With no less than six freshmen and seven sophomores in the starting lineup every night, the 1997-98 Harvard men's ice hockey team threw its youth right into the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) fire.

During their ordeal, the youngsters helped Harvard win its first Beanpot game in three years, handing then-No. 7 Boston College its last loss until the NCAA finals. The Crimson placed fifth in its division, sweeping Colgate in Harvard's first home playoff games in three years, and captured third place in the ECAC Tournament, defeating Yale 4-lin the consolation game.

Not bad for the youngest team in the league.

After graduating only four players, the 1998-99 Crimson will be the final result of last season's test run. Harvard enters its 101st season of hockey filled with a wealth of expectations engendered by last year's success.

"We have a very good nucleus returning," said Coach Ronn Tomassoni. "We had a strong finish at the end of the year and we should put ourselves in position to compete for that first-place spot in our league."

Every player on the squad last year had the opportunity to mature, and that maturity should immediately translate into more consistent play. Over the course of the season, Harvard went on a roller coaster ride in which impressive win streaks were matched by equally long losing streaks. This season the older, wiser Crimson will have to answer for such lapses, which were often blamed on youth a year ago.

"We are a much more experienced team," Tomassoni said. "A lot of the young guys played in critical situations. I think that will pay off for us."

The man charged with maintaining that consistency and focus is captain Craig Adams. Adams, who missed half of last season with a shoulder injury, plays the game with an effusive intensity and drive that should serve as the catalyst for the entire squad.

During his lengthy rehabilitation, Adams earned the respect of his teammates. He still traveled with the team and became a vocal leader, not above a periodic tirade.

"I have a tough role this year, which I'm still getting used to," Adams said. "All I can do is work hard and lead by example."

Adams, though, has some big skates to fill. He succeeds one of the better Harvard generals in recent years, defenseman Jeremiah McCarthy. McCarthy established the model for unselfish play, moving up to the wing mid-year when injuries left the forwards depleted.

Among the other graduates--forwards Henry Higdon and Doug Sproule and defenseman Geordie Hyland, Harvard will miss Higdon the most. Playing on the top line, Higdon netted 13 goals 12 assists during the season.

Both Sproule and Hyland were role players, and Hyland was not a consistent starter for the team. Sproule added physicality, but if Harvard's new recruits play to their potential, they should easily make up the slack.

"The team has started to mold together well," said freshman forward Jared Cantanucci. "There is a real good chemistry on this team. It seems like this should be a special year."

Although they left an indelible mark, last year was defined not by the departing senior class but by the freshmen. The Crimson saw the birth of its two newest stars, Chris Bala (16 g, 14 a) and Steve Moore (10 g, 23 a), who took over Harvard's offense in Adams' absence.