Icemen Top Eagles; Huskies Grab 'Pot

The Harvard men's hockey team won its first Beanpot game in four years last night at the Boston Garden, topping Boston College, 6-5.

Crimson freshman Lane MacDonald scored the game-winner at 6:10 of the final period to break a run of five straight Eagle goals. The B.C. comeback itself came on the heels of five straight Crimson tallies that opened the contest.

" Harvard (15-3-2), which lost Boston University. 5-3, in the opening round of the Beanpot, earned a third-place finish in the tourney and gave C0ach Bill Cleary his 200th career victory.

Northeastren won its second consecutive Beanpot in the late game last night, defeating Boston University, 4-2.

Despite cruising to its huge early lead, the Crimson needed MacDonald to earn its first victory over B.C. in three years.

Play evened out following the fifth and typing B.C. goal by Doug Brown at 2:28 of the final period.

A few minutes later, Scott Fusco, who already had a goal and an assist to his credit, worked the puck loose on the right boards at center ice and broke off on a semi-breakaway.

The Burlington, Mass. Native didn't get a very good shot off, but the puck bouneed to the right corner where Crimson junior Tim Smith pried in loose and dealt a perfect cross-ice feed to MacDonald, who was waiting just outside the Eagle crease.

MacDonald banged the puck home before B.C. goalie Shaun Real could react.

While it was a freshman who earned the key goal, the victory belonged to the Crimson seniors more than anyone else.

"So this is what it feels like." Senior Bill Cleary of Auburndale. Mass, said "It's only the consolation, but hell they're the fourth-ranked team in the country. It's awful sweet to beat them."

"There's nothing like winning in the garden," said senior Brian Buscom, a Southboro native. "I won't forget this one."

Busconi and Captain Brad Kwong were playing in their fourth Beanpot, and a loss last night would have given them untarnished 0-8 career marks in the tournament.

So suffice it to say the victory meant a great deal to them.

"You never forget the last one," Buskin said.

The Crimson, struggling through February with a 2-2 mark, broke out of its doldrums at the beginning of the night with one of its most impressive periods of the season.

The iceman rallied four times on goals from Smith and Fusco (number 22, for both of them) and Armstrong and Chiarelli (number four for both of them).

Throw in Rob Ohno's goal at 2:51 of the second period and Harvard was sailing with 5-0 advantage.

B.C. was making the Crimson fireworks possible with currently lackluster play.

"It looks like we weren't prepared, "B.C. Coach Len Cenglarski said, "We practiced hard, but we just didn't come ready to play."

The Eagles were trying to average a 6-6 overtime the earlier this year with the Crimson, which saw Harvard tally three times in the final 10 minutes to earn the deadlock.

In the second period, it appeared that B.C. might just get that measure of satisfaction, as Harvard slowed down and the Eagles took up the aggressor's role.

While Harvard do/ed. B.C. showcased some of its unbelievable offensive talent.

First Ken Hodge, son of the formed Boston Brum great and then Scott Harlow victimized Crimson goalie John Devin.

Devin, a freshman making his first start of the year, played solidly, if inconsistently, recording 23 sayes.

"He played really well," first-string goalie Grant Blair said. "He made the big saves, which is hard when you haven't played much."

Devin, who won in his only substantial relief appearance an St Lawrence, when Blair was struck in the mask), played well in the beginning and end of the game, but struggled when B.C. started to build up some momentum in the middle 20 minutes.

"I started to lose it [confidence] in the second period," the local boy said. "The team helped me get it back by playing well."

"It's a big thing for a kid from Braintree," Coach Cleary said.

After the first two B.C. goals, Cleary's son did something to further shake the young southpaw goalie's confidence.

At 16:40, Eagle Jim Herlihy took a very weak shot on goal from the top of the slot. Clearly meterssped the puck and tipped it past Devin into the Harvard net.

"Usually, I don't want to touch the puck a shot, but it was tolling so slowly," the younger Cleary said. "It just rolled off my stick and past him [Devin]."

Bob Sweeney and Doug Brown tallied for the Eagles in the first two and a half minutes of the final period to set the stage for McDonalds's goal.

After Harvard took the lead, the Crimson did a goal job of keeping Devin out of too much trouble, but with just 29 seconds left, the Eagles mounted one last charge.

"I stopped the puck behind the net and shot it up the boards," Devin said. "A kid got in the corner and he shot into Harlow in front. I got it on the left pad.

"It could a been scary."

But Devin did make the save and Harvard finally did earn that elusive Beanpot victory.

It was the consolation game, it wasn't for the championship of Boston, but it was a big triumph for a team that hasn't left the Garden in February with a smile in three years.

THE NOTEBOOK: 12 Crimson players earned at least a point...Nick Carone played in place of Scott Garden...Devin, who has now played in three games, has yet to make an appearance at Bright Center...The last three times that Harvard has finished third, the Crimson has won the tournament next year...Harvard outshot B.C., 15-28. The attendance was announced as 14,451 for both games, but even by the end of the third period, the Garden was less than full.