As if that weren't bad enough for Harvard's cause, the Terriers were the recipients of another shocker nine minutes later, sending them off to what seemed an insurmountable 5-3 bulge.

Few people who were there can tell you how it happened, but at 14:02 the puck appeared behind Brian Petrovek, and jubilation reigned on Commonwealth Ave. once again.

There were a few B.U. players knocking around the goalmouth at the time, specifically Ricky Meagher, who got credit for the goal, and Bill Buckton and Mike Eruzione, who got assists.

Harvard's Jim Liston picked up a few Brownie points for trying to scoop the puck out of the goal before anyone saw it, but most of the 11,118 spectators were already discussing the magical properties of the black disc.

Terriers on Their Way

So it was 5-3, and the Terriers were on their way, somewhat fortuitously, to their 15th win in 17 starts. But the odd happenings were not quite over, and with just three minutes left on the clock, Harvard's Bill Hozack made it 5-4 with a spectacular backhand drive past Durocher.

It isn't too often that hockey fans are treated to a goal after an open net score, but once Mike Eruzione slid the puck into a deserted Crimson cage at 19:29 to make it 6-4, Harvard went to work again.

After Jim Trainor and Haley moved the puck into the B.U. zone, Dave Bell took a pass in front and sped one by Durocher. Nine seconds left, B.U. 6-5.

Harvard had one gasp left, a 50-foot drive by Bell at the buzzer which carromed off the pads of Durocher, and the wild one was over. The Crimson had dropped their first game in eight outings and fell to 6-5-2.

B.U. had jumped to a quick lead in the opening period on the strength of goals by Terry Meagher and Bill Buckton in the first five minutes of action, and a goal by Harvard's Todd Nieland at 7:26 capped the scoring in the stanza.

With 1:16 remaining in the second period, B.U.'s Ken Kuzyk made the score 3-1 on a breakaway, and the stage was set for the magical mystery tour of the final 20 minutes.

The game was uneven in excitement and interest, but one thing was apparent: the caliber of the two participants has been equalized, and the ECAC's are not far off.

Paul Barrett's two goals powered Boston College to a 5-3 win over Northeastern Monday night in the opening round of the Beanpot Hockey Tournament at Boston Garden.

Freshman goalie Paul Skidmore of B.C. made 27 saves, many of them in the third period as Northeastern scrambled in vain for a comeback.

Fran Huck had two goals for the losers, including one with only three and a half minutes to go in the finale.