Just look around: a student section thirty rows deep and rising at an unhealthy angle behind the opposition goalie.

Look again: a band with four--count 'em four--drummers to send the crowd into a frenzy.

Have you been to an AC/DC concert? Then you've been to Gutterson Field House.

During the game, you could just tell the difference in the Crimson's play:

Harvard's defense: raising their physical play to a level not seen since Tyson-Spinks. Peter McLaughlin let his pads do the talking with two French-speaking forwards whom he couldn't understand anyway.

Harvard's offense: peppering Catamount goalie Tim Thomas enough times for him toexperience B.U. deja vu (a 10-1 Vermont defeat).

And what about Tripp Tracy having the reputation as a big-game goalie?

Keep in mind that the crowd chanted his name even before the puck was dropped.

"We all seem to play well here," Tracy said. "The crowd helps me stay more focused."

But would Tripp rather play the big games up in rip-roaring Gutterson Field House, or back at the friendly confines in Cambridge?

After a bit of hesitation, Tracy answered: Gutterson. "I like playing against the odds," he said.

Good to hear, since Vermont will certainly not be the last harsh crowd Tracy will face this year. But face it, Crimson fans: the gauntlet has been thrown down.

You in Bright section 12 have a tough act to follow.