Lined-up on the basketball court of the Malkin Athletic Center, stretching their arms and legs, they obviously were not ballet dancers. Grace had been replaced by a fumbling attempt at balance. Their bodies, used to high speeds and pounding, now were required to move serenely in an effort to get loose.

It was pre-season and the players on the Harvard hockey team were beginning their quest for the Ivy League, the ECAC and the NCAA championships with an aerobics class. Many of the players were thinking how much easier it is to punch a puck into a net from 40 feet out than to do a deep knee bend.

During one particularly strenuous stretch, a voice--half comforting, half comical--boomed out from the back of the line: "Steady."

The voice belonged to Randy Taylor, Harvard's 6-ft., 2-in., 215-lb. senior defenseman. The plea was both a pleasant warning to the hockey players cum fumbling dancers and a description of the kind of influence Taylor has had on his team.

Randy Taylor often isn't the most consistent player on the ice--his play has varied from average to magnificent this year--but his commanding (and large) presence on the first defensive unit, on the power play and as a penalty killer has had a steadying influence on his team-mates.

Taylor's work ethic has also been inspirational. After practice, Taylor often will spend 10 to 15 minutes with Harvard Assistant Coach Ronn Tomassoni, skating between the blue lines, building up speed.

The NHL has taken notice. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who drafted Taylor in the supplemental draft last year, are following his career closely.

"Just playing in one NHL game would be like a dream," Taylor says. "Not many players get the chance to do it. Of course, it's not easy to get there."

"He's a hot commodity," Harvard Captain Peter Chiarelli says. "He's a big guy who will take the man. He's got a nice shot, and he's always been a solid defenseman."

While a career in the NHL may be lurking in Taylor's future, he's not thinking about that yet. There are other matters to take care of--10 more regular season games, the ECAC Tournament and (perhaps) another crack at the NCAA Championship.

Last year the Crimson came within one goal of winning the national title. Not long after, the thought of scoring that final goal the next year grew big and wonderful inside the heads of the Harvard players who would return for another season.

"I think it started on the bus ride back," Taylor says. "The undergraduate players were talking about how close we had come and how much we wanted to get back there next year. I don't know whether [an NCAA Championship] is a dream. We're thinking we can get to the Garden [for the ECAC Championship game]. And then, maybe, get home ice for the NCAA Tournament. If we do that, I think we'll be in the Final Four."

The Crimson is off to one of its best starts ever. The team won 15 games--13 in the ECAC--to begin the season before dropping a close contest to Yale before exams.

"We've had one setback and it may have been a blessing," Taylor says. "We now know what it's like to lose. I think it will inspire us for the rest of the season."

Taylor has contributed two goals and 16 assists to the cause. He ranks among the ECAC's leading scorers--not typical for a defenseman. He is within striking distance of Ed Rossi's Harvard single-season assist record of 38.