Harvard flew back to the top of Eastern hockey last night with a smashing 8-5 upset of Boston University. The Crimson skaters stunned a rare sellout crowd at Watson Rink with four third period goals, turning a scrambling 4-4 deadlock into an unbelievable rout.

Harvard players had hopes of edging the Terriers for the first time in eight games, but not even the most optimistic fan dreamed the Crimson would humble the B.U. defense with eight gorgeous goals. Boston College on Saturday should prove as tough an opponent, and Cornell on the 18th could be even rougher; but last night's triumph changed the 1967-68 Harvard team from a dark horse to a front runner.

The lead changed hands twice in the first two periods, with B.U. holding an edge in play. The Terriers looked especially strong after the 15-minute mark of each frame: they scored twice in the last three minutes of the first period to tie the score at 2-2; then at 17:21 of the next stanza to knot the contest, 4-4.

Harvard started its dramatic thirdperiod bombardment in quiet enough fashion. The Crimson forward lines were in the process of changing--generally symbolic of a lull in play--when sophomore defenseman Chris Gurry crossed the blue line and flicked a hard wrist shot goalward. The puck deflected off Terrier defenseman Billy Hinch past goalie Jim McCann.

Then at 4:23 first-line center Jack Garrity stated a fast break with a pass to left wing Kent Parrot. Parrot hit Bob Fredo at the blue line with a perfect cross-ice feed, and the Crimson right wing skated in around defenseman Wayne Decker and beat McCann from short range.

Parrot fed Garrity with the exact same pass 30 seconds later, after Harvard goalie Billy Diercks stopped a strong B.U. offensive threat. Garrity beat Decker and surprised McCann with a quick shot into the upper left corner.

The Terriers still had plenty of time and scoring punch to get back in the game, but Ron Mark finished them off at 8:57. The Crimson sophomore skated from left to right through the napping B.U. defense and swung the puck past McCann from ten feet out, dead center.

The visitors had a good chance to get back in the game when Harvard's Don Grimble was sent off the ice for hooking at 12:20, and Fredo and Parrot were penalized two and three minutes later. But Harvard, benefiiting from adroit penalty-killing by Dwight Ware and Chip Otness, held off the Terriers for more than four short-handed minutes.

When B.U.'s Eddie Wright eventually got his second goal of the evening at 16:25, Harvard returned to full strength and had no trouble killing the last three and a half minutes, the final 60 seconds dying amid the music of a joyous standing ovation.

Early Lead

The game was fast paced from the very beginning, with the puck seldom stopping between blue lines. Simultaneous penalties were assessed twice, but it was a holding call against B.U.'s Mickey Gray that set the stage for Harvard's first goal at 12:47.

Pete Mueller tied up burly defenseman Mike Hyndman on the right boards, enabling. Bobby Bauer to pick up the puck and lift a backhander over McCann's left shoulder from 15 feet.

Harvard's aggressive forechecking, unmatched in recent years, paid off a second later as Parrot and defenseman Ben Smith tied up a Terrier defenseman behind his own cage. Parrot came up with the puck and passed out to Bob Carr, who drove a 40-footer past McCann.

B.U. wiped out this painfully accumulated lead with two goals 70 seconds apart. Defenseman Darrell Abbott stickhandled through Carr and others, leaving dangerous Herb Wakabayashi with a clear shot which he put through Diercks's legs.

At 18:58, following a penalty on Mueller, the B.U. power play clicked: Abbott to Wakabayashi to Wright, who scored on a 10-foot backhander.