Cleary Goal Edges B.C. in Overtime, 5-4

Bill Cleary saved a very tired varsity hockey team last night.

After Boston College had tied the score at 4 to 4 on goals by Captain Dick Dempsey at 18:53 and 19:56 of the third period, center Cleary picked up the puck at his own blue line and raced away to score at 1:46 of the sudden-death overtime period.

The winning goal came while the varsity was one man short.

The game, played before a screaming crowd of 5,664 at the Garden, gave the varsity its first Beanpot crown since 1952 and could eventually lead to the Crimson's first NCAA Tournament invitation.

Almost a Repeat Performance

When the final period started it appeared that the game might well be a repeat performance of the first B.C. Harvard match last December which the Eagles won, 4 to 3, with a last period rally.

The varsity skaters seemed to drag themselves about the rink and only managed to get off six shots at the Eagle goalie in the first two stanas. The last minute goals actually were only surprising because of their lateness.

The near-upset proved conclusively that the sextet simply should not play a major opponent without using three lines, as the first two Crimson tries were alternated consistently during the entire game. The improved third line saw action for only approximately four minutes during which center Tom Werthen same within a foot of scoring.

B.C. matched the Crimson rush for rush in the opening period and scored first at 1:36 while Coach Cooney Wailand was still shifting line combinations. A slapshot by Denny Little tied the score at 3:55 and Cleary's first goal put the varsity ahead in the final seconds of the period.

After the Bangles tied the score at 5:50 of the second stanza, Cleary again began to sparkle and set up tow more tallies, the first on a long pass to Dong Manchester and the other on a sharp pass from behind the cage to Terry O'Malley.

The varsity's spotty defensive work, help by Ned Almy's dumping body, cheeks, was counterbalanced by the team's superior offensive power although the Eagles' D'Entr3emont's 96 saves held the Crimson in shock for most of the game.