BOSTON--The Harvard hockey team wasn't going to win this one without a fight.

When Harvard plays in the Beanpot Tournament, no lead is safe. No cushion is comfortable. The Crimson held on for dear life last night, slipping past Boston College, 5-4, in the first round of the 'Pot.

Harvard is in the finals for the first time in eight years. The relief was immense.

"I'll take anything with my luck in this tournament," said Harvard Coach Bill Cleary, who watched B.C. outshoot his club, 21-2, and outscore it, 2-0, in the final period.

The Crimson held a 5-2 lead going into the third period. But a pair of goals from left wing Richard Braccia--the first just 1:53 into the period, the second 10 minutes later--put the Eagles in striking distance.

Conditioned to Beanpot disaster, the Crimson did not know what to do with its sudden success. In the final period, Harvard was at war with prosperity.

"We sat back on the lead," forward Craig Taucher said. "Instead of going out there and trying to blow them out, we wanted to hold them."

According to Cleary, a great Freudian cloud hung over the Harvard bench. Win? How could we?

"We just hung on too much," Cleary said. "When you get into that mentality, it's hard to change....It's mass psychology. It permeates the whole group."

Several Harvard teams--including the 1985-86 version which went to the finals of the NCAA Tournament--cracked under 'Pot pressure. But this unit, behind freshman goalie Chuckie Hughes (38 saves), dug in and hung on.

With 4:45 left in the game, the puck got behind Hughes and lingered just shy of the goal-line. In past years, the puck would have had just enough energy to sneak across the red strip. This year it stayed out long enough for defenseman Nick Carone to sweep it away.

"I looked back, just watching the play," Carone said. "There was the puck--it looked like it was heading into the net."

He had only one thought: "Just get it out."

"It didn't go in--that's what counted," said Cleary. "Thank God."

Even with six seconds left in the game, Cleary had to hold back his smile. Harvard faced a face-off in its own end.

Crimson center Peter Ciavaglia took the draw and batted the puck to the far boards. Game over.

Smile, coach.

"I'm happy, you're darn right I am," Cleary said. "It's been a long time."

The consolation game of this tournament won't be the same without the Crimson. But Harvard isn't complaining.

"It's going to be nice playing in front of more than 200 people," Harvard Captain Lane MacDonald said.

Boston College will be making its third-straight trip to the Land of Empty Seats. B.C. Coach Len Ceglarski knows how much players look forward to playing for third place.

"Sometimes when things happen to you in the Beanpot, it gets tough the next day in practice--sometimes the next week in practice," Ceglarski said.

Harvard knows the feeling of being crushed by the cruel weight of the 'Pot. Knows it well.

"It's nice to finally win one," MacDonald said.