B.C. brings in a rookie coach but a Beanpotveteran: Jerry York's over time goal in the 1965opening round set up the Eagles' third title in arow.
Ashe's goal last year gave B.C. its first titlein 11 tries.
Terrier Tradition
B.U., this year's favorite, has made the titlegame 27 of the last 31 years and won 17 overall,the most of any team. But the Terriers haven't wonsince 1992; B.U. has gone four years without atitle only once since the early 60s.
Coach Jack Parker, who grew up in Somerville,said he never saw a Beanpot until he went to B.U.and won the tournament three times. "I canremember those games more than any games I'vecoached," he said.
"There's people that actually think this is theend of the season," he said. "We'd win the Beanpotand people would say, 'Great. How's your teamgoing to be next year?'''
Tomassoni agreed. he was a Harvard assistant in1989 when the Crimson broke an eight-year Beanpotslump before going on to win their first NCAAtitle ever.
"We had a lot of local alumni who really weremore proud that we won the Beanpot that year thanthe national championship," he said.
That's something Eruzione can understand. Heremembers the excitement of skating on the Gardenice for the first time, looking up and seeing allof the Bruins and Celtics championship banners.
And no thrill, he said, will top skating aroundthat same ice with the Beanpot trophy after B.U.won the 1975 title.
"Emotionally, you can only feel so good aboutyourself, or so good inside," he said. "Andwinning a Beanpot, I felt just as proud and justas satisfied as I did winning a gold medal.
"The gold medal, the scope of it is bigger,because more people watch it. But the Beanpot...you only have so much joy in your body. It'ssomething that's very special."
Parker, the winningest coach in Beanpot historywith a 29-13 record and nine titles, nearly brokeinto tears while recounting some of his favoriteBeanpot stories.
"You know that you're going to have the samefour teams in it. You know that you're going to beplaying against guys you knew in high school," hesaid. "These are games you're going to rememberand you want to remember. You're going to seethese guys for the next 40 years.
"It's an aside to the hockey season. And yetit's the biggest aside of all. It's special. Andthis one will be more special than most. And forthat reason I think your guys will be even morepumped up to represent the final Garden Beanpotchampions."
This story was compiled with the help of APdispatches.