Scott adds. For instance, if Mark has the puck I might do something that I wouldn't do with someone else."

Their closeness hasn't always helped, though. Mark remembers Scott's rookie season last year: "At first. I kept an eye on Scott, but then I got a few dumb penalties because of it. Anyway, after a few games he could take care of himself."

Scott agrees that he can fight his own battles, including the frequent turf fights he has with defensemen around the net. "I know I'm going to get hits--some clean, most not. I might as well get a pass off or get a good shot."

Hand in hand with brotherly on-ice camaraderie goes sibling rivalry. Both Fuscos admit to a certain competitiveness which materialized during last year's National Sports Festival in Indianapolis--the first time the brothers had ever opposed each other in an organized game.

"At the Sports Festival, we really had it at each other pretty good." Scott says, "I was not out just to beat him, but there is no way that he wants me to go around him."

Mark counters. "There's an way that I'm going to let Scott get around me to the goal. When we played against each other he never got by me. Scott thought I gave him a cheap shot in the corner, but I didn't," he adds.

Teammate Dave Bulke, who played with Mark at Belmont Hill, sees a natural competitiveness between the Fuscos. "They go hard one in paretice, but it's definitely for the better." Burke says.

The brothers enjoy their pairings on power plays and shorthanded situations. Mark attributes their ability to work so well in those key assignments to all the work they did in their backyard rink. Scott, who has tallied a league leading four shorthanded goals this season, says that being one man down is his favorite situation, "because no one's expecting you to score and you're out there alone."

As their statistics improve, so does the quantity of abuse they receive from opposing teams' fans. Both brothers say they don't mind the added attention from unfriendly fans, but they add that there in nothing better than shutting up a mostly hostile crowd with a goal.

Their father, who has "only raised a few games home and away in the last four years," says he doesn't really notice the verbal abuse from the crowd but does "not like at all the physical pounding that Scott takes in front,"--though he adds. "There's not a lot I can do."

The eldest Funco is glad that both his sons decided to attend the same school, for he doubts whether he could stand two years of interfamily contests. He attended last year's Sports Festival, "but wouldn't like to go through that very often."

Watching the Beanpot is nothing new for the Fusco clan. Father and sons used to go to the Garden, a fact that gives the tournament extra special meaning for the due. The attraction of the Beanpot was one of the reasons both close Harvard over other Ivy League schools. Mark says he rooted for the Crimson throughout his youth "for no real reason." has Scott claims he had no favorites and pulled only for the individuals that be knew.

In addition to the goal of captaining the 'pot, the Fuscos and their teasers know there is a subplot--the Crimson's attempt to avenge a 10-4 drubbing at the hands of first-round opponent Boston College in January. As Mark says. "I think we have a few debts to pay off. I am going to enjoy doing that on Monday."