The Crimson is so bad that it is 5-0 and sitting alone atop the ECAC. There are no big names on the team. Dickie McEvoy, last year's leading ECAC goalie, has graduated. Lane MacDonald, the ECAC's second-leading scorer, is playing for the U.S. Olympic Team.

But a team of no-names has turned in some fine games. Maybe, just maybe, Harvard will snag another ECAC championship this year. And maybe, just maybe, the Crimson will be back in the NCAA Final Four.

Or maybe the Crimson will fall as far as the critics say it will--to third place in the ECAC. Or worse. But whether the Crimson grabs a crown or gets crowned is immaterial. The ride will still be fun.

Here's five reasons why seeing Harvard hockey beats playing pinochle any night.

Freshmen: After then-freshman C.J. Young scored a pair of goals to lift the Crimson to a 5-2 triumph over Colgate last year, Red Raider Coach Terry Slater muttered, "For every Scott Fusco Harvard loses, it gets another one."

Fusco, who graduated in 1985 (the same year he won the Hobey Baker Award), owns every major Harvard scoring record and has a special place in Crimson annals. Nevertheless, the Crimson--thanks to Associate Coach and chief recruiter Ronn Tomassoni--has churned out a bunch of Fusco play-alikes over the last several years, including a handful this year.

Peter Ciavalglia, Ted Donato, Mike Vukonich and John Weisbrod make up a recruiter's dream team. All four have stepped into starting forward roles. And freshman goalie Michael Francis, who took over for injured John Devin, wears Dickie McEvoy's old number (1) and occupies the same place on the ECAC goalie chart.

Big is Better: Harvard Coach Bill Cleary has always emphasized the skating game. He favorssmall, quick players over big brutes.

But when a big guy or two knocks, Cleary'snever been one to slam the door. Chris Biotti--all6-ft., 2-in. and 200-Ibs of him--showed up twoyears ago and brought the Crimson more stature ifnot more goals. Biotti jumped to the big leaguesthis year, accepting a spot in the Calgary Flames'minor league organization, so there was a big gapin the Harvard roster.

But this year, Cleary's doorbell went "Ding,dong" and there stood Kevan Melrose, a 5-ft.,10-in., 205-lb. transfer from North Dakota.Melrose makes a Mack Truck look like a Tonka Toy.

And he's as tough as he looks. Melrose leadsthe team in penalty minutes. In the Crimson's gameagainst Dartmouth last Saturday, he was hit withthree penalties in a row.

When Melrose is at the door, heads startringing.

Captain Courageous: He's from Ithaca,N.Y.--Cornell's playground--but he decided to goto Harvard. He heads the Crimson's penalty killingunit. He's the king of the no-names.

For an all-expenses-paid trip to Ithaca and achicken dinner (courtesy of Lynah Rink), nameHarvard's 92nd captain.

Steve Armstrong, Harvard's chief cornerman(Armstrong is to corners as Harvard square is totraffic), has done what any self-respectingpotential captain should do. In his three years atHarvard, Armstrong has hustled. And hustled. Andhustled.

In his freshman year, Armstrong scored sixgoals and recorded five assists. In his sophomoreseason, his numbers were 10 and seven. Junior yearthey were 11 and 15. Statistics concentrators canplot out Armstrong's steady improvement foryourself.

And you'll see--this year, he'll only getbetter.

Underdogs: For the first time in threeyears, the Crimson is not the favorite to capturethe ECAC title. Poor St. Lawrence. Poor Colgate.When these squads--the league frontrunners--enterBright Center, they're liable to play fire hydrantto the Crimson's underdog.

1988: MacDonald and Allen Bourbeau, theteam's top two scorers a year ago, are coming backnext year. They'll have a year of Olympic Teamexperience behind them. They'll have the hockeyknow-how to led Harvard to the gold.

And that wouldn't be at all bad