PROVIDENCE, R.I.--Harvard's varsity skaters, paced by Paul Haley's hat trick, overcame their first major obstacle in defense of the Ivy League title Saturday night, defeating the previously unbeaten Bruins, 5-3, before a sellout crowd of 3200 in Brown's Meehan Auditorium.

Senior Ted Thorndike, with two goals, and the trio of Haley, Kevin Carr and Jim McMahon, who together collected seven points, led the Crimson assault on sophomore goalie Kevin McCabe. McCabe blocked 22 shots in the second period alone and earned a game total of 44 saves.

The victory upped Harvard's record to 5-0, with three Ivy wins, while Brown propped to 5-1-1, with a 2-1 league mark. The Crimson, idle this week, faces the Bruins in a rematch at Watson Rink next Saturday.

"These two games are really important to us," captain Randy Roth said yesterday. "Two wins over Brown would set us well in the Ivy League and in the ECAC standings. Saturday's game was frustrating because there were so many penalties [sixteen]--we should play better next weekend."

Harvard took an early 2-0 lead when Thorndike and Haley each scored from the edge of the faceoff circle in the first four minutes of play. Brown rallied before the period's end, however, as John Ahern tallied with Harvard down one skater and Bill Gilligan scored while the Bruins held a two-man advantage.

The referees disallowed a Brown goal at 6:07 of the second stanza because a Bruin skater was in the crease, and at 10:45 Thorndike rebounded home a Leigh Hogan shot to put the Crimson ahead, 3-2.

Haley scored what proved to be the game-winner at 3:46 of the third period while Harvard held a man edge. Brown captain Dave Given narrowed the margin to 4-3 with a power play goal at 8:14.

Haley notched the insurance goal at 14:15.