During the Christmas break, the Harvard hockey team turned pro.

No, the Crimson didn't become the National Hockey League's newest expansion club. Instead, Harvard traveled to Scandinavia and faced four professional teams from Sweden and Finland in a seven-day, four-game exhibition tour.

Final results: two victories, two losses, jet lag and a memorable experience.

The Crimson defeated Hammarby, 4-3, and Vantaa, 6-4, but lost to HIFK, 10-4, and HPK, 10-2. That was the hockey.

A chance to get away from the routine and enjoy the finer things in life, such as tourism. That was the vacation.

"The purpose of the trip wasn't so much for hockey," Harvard Captain Lane MacDonald said. "It was a nice trip and it was tough to play under all those travel conditions."

In the Hammarby game on December 18, the Crimson jumped out to a 3-1 lead with goals by John Murphy, Ted Donato and Mike Vukonich. Hammerby the top team in Sweden's second division, slimmed the Harvard lead to 3-2 when Per Backe notched a tally.

MacDonald recorded the game-winner at the 12:07 mark of the second period. Freshman goalie Chuckie Hughes saved 21 Hammerby shots.

The Crimson then crossed borders and faced HIFK--the seventh-best team in Finland--December 20 in Helsinki. Harvard trailed, 5-4, late in the second period, but the pros proved too much, reeling off five unanswered goals.

Quality Clubs

"I think it was important to play against high-caliber teams," Captain Lane MacDonald said. "We hope to adapt some of their style to our game."

The next day, Harvard traveled to Hammeenlinna and met Finland's fifth-best team, HPK, and Captain Hannu Kuronen, who tallied six points. Harvard forwards C.J. Young and Ed Krayer scored the Crimson's two goals of the game in the third period.

Harvard evened its exhibition schedule with a 6-4 win over Yantaa, Finland's top third-division team.