Harvard didn't land a shot on net for the first 6:25 (the first shot was a Lou Body desperation blue-line slap), and with Coughlin in the box for a cross-check, the mighty Terriers sent the Crimson cats scampering. BU's Doug Friedman, Dave Sacco and Jacques Joubert pounced on net during the Terrier power-play, and with Harvard freshman goalie Tripp Tracy flopping in net, Friedman punched in a rebound at 10:14.
It seemed right there that Harvard was destined for another Beanpot blowout. But the Crimson transmogrified from its feline self into a jungle cat just minutes later, with BU's Stephen Foster out for roughing. Martins unloaded a cannon shot into the high left corner of the net at 13:14, just seconds into the power-play, to tie the game at one.
From then on, the Crimson skated with confidence, matching the bigger Terriers blow for blow, insult for insult. It continued on into the second period, as Harvard managed to hold off a high-powered Terrier attack during and after an unsuccessful BU power-play at 3:44.
Harvard took the big step forward at 11:11. Still reeling from the BU onslaught and perplexed by a Kevin O'Sullivan hook on a Michel Breistroff breakaway, the Crimson looked to its first line for salvation. Immediately after the face off, Drury quick-sticked the puck from behind the net to an awaiting Brian Farrell who slapped it in to give Harvard the 2-1 lead.
The Crimson could have held on easily but a dual set of penalties from senior Steve Flomenhoft (boarding at 12:22) and freshman Peter McLaughlin (hitting from behind at 12:35) landed the team into college hockey hell: two men down against BU in the Beanpot finals.
Drury, junior Chris Baird, Body and Tracy made the dream seem real for 1:23, ably keeping the puck out of the crease, but the Terrier nightmare loomed all too large and too gruesome. With Tracy screened off the puck, BU Captain David Sacco snuck down the right side and placed a Stephen Foster pass neatly into the top of the net to tie the game at two.
Come 10:58 p.m., the few hundred Crimson faithful (the other some 14,000 were BU fans) saw a sight for all time. Drury, grinning his best selfeffacing smile, lifted the 'Pot aloft. Then came sophomore Ben Coughlin, Body, Martins. And on it went, from hand to hand, each face grimy with sweat but lit up with smiles.
This was the win Harvard was waiting for.