The Puck Stops Here

He fell in love at the age of 10. Eleven years later, Cleon Daskalakis is still in love. But the affair that began with a 1973 trip to the Boston Garden is about to end--with another trip back.

For when Daskalakis is takes his final curtain call in the 1984 Beanpot, it'll bring to a close the story that took an overwhelmed 10-year-old out of the stands and turned him into an over-whelming 21-year-old goalie.

"I fell in love with the Beanpot the first time I ever saw it," the Boston University senior netminder recalls of that trutial visit in '73. The only thing that's changed since is what he wears to the gaines.

The last four years it's been B.U's Scariet and White. And if the Terriers are to regain the Beanpot championship Daskalakis almost single-handedly won for them two years ago, it'll certainly take another superlative performance from the local boy turned local hero.

Widely considered the nation's top collegiate goalie (with his 2.54 goals-against average), the Canton, Mass. native has become B. U's MVP, guiding the Terriers to their first post-season appearance in four years last year and to their position among the nation's elite this year.

"If we have one superstar," says B.U. Coach Jack Parker, "it's Cleon. He's the backbone of the team, the one guy we always know we can count on."

Right now, Parker knows he can Not long ago he wasn't so sure.

Not that he--or anyone--ever doubted Daskalakis's talent, but a few months ago the goalie was giving serious thought to trading in his Scarlet and White for some Red, White, and Blue. "I was in a no-lose situation," he recalls. "I wanted to play for B.U and I wanted to play for the USA."

A summer jaunt to the National Sports Festival settled the dilemma. U.S. officials guaranteed Olympic contracts for Mark Behrend and Bob Mason and Beantown's best suffered a pulled hamstring.

This week, Behrend and Mason are in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, Daskalakis is back in the Garden.

"The Olympic Committee had already made some commitments," he says now, still convinced that the group made a mistake. "It would have been a dream to play for the United States, but I love B.U."

Playing for B.U. was a dream that began back in 1973, when the Terriers won the Pot title before a young and impressionable Cleon Daskalakis.

"I think I liked their uniforms," he says. "I never missed another Beanpot and I never rooted for anyone else but B.U."

So when he ventured into the world of college hockey. Daskalakis didn't have for much trouble deckling where to showcase his goal deckling skills.

"It was right after the 1980 Olympic, "he says," and I was almost sure B. U. was the place. I went to see Coach Parker and former B. U. starts Jim Craig and Mike Erazione were

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