ST. PAUL, Minn.--Before last Saturday night, Ed Krayer's biggest claim to hockey fame was his unusually-low penalty minute total.

In 32 games, Krayer had only been sent to the box once.

But Saturday here at the St. Paul Civic Center, for a moment, Krayer was a star.

With 4:16 elapsed in overtime, Krayer connected on a Brian McCormack rebound and watched the puck slide past Minnesota goalie Robb Stauber. The red light lit up. Crimson sticks, gloves and helmets flew into the air.

Harvard had defeated the Golden Gophers, 4-3. The Crimson was the national champion.

And, suddenly, Ed Krayer was in the spotlight.

"I saw it cross the line and literally it took 15 minutes in my mind," Krayer said. "It was going super slo-mo. When it finally did cross the line, the emotion that came over me..."

He didn't know how to describe it. He wasn't used to crowds of reporters standing around him, television cameras flashing lights in his eyes. He had never been a big goal-scorer.

In the regular season, Krayer had scored 14 points. In eight playoff games, he scored 12 more.

The Final Four became his playground. In Harvard's 6-3 win over Michigan State Thursday, Krayer netted a pair of goals and an assist. Saturday he tallied only once. But it was the Big One.

Krayer grabbed the spotlight a little late--in the press box the officials asked for the All-Tournament team ballots during the break between the regulation and overtime periods.

Most likely, very few voters scrawled in the name Ed Krayer.

To them, Krayer was just another solid player on a Crimson team known for its depth. A team with many leaders and no stars, as Captain Lane MacDonald likes to say.

One look at the All-Tournament team results proved MacDonald right. Four Crimson names appeared on the list--none of them Krayer's. But neither were there any mistakes.

In true Crimson fashion, no one--not even Krayer--walked home with all the glory Saturday night.

Sophomore forward Ted Donato was the man whose name appeared on the ballots more than any other. In a tourney that showcased six Hobey Baker finalists, Donato's two-game, five-point performance had made his name a household word and earned him MVP honors.

Freshman Allain Roy earned All-Tourney honors in goal without even playing in the championship game. His semifinal game heroics had so impressed the selectors that they overlooked his absence.

Another rookie, defenseman Kevin Sneddon, dove all over the ice stop-ping pucks. He was small, he was quick, but he was noticed. Add another Harvard player to the All-Tourney list.

And, of course, it was impossible for MacDonald to avoid the spotlight. His breakaway goal in the second period against Minnesota was outstanding, but he didn't need scoring numbers to make the All-Tourney team. His speed, skating ability and penalty-killing ability were just too hard to miss.

Krayer's goal was a flash of brilliance. The biggest moment in the biggest game of a very big season.

But even those heroics couldn't claim the spotlight for Krayer alone. Even Lane MacDonald--winner of the Hobey Baker award--has trouble claiming star status on this team.

It's just a Crimson team with four lines and a solid defense, and two freshmen who share the goaltending spotlight.

Heroes?

When the DC-10 the team rode home from St. Paul finally pulled into Logan Airport yesterday morning, a smattering of fans and a few TV cameras greeted the champions.

A sign reading "#1 Harvard Hockey, NCAA Champions," was draped across the side of the team bus.

But when the big crimson and black duffle bags were dumped out on the luggage rotary, Donato was there to pick up the bag with the big #6 on the side.

And when #11 rolled around, Ed Krayer heaved it over his shoulder and slipped out the sliding glass doors.