Drury and Burke have teamed up on the first penalty-kill unit, with understandably positive results. While the sophomore credits "Burkie's long reach" for limiting opponent's passing, the junior thought Drury's talent enabled them "to look for offense, even when we're a man down."
And Then There Were Three
After the 1988-89 Crimson team won a national championship, Harvard might have expected that the potential stars of the future would be beating down its door. But only the now-sophomore trio of bona fide skaters matriculated in the fall of 1989.
Although each member of the triumvirate is now living up to early expectations, it seems surprising that Drury, Mallgrave and Flomenhoft were not joined by players such as Boston University's Tony Amonte or Cornell's Manderville.
"That recruiting season was just a lean year," said Tomassoni, who directly recruited every present Crimson skater during his eight-year tenure as assistant, then associate coach.
"We lost some boys to scholarship schools, but that's always going to happen," he added. "From a talent and academic standpoint, and we need both, there was not much there."
Drury puts it more baldly.
"I think it comes down to the fact that there weren't a lot of smart hockey players our year," Drury said.
Sophomore Seers?
Each of the three history concentrators views next season as a challenge, but the sophomores are not as concerned as one might expect.
"The freshman will all hit a time over the next year when they will explode," Drury said.
If first-years Michel Breistroff, Gus Gardner and Brian Farrell can match the numbers of this year's sophomores--who all hope to increase their point total next year--the Crimson will gain some much-needed scoring depth.
"You won't have to ask anyone to score 50 points next year," Flomenhoft mentions.
"Except maybe Teddy," interjects Mallgrave. "How's that for a little pressure?"