Icemen Beanpot Champions, 4-2

BOSTON--Boston University won the Eberly Trophy last night for featuring the best goaltender in the 41st annual Beanpot tournament. But like a turbo-powered dustbuster, the greedy Harvard men's hockey team swept up every other award and honor in the Boston Garden:

A 26-pound, 14-inch trophy called the Beanpot. Boston bragging rights. Most Valuable Player (Captain Ted Drury). Team confidence and self-respect. A boost in national rankings. That, and so much more, is Harvard's after last night's 4-2 upset of the Terriers, who had eaten up Harvard and the 'Pot's beans for three years in a row.

There's no mistaking it. This was the biggest win of the season for the the fifth-ranked Crimson, which had looked rusty in its last two games, particularly a 6-3 loss to RPI.

Basking in the glow of television camera lights and fighting off reporter after reporter, Harvard players and coaches each saw this victory in their own personal way. It was the first Beanpot win for Coach Ronn Tomassoni, who had nothing but praise for the seniors on his team who had trudged through three 'Pot blowouts. It was the first Beanpot for freshman goalie Tripp Tracy (30 saves), who said he hadn't experienced a victory such as this during his career out west in Michigan. And it was the victory of a season for Drury, who kept the upset win all in perspective.

"Some of us have dreamed about this since we were five years old," said a shell-shocked Drury after the game. "But this is just the first step of one of our goals."

Just 'one' of many goals? Drury, who has seen the heights of glory as an Olympian, knows that the only true goal is a national championship, and the way Harvard rose to the occasion last night, anything seems possible.

Drury's focus on the future is infectious. Just listen to sophomore forward Steve Martins, whose cockiness on the ice melts away in front of the cameras: "I think it's definitely a rebound from the loss.

Now we have to make sure we keep our focus for the stretch coming up."

Martins, of all Crimson players, had every reason to gloat. He killed penalties and sparked breakaways. Oh, he also had two goals, including a emotional one-on-one at 16:43 of the third.

The Gatineau, Quebec native's play was only fitting for a night when the Crimson skated with an intensity, a physical ferocity and team effort it has not shown on Causeway Street in a long time. That gutsiness made this one of the most exciting Beanpot finals ever. With the game tied at two heading into the third, the Garden rocked back and forth throughout the final stanza, but the young Crimson had enough Dramamine for the long haul. Tracy was solid, keeping the Terriers' attack hoping and hoping for a fair bounce. It never came.

Instead it was the steady Crimson that got the luck. Junior Brian Farrell creeped in on the right side and slapped the puck in on BU goalie Scott Cashman and an ever ready Drury slapped in the rebound at 6:29 to push the Crimson ahead by one.

The Terriers began to growl and seemed to ready to chew at the lead. They fought hard, hoping for a lone Harvard slip-up. It never came.

Instead, it was the Crimson that scrapped and scrapped, with Tracy and the blue-liners poking at every puck that trickled into the defensive zone. Martins stole the puck at 16:43 and unloaded an amazing slap shot into the high right corner to give Harvard the 4-2 lead.

The 14,403 in attendance waited for BU to score. The Terriers always manage to when the game is on the line. That goal? It never came.

Tomassoni knows who (and what) to credit for that accomplishment. "You look at these kids day in and day out. They've been busting their tail since the first day. This game was won in the trenches and our kids just worked and worked," said the coach who was an assistant on Harvard's last victory (1989).

They say the Beanpot's about tradition, and both teams rich in history began the Beanpot as they traditionally do. BU tossed some lip and some hip to intimidate the heck out of Harvard, which scrounged for the puck in fear during the opening minutes.

Harvard didn't land a shot on net for the first 6:25 (the first shot was a Lou Body desperation blue-line slap), and with Coughlin in the box for a cross-check, the mighty Terriers sent the Crimson cats scampering. BU's Doug Friedman, Dave Sacco and Jacques Joubert pounced on net during the Terrier power-play, and with Harvard freshman goalie Tripp Tracy flopping in net, Friedman punched in a rebound at 10:14.

It seemed right there that Harvard was destined for another Beanpot blowout. But the Crimson transmogrified from its feline self into a jungle cat just minutes later, with BU's Stephen Foster out for roughing. Martins unloaded a cannon shot into the high left corner of the net at 13:14, just seconds into the power-play, to tie the game at one.

From then on, the Crimson skated with confidence, matching the bigger Terriers blow for blow, insult for insult. It continued on into the second period, as Harvard managed to hold off a high-powered Terrier attack during and after an unsuccessful BU power-play at 3:44.

Harvard took the big step forward at 11:11. Still reeling from the BU onslaught and perplexed by a Kevin O'Sullivan hook on a Michel Breistroff breakaway, the Crimson looked to its first line for salvation. Immediately after the face off, Drury quick-sticked the puck from behind the net to an awaiting Brian Farrell who slapped it in to give Harvard the 2-1 lead.

The Crimson could have held on easily but a dual set of penalties from senior Steve Flomenhoft (boarding at 12:22) and freshman Peter McLaughlin (hitting from behind at 12:35) landed the team into college hockey hell: two men down against BU in the Beanpot finals.

Drury, junior Chris Baird, Body and Tracy made the dream seem real for 1:23, ably keeping the puck out of the crease, but the Terrier nightmare loomed all too large and too gruesome. With Tracy screened off the puck, BU Captain David Sacco snuck down the right side and placed a Stephen Foster pass neatly into the top of the net to tie the game at two.

Come 10:58 p.m., the few hundred Crimson faithful (the other some 14,000 were BU fans) saw a sight for all time. Drury, grinning his best selfeffacing smile, lifted the 'Pot aloft. Then came sophomore Ben Coughlin, Body, Martins. And on it went, from hand to hand, each face grimy with sweat but lit up with smiles.

This was the win Harvard was waiting for.

HARVARD, 4-2at Boston GardenHarvard  1  1  2  --  4BU  1  1  0  --  

Now we have to make sure we keep our focus for the stretch coming up."

Martins, of all Crimson players, had every reason to gloat. He killed penalties and sparked breakaways. Oh, he also had two goals, including a emotional one-on-one at 16:43 of the third.

The Gatineau, Quebec native's play was only fitting for a night when the Crimson skated with an intensity, a physical ferocity and team effort it has not shown on Causeway Street in a long time. That gutsiness made this one of the most exciting Beanpot finals ever. With the game tied at two heading into the third, the Garden rocked back and forth throughout the final stanza, but the young Crimson had enough Dramamine for the long haul. Tracy was solid, keeping the Terriers' attack hoping and hoping for a fair bounce. It never came.

Instead it was the steady Crimson that got the luck. Junior Brian Farrell creeped in on the right side and slapped the puck in on BU goalie Scott Cashman and an ever ready Drury slapped in the rebound at 6:29 to push the Crimson ahead by one.

The Terriers began to growl and seemed to ready to chew at the lead. They fought hard, hoping for a lone Harvard slip-up. It never came.

Instead, it was the Crimson that scrapped and scrapped, with Tracy and the blue-liners poking at every puck that trickled into the defensive zone. Martins stole the puck at 16:43 and unloaded an amazing slap shot into the high right corner to give Harvard the 4-2 lead.

The 14,403 in attendance waited for BU to score. The Terriers always manage to when the game is on the line. That goal? It never came.

Tomassoni knows who (and what) to credit for that accomplishment. "You look at these kids day in and day out. They've been busting their tail since the first day. This game was won in the trenches and our kids just worked and worked," said the coach who was an assistant on Harvard's last victory (1989).

They say the Beanpot's about tradition, and both teams rich in history began the Beanpot as they traditionally do. BU tossed some lip and some hip to intimidate the heck out of Harvard, which scrounged for the puck in fear during the opening minutes.

Harvard didn't land a shot on net for the first 6:25 (the first shot was a Lou Body desperation blue-line slap), and with Coughlin in the box for a cross-check, the mighty Terriers sent the Crimson cats scampering. BU's Doug Friedman, Dave Sacco and Jacques Joubert pounced on net during the Terrier power-play, and with Harvard freshman goalie Tripp Tracy flopping in net, Friedman punched in a rebound at 10:14.

It seemed right there that Harvard was destined for another Beanpot blowout. But the Crimson transmogrified from its feline self into a jungle cat just minutes later, with BU's Stephen Foster out for roughing. Martins unloaded a cannon shot into the high left corner of the net at 13:14, just seconds into the power-play, to tie the game at one.

From then on, the Crimson skated with confidence, matching the bigger Terriers blow for blow, insult for insult. It continued on into the second period, as Harvard managed to hold off a high-powered Terrier attack during and after an unsuccessful BU power-play at 3:44.

Harvard took the big step forward at 11:11. Still reeling from the BU onslaught and perplexed by a Kevin O'Sullivan hook on a Michel Breistroff breakaway, the Crimson looked to its first line for salvation. Immediately after the face off, Drury quick-sticked the puck from behind the net to an awaiting Brian Farrell who slapped it in to give Harvard the 2-1 lead.

The Crimson could have held on easily but a dual set of penalties from senior Steve Flomenhoft (boarding at 12:22) and freshman Peter McLaughlin (hitting from behind at 12:35) landed the team into college hockey hell: two men down against BU in the Beanpot finals.

Drury, junior Chris Baird, Body and Tracy made the dream seem real for 1:23, ably keeping the puck out of the crease, but the Terrier nightmare loomed all too large and too gruesome. With Tracy screened off the puck, BU Captain David Sacco snuck down the right side and placed a Stephen Foster pass neatly into the top of the net to tie the game at two.

Come 10:58 p.m., the few hundred Crimson faithful (the other some 14,000 were BU fans) saw a sight for all time. Drury, grinning his best selfeffacing smile, lifted the 'Pot aloft. Then came sophomore Ben Coughlin, Body, Martins. And on it went, from hand to hand, each face grimy with sweat but lit up with smiles.

This was the win Harvard was waiting for.

HARVARD, 4-2at Boston GardenHarvard  1  1  2  --  4BU  1  1  0  --