Shattered Glass Overshadows Blowout

BOSTON--Still suffering from a Beanpot hangover? If you're like most Harvard hockey fans, you probably don't want to hear anything more about the Crimson's monumental third period collapse to Boston University last night in the first round of the Beanpot Tournament.

Rather than search for answers that might explain B.U.'s six goal tantrum in the third, or why Harvard played like there were only two periods in the hockey game, here are some interesting Beanpot tidbits instead.

Hockey East vs. ECAC--Tyson vs. Sugar Ray Leonard?

There is a common (mis) conception in college hockey that the ECAC is known more for its fast skating and skillful stick-handling, while B.U.'s league, Hockey East, is known for its more physical, hard-hitting style of play.

This is of course an oversimplification, especially since B.U., which is ranked No.5 in the nation, is both skillful and physical.

Harvard senior forward Joseph Craigen downplayed the typical Hockey East/ECAC stereotype.

"We try and play as physically as possible whenever we can...," Craigen said. "But I think the Hockey East mystique, if anything, it motivates us."

Harvard definitely stepped up its physical play last night. Whether this was an effort to compete with a Hockey East team or because it was the Beanpot and the adrenalin on both sides was pumping is irrelevant--the fact remains that both teams went at each others throats from the opening buzzer. The ice was literally strewn with bodies and sticks throughout the game.

Just how physical was the game? Seconds into the start of the second period a Terrier player smashed junior forward Doug Sproule so hard into the boards that part of the plexiglass shattered, leaving a gaping hole the size of a beach ball. One can imagine the force of the hit when you consider that plexiglass very rarely breaks in any hockey game, even in the pros.

As a result, the game was delayed for ten minutes as it took a total of five men to replace the shattered glass with a new pane.

10,000 Men There Were Not

Since the plexiglass was smashed right in front of the Harvard band, the Crimson musicians got some rare media exposure. While the glass was being replaced, Channel 68, which was televising the contest, got a full view of the Crimson contingency. Unfortunately, the band did not use this opportunity to render a performance of its famous "10,000 men of Harvard".

Perhaps the band didn't do any renditions of the traditional Crimson tune because there was not even close to that number of fans at the Beanpot. The crowd of 16,574 was dominated by BU jerseys screaming and cheering their team on. There wasn't even a single Harvard jersey apparent in the crowd.

And when the BU taunt of "Harvard sucks" thundered throughout the cavernous FleetCenter, there was no response from the Harvard side--not even the last resort cheer of, "That's all right, that's okay, you're gonna work for us someday."

The Beanpot has always remained one of the top sporting events in Boston and a pride of Harvard sports. Hopefully for the team, the alarming decline of Harvard fans is more a reflection of this season's sub-500 record, and not of a growing apathy toward Harvard sports.