If it was a joke, it would have been funny.

But it wasn't funny. It wasn't even cute last night at frigid Watson Rink, where Boston College won a laugher over the Harvard hockey team 7-0.

Eagle goalie Paul Skidmore was called on only 20 times in registering the first shutout against a Harvard hockey squad in 163 games-the first since the consolation round at the 1971 NCCA hockey championships, when Denver University edged Joe Cavanaugh and Co. 1-0 somewhere in the Midwest.

After a relatively strong all-around opening period by the Crimson (good defense by Jim Trainor and Jack Hughes, good forechecking by Gene Purdy, Tom Murray, and John Cochrane), Harvard still found itself down 1-0 on an early goal by Eagle Brian Burns.

And then, all at once, came sloppy play, sporadic passing, non-existent clearing, three-on-two B.C. breaks, and goalie John Hynes's return to mortality.

Except for a few chances in the first and last periods, Harvard couldn't buy, rent, or steal a goal. They even had trouble subletting time in the B.C. goal.

Meanwhile, the Eagles went berserk, scoring three goals in each of the last two stanzas. Only a couple of the tallies were of the spectacular variety-the rest just seemed to cement the fact that this was Harvard's most dreadful night on the ice since George Burns's bar mitzvah.

Here are the seventolls of the death bell:

FIRST PERIOD:

(2:37) Burns, on a quick shot over Hynes's leg pad into the right corner, culminating a three-on-two break.

SECOND PERIOD:

(0:33) Joe Mullen, who stole an errant clearing pass by Jim Liston and rifled it home.

(3:05) Bobby Hehir, tucking in a shot that rebounded off the left side of the net.

(8:57) Rob Riley, catching the rebound of a good Hynes save and greasing in the puck off the short post.

THIRD PERIOD:

(7:14) Hehir again, this time on a 20 foot slapshot which banged off the post into the lower right corner.

(12:04) Joe Casey, on a drive from the face-off circle that beat Hynes cleanly to the short side. A pretty goal.

(15:13) Mike Ewanouski, a flip from the left side, the result of a blown clear.

The Icemen face New Hampshire tomorrow night in Durham. This kind of play should be out of their system by then.