Fun is exactly what Cleary strives to instill in the Harvard program. Whether the kids anxiously wait for Crimson players or skate with the team during practice, Cleary wants the kids--and his team--to have fun.

"You got to do something like that," Cleary said, "to loosen the guys up."

Cleary remembers Harvard's final practice before the 1986 NCAA Championship game in Providence, R.I. Joe Cavanaugh's kids skated with the team right before the Big Game against Michigan State. Just keep the game fun, coach.

Sophomore C.J. Young's two brothers, Chris, eight years old, and Jeff, 15, have certainly had a lot of fun this year. To them, the Crimson is The Team.

"They're always in awe," brother C.J. said. "They play hockey themselves. It's a real positive thing."

While the Young brothers and relatives of other Crimson players make sure to visit the locker room, their exposure to Harvard hockey has some other hidden benefits.

"They're so young and they don't have many goals," Young said. "It's sort of an inspiration for them."

"It might encourage them to study harder," Cleary said, "and say 'Hey, maybe I want to be there.'"

The Harvard hockey team provides role models for several younger hockey players. According to Armstrong (who grew up watching Cornell hockey in Ithaca), every young hockey player looks up to college hockey players.

"We've all been there," Armstrong said. "We all see ourselves in them."

It's Saturday night, February 13, and Harvard has just defeated the Big Red, 3-1, at Bright. The victory assured the Crimson of home ice in the ECAC quarterfinals. Virtually all of the sold-out capacity crowd has filed out. Only the team's family members are left, waiting for the players to finish getting dressed.

The main lights are off and the stands are empty. But behind one section there's a small kid holding a hockey stick that's taller than he is. His hockey puck is a styrofoam cup. And he tries his hardest to keep the puck moving, dreaming, perhaps, of being at center ice, with the crowd roaring above him.

Remember, every Saturday is special for the Sports Cube. Next week: life on the road.