When the meek inherit the earth, don't expect them to be given the keys to Bright Center.

The Harvard hockey team is not likely to relinquish its hold on greatness.

Last night the Crimson continued its rampage through the hockey world, destroying Dartmouth, 10-0, at Bright. Harvard wing C.J. Young scored five goals, three of them coming in a 48-second span when the Crimson was short-handed.

Harvard upped its record to 11-0 and its goal total to 73. The Crimson has beaten foes by scores of 9-1 (Cornell), 10-1 (Brown) and now 10-0.

Harvard has played only two close games--4-3 overtime victories over Boston College in late November and the University of New Hampshire last Saturday.

With its first third of the season concluded--the Crimson will not play another regular-season game until January 6--Harvard is the third-ranked team in the nation, and is likely to be number two when polls come out today. Except for B.C. and UNH, the Crimson's competition has not given it a decent test.

Harvard sports a major-league attack, spearheaded by ex-Olympians Allen Bourbeau and Lane MacDonald, the team's captain. Throw in Young, who upped his season goal total to 13, Peter Ciavaglia (5 goals, 17 assists, 22 points after last night's game) and a pair of stellar freshman goaltenders, Allain Roy and Chuckie Hughes (22 saves last night and his first shutout), and you have the making of a great team.

But how great? The greatest?

Better than the 1985-86 team that advanced to the finals of the NCAA Tournament and set a team scoring mark with 187 goals? Better than the 1986-87 team that reeled off 15 straight victories at the beginning of the season, won the ECAC Tournament and went to the NCAA Final Four?

How great?

"Right now we're better than the two clubs I went to the Final Four with," said Bourbeau, bathed in the glare of television lights in Harvard's locker room last night.

End of the Road

The Crimson squad which fell to Michigan State, 6-5, in the finals of the NCAA Tournament in 1986 is generally considered the best Harvard squad ever. It had a pair of superstars, Hobey Baker winner Scott Fusco and the nation's leading goaltender, Grant Blair.

On paper, this year's team is better. And it is beginning to prove it.

"This team is as good as any I've played on," said forward Ed Krayer, who as a freshman made up the famous "Killer B" line with Tim Barakett and Bourbeau in 1985-86. "The main difference this year is that we have four lines that can go. Our fourth line is as good as most teams' second lines. So we don't have to worry about depth."