The Northeastern men's hockey team's first shot against Harvard last night eluded the outstretched mitt of Harvard goalie Dickie McEvoy and settled into the net.

A repeat of the Crimson's opening-round Beanpot Tournament loss to Boston College--in which Boston College rattled off four goals in the first period, three on its first three shots--seemed inevitable.

But McEvoy--making his first start in two years in place of regular Grant Blair--settled down to record 22 saves. And the Crimson offense, held scoreless for most of the B.C. game, found its potency early last night to knock off the Huskies, 7-1, before 14,451 quiet spectators at Boston Garden.

"We didn't give them a chance to do much," Harvard Coach Bill Cleary said.

The victory was the second in a row for the Crimson (14-5-1 overall) and the second straight Beanpot consolation game triumph. The win was also Harvard's first over a non-ECAC opponent this season.

Northeastern (18-12-1 overall) saw its hopes to repeat as Beanpot champions shattered last week with an 8-5 loss to Boston University in the tournament's opening match.

But after their loss to the Cantabs last night, the Huskies notched a spot in the tournament cellar for a record 20th time.

The Crimson got goals from all four lines, including its first of the night from first-line forward Lane MacDonald--who tied the game, 1-1, with a rebound of a Tim Barakett slapshot with nine minutes left in the opening period.

Despite outshooting its opponents 16-7, Harvard went into the locker room after the first period with the game tied.

But with only seven minutes gone in the second period, Crimson forward Nick Carone stole the puck from Huskie defenseman Bob Kimura, skated the length of the ice and shoved a shot under N.U. goalie Bruce Racine--last year's Beanpot MVP--to give Harvard an insurmountable 2-1 lead.

Northeastern's only serious threat afterward came on a two-man power-play advantage with 10 minutes remaining in the period.

But McEvoy blocked several Huskie shots and the Crimson defense--virtually absent in the squad's opening-round loss to B.C.--hounded the Huntington Avenue Hounds into making several bad passes.

"I was happy to shut them down," McEvoy said. "I faced a few flurries here and there. But if I do my job well, we'll win."

"McEvoy played really well," Captain Scott Fusco said. "They got the first goal. But he didn't let it get to him. He made the saves he had to make."

McEvoy, a junior, will get another crack at a Beanpot championship next year. But seniors Fusco, Blair, Tim Smith, Rob Ohno, Mark Benning and Greg Chalmers ended their Beanpot careers with last night's consolation victory.

"It's nice to leave with a win," Smith said. "And it's nice to beat a Hockey East team. There was a spirit out there. We wanted this one."

Ohno knocked in the Crimson's fourth goal, a slapshot from 30-ft. that the Huskie netminder appeared to be in a position to snag but missed with his glove.

"I don't think we've gotten the full flavor of the Beanpot since we've never made it to the finals," Ohno said. "But it's a nice way to go out."

As for his goal?

"I just let it go," Ohno said. "I was trying to put it in the top shelf. It was nice to get one."

Fusco pocketed the Crimson's third goal after flipping the rebound of a Barakett blast over a falling Racine. Harvard's all-time leading scorer finishes his Beanpot career with five tournament tallies.

"I didn't win a Beanpot," Fusco said. "But it wasn't a total loss. It's a nice way to finish a career."

Crimson, 7-1 at Boston Garden Northeastern  1  0  0--1 Harvard  1  1  5--7

First Period--1, N, Jay Heinbuck 26 (Rico Rossi, Stewart Emerson) 0:52; 2, H, Lane MacDonald 10 (Tim Barakett, Scott Fusco) 10:14. Penalties--John Ridpath, N, (tripping) 10:14.

Second Period--3, H, Nick Carone 6 (unassisted) 7:29. Penalties--Greg Chalmers, H, (interference) 10:52; Mark Benning, H, (delay of game) 11:26; Rossi, N, (roughing) 15:48; Rossi, N, (holding) 19:33.

Third Period--4, Fusco 15 (Barakett, Benning) 0:56; 5, Rob Ohno 5 (Carone, Steve Armstrong) 1:50; 6, H, Barakett 14 (Benning, Chalmers) 18:07; 7, H, Don Sweeney 3 (MacDonald, Fusco) 18:46; 8, H, Randy Taylor 4 (Andy Janfaza, Butch Cutone) 19:21. Penalties--D. Sweeney, H, (tripping) 5:21; Peter Chiarelli, H, (10 min. misconduct) 9:45.

Saves--N, Bruce Racine 15-10-7--32; H, Dickie McEvoy 6-10-6--22.

A--14,451.