The champagne must taste a little sour, Lenny.

Referee Ben (as in Bennie and Clyde) Albert stole B.C. Coach Len Ceglarski's record-setting 556th victory for him and handed it to him on a bronze Hockey East platter.

While Ceglarski can draw a little consolation-game consolation from the fact that the victory came over long-time rival Harvard, he can't be too happy about the way Albert brought it home for him.

After the game, after the tide of reporters had ebbed away, Ceglarski leaned over to Harvard Coach Bill Cleary and muttered a brief "I'm sorry."

He knew victory number 556 should have been tie number 27.

Ceglarski could not have been apologizing for the brilliant play of his own team, which matched Harvard step for step the whole way.

He had to apologize, however, for the conduct of his league's official. Albert turned a brilliant athletic contest, a jewel in a great rivalry, into a farce. He ignored the laws of physics and caved in to the cries of a mob of screaming Eagle fans jammed into the packed Garden.

Albert's striped Hockey East referee's jersey might as well have belonged to a convict. He stole a great game from the fans, from Harvard--and from B.C.

Ken Hodges' third goal was not scored in regulation play. Time had demonstrably elapsed.

The red light that signals a goal and the green light that signals a stoppage of play are connected on a single circuit. The system guarantees that the goal judge cannot light the lamp after time has expired.

And the red lights went on only 12 times last night--six for Harvard, six for B.C.

There was no 13th goal.

Last night, the Garden clock ticked off the final second, the green light went on, the puck off the stick of Hodges went in the Crimson net, and the goal judge flipped the switch to light the red lamp, but the little bulb never shone--its green partner was already blazing brightly.

The goal judge confirmed that. But Albert never checked with him. After raising his arm to signal that the puck had gone in the net, Albert--caught back at center ice on the shot--got caught up in a flurry of events. B.C. players snowballed into a large pile in the Crimson zone.

Albert tried to consult with his linesmen for reasons that are mysterious. Harvard goalie Dickie McEvoy, who had started out of his crease to greet his teammates as Hodges shot went in, chased Albert around the ice until Cleary yanked him away.