Coach Tomassoni is more concerned with the play of his team rather than with the final score. The coaching staff also did not prepare specifically for New Brunswick. "We look at this game as a way to get ourselves ready--we're not as much concerned about who we're playing. What matters is how we play."

Coughlin equates the game to an effective learning process. "It'll be a good measure for how much work we'll need to prepare for Brown," he says.

Perhaps the best usage for this game is the fact that the Crimson will finally see another team. "I think the team would like to see a different color jersey (than their own)," admits Coach Tomassoni. "They'd like a different team to play."

Coughlin and his mates agree with that: "We're definitely tired of beating up on each other."

Tomassoni is also using this game to rest a couple of injured players. Michael Breistroff, back from a year on the French National team, will sit out the game, as well at Stuart Swenson, both with nagging lower-body injuries. An unfortunate setback for Harvard is Geordie Hyland, a highly touted freshman who has just been diagnosed with mononucleosis and will miss an undisclosed amount of time.

But everyone seems to stress that the outcome of the game is less important that the performance of the team. As for whether the final score will be a sign for how the season will go, Tomassoni says, "I don't think so-- we're a younger team, particularly on defense, so we have a bit of an unknown factor to determine."

Tracy concurs those commented "I wouldn't put too much emphasis on how we do."

Harvard fans should especially pay attention to those comments, at last year's scrimmage saw the Crimson's defense shaky at points in the 7-4 victory. But that game proved a springboard for the season, as Harvard defense became known as one of the best in the country by season's end.

And as every hockey fan knows, that's where the final score counts.