Down south there is an Ivy League school called Princeton University.
Like all other Ivy schools, except for basketball-crazed Columbia and Penn, Princeton has a hockey team.
For the last couple of years, Princeton hockey hasn't been that spectacular. In fact, Princeton owns the worst Ivy record (120-219-6) since 1954. The Tigers have won only two Ivy titles in 33 years and have never made the NCAA Tournament.
But mention Princeton to Harvard Coach Bill Cleary and he'll scratch his head and mutter something about how those pesky Tigers always play the Crimson tough.
"Princeton's a tough team. They've got a genuinely good team," Cleary said. "We've got to be ready to play them."
Cleary will point to last season when Princeton gave Harvard two of its toughest games of the year.
Saturday, while the rest of Harvard will crowd The Stadium for The Game, Cleary and his squad will travel down south to Baker Rink, Princeton's frigid, concrete temple.
The memories of last season's two games will haunt Cleary as much as that annual February tournament held in Boston Garden.
Last year around this time, Princeton visited Bright Center with a spectacular hockey player, John Messuri, and a strong, yet still mediocre ECAC team. For 50 minutes, the Tigers outplayed the Crimson, shutting out the hosts, 3-0.
The Crimson, not only losing to Princeton, but not being able to score at Bright against the Tigers? Can't happen. Has never happened. Since 1901, the Tigers have yet to doughnut the Crimson in Cambridge.
Were 76 years of history ready to crumble?
Last year, it almost happened, but Harvard's alarm clock went off with 10 minutes left in the final period. Princeton took some seats in the stands and watched the Crimson storm back with three goals to tie the game.
Overtime. Tod Hartje scored Harvard's fourth goal.
Coach Cleary let out a heavy sigh. Tough game. Big win.
When the Crimson traveled to Baker Rink, the situation wasn't that different. Harvard had problems. This time the Crimson couldn't find a way to escape the penalty box.
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