Harvard freshman goalie Tripp Tracy got his first career start last night. Well, almost.

For the first period, Tracy probably didn't feel like the starting goaltender for a varsity hockey game. He may has well have been sleeping in his end, because Union spent most of the time protecting its net.

Tracy (26 saves) only got a 20-minute nap for the evening, however, as Union took advantage of several Crimson lulls in the second and third periods to pound away at the freshman goaltender. He made two beautiful glove saves midway through the second and staved off Union's five-minute man-up advantage near the end of the third period.

"He's an outstanding, tough goaltender," Harvard Coach Ronn Tomassoni said. "It was nice to see his concentration in the second period, after not seeing a lot of shots in the first. He was really tested."

At the Other End: Union Goalie Luigi Villa played a remarkable first period, recording 15 saves some with his face and shoulders. For his 37 save performance, Villa (no relation to Bob) impressed Dutchmen Coach Bruce Delventhal enough to earn the starting goaltender's spot.

Villa, who uses a specially construted web glove from Cooper, still said he will have to be on his best behavior tomorrow night. "[The other goalie] is very competitive. He's still got some tricks up his sleeve," Villa said.

Fists of Fury: After a frantic first period, the action died visibly at Bright, until Union's goons livened up the action. At 9:40 of the third period, Simonton rode Harvard junior defender Sean McCann into the boards, as McCann tried to pass to fellow junior Chris Baird. As the puck floated up the ice, Simonton floated his stick and fists into McCann's face.

The feisty McCann would have none of that, though, as he unloaded three good shots to the right side of Simonton's face. Both were sent to the sin-bin for matching penalties, but the fans were satisfied.

Playoff Watch: Harvard's top contender for supermacy in the ECAC, Clarkson, took a fall last night, as Vermont dumped the fifth-ranked Golden Knights, 3-2.

Other scores from last night: RPI 5, Brown 3; St. Lawrence 5, Dartmouth 3; Cornell 5, Princeton 4; Yale 10, Colgate 6.