteen seconds later, Cliff Abrecht and the visitors were two-Tigers down.

At first, however, Harvard, couldn't take advantage of Abrecht's blunder. After a over a minute and a half and six or seven good shots, it looked like Princeton and goalie Dave Marotta, in particular, had succeeded in killing off both penalties.

Crimson defenseman Randy Taylor prevented the Tigers from pulling off the remarkable feat.

Taylor took the puck at the right point and moved in on Marotta. The goalie came out to cut off the angle and Taylor faked a shot, dipped around him and deposited the puck in the far corner from what looked to be an impossible angle.

"He came out and there was nothing to shoot at," Taylor said.

The score gave Harvard a 3-2 lead and, more important, forced Princeton out of its clutch and grab game in the third period.

With the game opened up, the Crimson got a chance to skate and a pair of pretty goals put the game away.

Scott Fusco, who had earned an assist in the first period to stretch his games with a point streak to 18 straight (six shy of the school record), broke in on goal on the power play.

Fusco worked the puck in close, faked a forehand and smacked a backhand in for his 21st goal.

"It gets frustrating," Fusco said about the game, "Every time you start to skate some guys holding or hooking. The referee didn't control it.

"The first period looked like football."

Late in the third period, hockey had replaced football and the Crimson was in control.

Sophomore Tim Barakett, back at center after a brief stint at wing, got the final Crimson goal.

Barakett, who hadn't tallied in seven games, came down the left side and whistled a shot by Marotta high to the far post to ice the game.

"I'm very, very happy," Barakett said after the game. "I've had so many good chances, it felt good."

Lane MacDonald was also feeling fine after scoring the oddest goal of the game with just six seconds left in the first period.

MacDonald worked the puck around the back of the net and stuffed the puck in the right side. The goal judge didn't light the lamp and the whistle blew.

When Marotia reached down to get the puck, however, it was apparent that it was lodged behind his skate almost six inches over the goal line.

The referee awarded the goal and the Crimson enjoyed a belated celebration, despite a lengthy Princeton protest.

MacDonald's score and Taylor's score both came in the last 20 seconds of a period, which gave the Crimson a pair of big psychological lifts going into the dressing room.

Nonetheless it was Princeton that scored first in the middle period At 6:2a Tim Driscoll took a beautiful Greg Hamilton feed in the lot and took Blair high and left.

Harvard a killer B's answered less than two minutes later which defenseman Mark Benning took a feed from Barakett, and Brian Busconi and fooled Marotta with a left point blast that gave the Crimson blue-liner his second score in as many games.

Pat Brodeur evened things up for the Tigers when he tapped home the rebound of a Abrecht hot right in front.

Brodeur's goal reined game and jet Princeton put its five-man wall backup.

But Taylor would smash that wall--and Princeton's upset minded dreams-seven minutes later.

THE NOTEBOOK: Freshman Scott Farden played his first full game as a wing. Barden moved up to the third line and classmate Don Sweeney returned to the blue line from wing...Fusco's 18-game point streak is 15 games longer than the next longest Crimson streak of three games by MacDonald...Sophomore Pete Chiarelli, back to the varsity after a five game absence, took over as the second line right wing and played well. Crimson 5-2 at Bright Center Princeton  0  2  0  2 Harvard  1  2  2  0

First period-T. H. Lane and MacDonald (Scott Fusco. Jim Smith) 19:54. Penalities Clat Abrechi, P (interterence) 9:17.

Second period-2. P. Jim Driscoll (Caeg Hamilion. Allan Gray) 6:24 1. H. Mark Benning .(Jim Barakett, Brian Busconn 8:15 4, P. Pat Broduct (Abrecht, Steve Biss) 12:09 5. Randy Taylor (Benning 1943 Penalties Brad Kwong. H. (toughing) 10:11. Giant Blair. H (toughing), served by Rick Henecy) 10:11, Rob Scheucr. P (holding) 17:48. Abrecht, P (tripping) 18:01.

Third period-6 H. Fusco (Taylor Benning) 1:36, H. Barakett (Kwong, Bussone) 16:24 Penalties. Jim Osbrer. P (hitting from behind) 0.18, Busscom. H (interference) 2.20, Gray P (changing) 9.53, Blair. H (cross checking) 14.17

Saves P. Dave Marona 10.15 30: H. Blair 6-6.7 19.