The fact that the Boston University Terriers would beat the Providence College Friars last night was pretty much of a foregone conclusion. However, the foregone conclusion that the Terriers would be unbeatable in ECAC competition this year is no fact.

The 5-2 B.U. triumph was not as handy as it looks. The Terriers looked like themselves for only the final period of play, thanks mostly to an aggressive-skating Providence squad and their own sloppy play during the first two stanzas.

With the score deadlocked at 2-2, B.U. came out roaring for the final 20 minutes, pressing the Tuckered-out Friars and hounding in particular P.C. goalie Bill Milner.

Time to Relax

At 5:20 of the period freshman Paul Miller from Billerica put B.U. ahead to stay, driving home a perfect feed from behind the net by Daryl MacLeod.

One minute and 36 seconds later defenseman Jack O'Callahan fed another super-freshman, Marc Fidler, with a lead pass at the red line. The ensuing three-on-two B.U. break was capped by Fidler's pass to linemate John Bethal at the left face-off circle, whose wrist shot traced its way between Milner's legs and made it 4-2.

Ex-Olympian Dick Lamby ended the night's scoring with 42 seconds to play. With eight seconds to go on a B.U. power play, Lamby took the puck from his own blue line, wormed by three defenders, and let go a wrist shot that deflected of Milner's leg pad and into the right corner of the cage.

Providence's apparent third-period disorientation was unexpected considering its hard-nosed play of the first two periods.

Friars Tuck One In

The Friars opened the scoring after a 0-0 first period at 8:49 of the second. With B.U.'s Bob Boileau off for hooking, the crisp passing of the Providence power play resulted in the tally, as center Tom Bauer tipped home Bruce Garbar's slapshot from the right point to make it 1-0.

Exactly three minutes later came P.C.'s second goal. After B.U. tied the game on a pretty backhand by Tony Meagher, Providence broke three on two with Colin Ahearn leading Tom Byers on the right, who redirected Ahearn's pass by B.U. goalie Jim Craig.

A goal by Terrier star Dave Silk with five minutes to play in the second tightened things up at two apiece before B.U. got serious and dominated everything in the third.