"Our line really likes to skate, playing a give-and-go kind of game," Konik says. "We might not show great individual plays, but our strength is weaving in and out and passing the puck through."

The third line looks familiar--junior Kirk Nielsen will center senior captain senior captain Ben Coughlin on the left and junior Jason Karmanos on the right, just like last year.

This trio hardly ever gave up an odd-man break against and was perhaps the best forward line at the end of last season. While the three haven't put up the same offensive numbers that a Martins line might, they do generate a lot of clutch offense--for example, Karmanos scored only five goals, but four of them were game-winners.

"That's our most experienced line as far as playing together, because they played together last year," Tomassoni says. "Down the stretch I thought they were our best line last year five on five, and I expect big things from them, as I do the first two lines."

The fourth line will see freshman Henry Higdon centering freshman Dough Sproule on the left and senior Keith McLean on the right-at least for tonight's game.

Sophomore Stuart Swenson should re-enter the lineup once his bone bruise heals. And junior Brian Adams is ready to play up front.

Fan favorite Ethan Philpott is taking a year off from Harvard hockey--the 6-foot-4, 230-pound bruiser is currently making up for lost time last year playing for Des Moines in the USHL. Philpott does expect to rejoin the squad next season.

Blue-Line Special

The biggest hit that the Crimson took from graduation last year was in its defense. Sean McCann '94, Lou Body '94 and Derek Maguire '94 were all rocks on defense and headed the three defensive pairings.

Naturally, this year's squad will be more inexperienced at the blue-line, but that doesn't mean that the position will be a weakness. Freshmen Jeremiah McCarthy and Brian Famigletti looked particularly strong in last week's 6-2 exhibition win over New Brunswick.

"I think the freshmen are playing great, playing with a lot of confidence," says senior Bryan Lonsinger, who will head the first defensive unit. "We have big shoes to fill losing those three guys, but these are the kind of guys that can do it."

Lonsinger came into his own as a solid defender in the second half of last season and will be joined on the first line along with sophomore Ashlin Halfnight. The two couldn't be more different--Lonsinger is a big, bruising blue-liner who doesn't get involved with the offense very much.

However, Halfnight is perhaps the quickest defender on the squad and often joins the offensive rush. The 1995 National Junior Team member joins martins on the list of consensus preseason Hobey Baker candidates.

The second defensive pairing puts junior Peter McLaughlin together with Famigletti. McLaughlin is a big, bruising defender (at 6'2" and 205 pounds), while Famigletti is a little smaller but has more offensive potential.

The third line should see senior Michel Breistroff, who will play tonight if his groin injury has healed, and junior Geb Marett. Marett is coming of an injury-filled year, while Breistroff returns to Harvard after a one-year absence in which he played on the French national team.