What in thunderation is going on here?

With a youthful and undersized corps, the Harvard men's hockey team continues to turn heads across the country as the collegiate season kicks off.

As the Crimson crew prepares for the season, its chances of going All The Way are better than any year since their storied 1989 national championship season. No one's betting on the lads from Cambridge quite yet--but that's no reason to keep the local boosters from getting swept up in the speculation.

Of course, there is an entire season to play and many teams to meet and beat before the celebration begins.

Okay, everyone's heard about Harvard's incredible speed and the new goalies--and all the comparisons with Harvard's last freshmen netminding tandem. What else about the Harvard squad might put them over the top? What's there to look for?

. While smaller than average, the Harvard squad boasts two of the best hitters in the collegiate game.

Senior forward Steve Flomenhoft came to Cambridge from Avon Old Farms lacking skating skills but packing a heavy punch when it came to physical play and after-the-whistle skirmishes.

The Chicago resident and Blackhawk fan has worked hard over the past seasons--and summers--building up his skating and has decent agility for a player his size, plus a surprisingly quick wrist shot.

Drafted second in the supplementary draft by the Ottawa Senators this year, Flomenhoft has definitely convinced any disbelievers. And while the senior continues to improve his hockey skills, Flomenhoft will be around all season to handle the physical challenges from bigger teams.

Not quite a bruiser, junior defender Sean McCann has truly proven the effectiveness of Canadian-style hockey. While light for adefender, McCann hits as hard as anyone in theECAC--and proves it practically every night.

Harvard's top freshman two seasons ago, McCannhas adapted to the stricter rules of collegehockey and no longer takes penalties for blatantlyrough play. Consciously been putting the team'ssuccess first, McCann is a more dangerous threatthan ever.

In Harvard's season opener against Brown, theteam helped put aside criticism that it couldn'twin physical games. Of course, Brown isn'tClarkson or RPI.

But with Captain Ted Drury and sophomores PerryCohagan and still injured powerpack Steve Martinsbolstering the forward corps, the team shouldn'tget dragged down too far by physical play.

. Harvard's program has a prestigiousreputation for its top-notch coaching. Sincetaking over from Athletic Director Bill Cleary '56three years ago, Ronn Tomassoni has proven he cando wonders with a program limited by itsrelatively high academic standards.

Guiding the team to its first-place finish lastseason, Tomassoni was the runner-up for the ECACCoach of the Year award--which was won by Yalelegend Tim Taylor.

Behind Tomassoni, Harvard has one of the bestassistant coaches around in former player JerryPawloski. Pawloski, who graduated the year beforethe national championship, replaced Lane MacDonald'89 last year after volunteering his servicesduring the previous campaign.