With three forwards from Minnesota and one from Canada as the backbone of his freshman hockey team, Coach John White has a sextet that should rank with the fine teams of 1952 and 1953. The Yardlings will open their season today against Belmont High School at 4 p.m. on the new Donald C. Watson rink.

The team as a whole has exceptional strength in skating ability and in the center position, an asset that should prove valuable to the varsity in future years. White sees teaching the Crimson style of play as his major problem and conservatively calls the team "much better than average."

Bob McVey, one of the fastest skaters to play freshman hockey in many years, will center the first line. On his wings will be Lyle Guttn, a hard-skating Minnesotan with "good hockey sense," and Ed Harding, who has switched to wing after a school career at center.

Connors Starts at Goal

The starting defense is rugged and hard-shooting. Les Stevens has a particularly hard shot from the blue line although he played forward in school. Stocky Woody Harris, who was on the freshman football team last fall, will probably team with Stevens.

Bob Connors, big and experienced, will start in the goal today, but Dick Hubbell, who is good on position play, may see some action. White sees little to choose between the two and plans to alternate the not-minders during the season.

Two other lines are competing for the number two position, which will probably remain undecided for some time. One combination has little Dave Beadie, one of the Minnesotans, at center, flanked by Ed Owen, a talented skater from the same state, and Alex Kalil, a native of Ontario, who is a clever stickhandler and dangerous around the cage.

Bob Cleary at Center

The other line is built around Bob Cleary, brother of varsity center Bill Cleary. One of the wings will be John Stimpson, but White hasn't decided between Jack Hennessy and Bill Daugherty as the third member of the combination.

The second defense pairs big John Copeland with John Wylde. Copeland possesses a powerful shot as evidenced by the time he knocked the feet out from under Jim Bailey, last year's freshman goalie, on a blue-line shot in the Belmont Hill game. King Lowe will also see action at defense.

White has lost the services of Dan Ullyot, a defenseman and another Minnesota native, who will undergo a knee operation which will sideline him for the season.

The freshmen will make up for their late start this season by three games this week. Melrose High School will play '58 at the Watson rink tomorrow.