Sorry about the clunky ending to my previous post, but my e-mail
system is not exactly user-friendly. Anyway, I was mentioning the three
Fryberger brothers (and I think misspelling their last names, too). Here's
some more on the subject:  In '60-61, while Latreille was racking up his 108
points, sophomore Dates, the youngest and best of the three brothers, had a
line of 36-31-67. That's better than three points a game -- and
Fryberger was voted Best Defensive Forward in Eastern Small College Hockey
that year. The next two years he was an All-American and in 1964 he played
for the US Olympic team in Innsbruck.   By the way, the field house at
Middlebury was -- and still is -- a chilly building, whcih may or may not
explain why Dates always played with a hockey sock wrapped around his neck, one end
end pulled through the stirrup and stuffed into his jersey.
 
        Getting back briefly to Latreille, I well remember the excitement
around Middlebury when he joined the Rangers. Back then it was very, very
rare for an NHL team to even take a look at a college player, particularly
one from the east. I can imagine that the Ranger GM at the time (a little
help, please) noted Latreille's Montreal upbringing and forgave him his
attending a small liberal arts school in the Vermont hills. It's nice to know that people still
remember Latreille, even if, as Tony Buffa -- a graduate of the one school
Middlebury seemed to always have difficulty with --  noted, his "huge point
total was mostly against inferior competition."
        Should Middlebury move up to Division I? I kind of doubt they'd want
to, given the cachet of being a prime member of NESCAC (Did anyone see the
Sports Illustrated photo spread and brief article last year? It made the
NESCAC out to be the only light in the dark world of college athletics -- a
bit much for me to stomach, but SI does tend to moralize these days.) Still,
if Middlebury wanted to step up to Division I they'd at least be aable to
point to a strong tradition. Plus, they'd have a new and natural rival 30
miles north in Burlington. And that's not to mention RPI.
        If anyone else out there remembers Middlebury hockey, I'd like to
hear from you.
--
C.C. Warner
Cambridge, Mass.