B.U.-Harvard: Showdown at the Garden

Tonight at Boston Garden, Harvard hockey Coach Bill Cleary will be the happiest man on Causeway Street. That is, if the Crimson (19-2) can defeat Boston University (13-15-1) in the Beanpot championship game.

Why? A win would give Cleary his first, 'Pot championship since 1981 and put him in the 300 Club for career victories. In 18 seasons at Harvard, Cleary has posted a 299-186-21 record.

Number 300 at the Beanpot, where life for Harvard hasn't been so cheery during the 1980s? What do you think, coach?

"I would have like to have gotten it [Saturday]," Cleary said after the Crimson dropped a 6-5 overtime decision to Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y.

Although plans didn't fare well for Cleary Saturday, tonight could be different.

Unless Jack Parker's Terriers decide to play the kind of game they did last week against Northeastern in the opening round of the 'Pot. With 5:20 left to play and Northeastern leading, 4-2, the Terriers scored two goals to send the game into overtime. Chris Lappin scored the game-winner in the extra period.

Emotion guided the Terriers to a victory last week. Emotion, Parker hopes, must make a repeat appearance tonight if the Terriers are to defeat Harvard.

"I think the Beanpot is probably the most emotional game of the year," Parker said.

A little `Pot luck might also help. While Cleary has struggled since 1981, Parker has made the championship game six times, capturing three titles. This is the Terriers' sixth consecutive appearance in the title game.

"There is no secret. There is no theme," Parker said. "Who knows? We may be shut out of the Beanpot final for the next 15 years."

Even if the Terriers do get shut out for the next 15 years, Parker will not be directing them from the bench. Last Wednesday, Parker announced that he will take over as the B.U. athletic director after hockey season. This game will mark his last appearance in the Beanpot, where Parker has posted a 21-10 record in 16 tournaments--the third best in 'Pot history.

The Terrier players will certainly try to win one for ol' coach. But so will the Crimson.

"It would be pretty fitting for Coach Cleary to reach 300 wins after getting so much bad luck in the Beanpot," Captain Lane MacDonald said.

Besides the coaches, goaltending will play an important role in tonight's game, especially for the Terriers. B.U. goalie Peter Fish (28 saves against Northeastern) recorded some crucial blocks in the overtime period. Harvard freshman Allain Roy, who defeated Cornell Friday, will start in net for the Crimson.

"We've got to get some good goaltending," Parker said. "We can't give up any three-on-twos or two-on-ones. Lane MacDonald is going to beat someone every once in awhile. We just can't give him two-on-ones often. And we have to put as much pressure on the forecheck as possible."

Focusing only on MacDonald (17 goals, 21 assists, 38 points) will not help for the Terriers. They'll have to figure out how to stop Allen Bourbeau (10-27--37) and C.J. Young (19-17-36) and Peter Ciavaglia (9-29--38) and Ted Donato (7-23--30) and the rest of a Harvard offense that averages close to six goals per game.

If B.U.'s offense--led by Captain Mike Kelfer (21-20--41), David Tomlinson (13-27--40) and Sean McEachern (18-22--40)--can crack Roy and the Harvard defense early in the game, then the struggling Terriers will make Harvard's Beanpot quest a rough one.

"We know B.U.'s struggling," Josh Caplan said. "But like [teammate] Paul Howley said, `When it gets to the Beanpot, you can throw all the records out the window.' "