The Crimson is an extremely good hockey team.

It remains to be seen whether this squad is destined to become the school's first NCAA team champions since the 1904 golfers, but there are several indications that this unit is something special.

The list of credentials has grown long by this point in the season. Harvard is 11-0 (9-0 in the ECAC), and in first place in the league.

The Crimson has the league's best offense, its two leading scorers, a very effective defense and a stellar pair of goalies. Harvard has trailed for only 12 of the 660 minutes it has played, and is unbeaten at home since March 1985.

And by destroying UMD's Bulldogs, 4-1 and 4-2, last weekend, this team became only the third in Harvard history to sweep a series from a Midwestern team on the road.

This year's squad has also compiled an impressive list of quotes from opposing coaches. In chronological order:

"Harvard's got a marvelous team. They move the puck well and they're beautiful skaters."--Yale's Tim Taylor.

"That's the best Harvard team I've ever seen, and they've had some great teams."--Princeton's Jim Higgins.

"They pass the puck so much quicker than any other team that we've played."--Army's Rob Riley.

"Harvard's got a great team. They're the best team we've played all year."--Colgate's Terry Slate.

"Harvard's a great team. They're so quick and opportunistic, they come right back at you."--Brown's Herb Hammond.

"They're about the best team we've seen."--UMD's Mike Sertich.

Even the KDLK radio announcers covering the Duluth games got into the act. "Harvard scores quietly, not a lot of flash and dazzle," they said. "But they just bring it down and keep doing it to you, and doing it to you, and you just can't stop them."

"The Harvard Crimson is the second-rated team in the country," they continued, "and now we know why."

The More Things Change... This week's WMEB-Radio top-10 hockey poll has a familiar look to it.