Three top candidates in Harvard's search for a new men's hockey coach have pulled out of the running, delaying a decision that athletic officials expected to have made by early this month.

Most recently, Yale head coach Timothy B. Taylor '63--who media sources had speculated was a top contender--announced yesterday that he would remain at Yale, where he has led the Bulldogs for 21 years.

The announcement comes on the heels of similar statement released earlier this week by St. Lawrence head coach Joseph A. Marsh, who was also believed to be a frontrunner.

And last week, Middlebury head coach Bill Beaney, another finalist for the Harvard job, held a press conference to announce that we would no longer seek the position.

According to published reports, the three withdrawals leave Miami of Ohio head coach Mark Mazzoleni as the only remaining finalist. But The Burlington Free Press reported the Mazzoleni, too, was out of the running.

Assistant Director for Sports Media Relations Paul McNeeley denied the report and said Mazzoleni, who could not be reached for comment, has not yet bowed.

McNeeley said he "seriously doubted" that the string of withdrawals would force the search committee to reconvene. But he declined to say exactly how many candidates remained or name a date for the official announcement.

"No offer has been made," McNeeley said. "There are still so many factors, it's hard to tell how long it will take."

Neither Marsh nor Taylor gave specific reasons for their withdrawals. Beaney said his decision was influenced by several factors, including the length of contract, salary, and length of the selection process.

"I know that the length of contract and the salary would probably be an issue for any of the coaches they were talking with," Beaney said.

McNeeley said a long-term contract was in the committee's interests.

"It would be ridiculous to hire shortterm," he said. "We try to get the best coach and hope he has a long successful career."