Five Harvard hockey players, including captain and top scorer Bradley G. Konik '96, were injured in a three-car accident Sunday night, the eve of the Beanpot Tournament, at the intersection of JFK St. and Memorial Drive.

Two of the players, Konik and defender Peter S. McLaughlin, were hurt so severely that they were sidelined in the opening game of the Beanpot, Boston's most celebrated hockey tradition. Harvard lost to Northeastern, 4-1, last night at the FleetCenter (please see story, this page).

Last night's game was the first varsity match McLaughlin has ever missed, breaking a string of 114 consecutive games played.

The other three players involved in the crash, Marco J. Ferrari '97, Henry G. Higdon '98 and Benjamin H. Storey '99, were well enough to play in the Beanpot.

No charges had been filed yesterday. But state trooper Mark Ford old the Associated Press that the investigation is ongoing and charges could be filed later.

The accident occurred as the players were returning to Harvard from a team dinner at McLaughlin's house in Needham, Mass., according to a statement from the Harvard Sports Information Office. The players were on their way to Cabot House to drop off Konik.

McLaughlin was driving a family-owned Isuzu Trooper, with Konik in the front passenger seat, when the vehicle collided head-on with a Ford Explorer, according to a well-placed source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It is unclear how many of the players were wearing seatbelts. According to the police report, a Honda Accord was also involved in the accident.

At the intersection, McLaughlin, traveling rapidly, attempted to turn left onto Memorial Drive, according to the source and another well-placed source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

When McLaughlin noticed the fast-approaching Ford Explorer coming from the opposite direction, he tried to reenter his original lane of traffic by turning back toward the right, according to the first source.

McLaughlin was unable to reenter his original lane and collided with the Ford Explorer, according to the source. The windshield popped out upon impact, shattering glass in the street.

McLaughlin was thrown out of the vehicle and landed semi-conscious in the street, according to the police report. He suffered a broken nose and lacerations requiring 40 stitches.

The most severely injured of the five, McLaughlin is currently resting at his home in Needham.

Konik hit the dashboard and suffered whiplash and a stiff neck, sources said. Storey had a severely swelled forehead.

Police said Ferrari and Higdon escaped with only very minor injuries, although both Higdon and Storey required stitches, according to the Sports Information Office statement. (For more on the injuries, please see page 10).

In all, six people were taken to area hospitals for treatment as a result of the crash.

Four were sent to Mt. Auburn Hospital, and two were taken to Cambridge City Hospital, according to police.

Despite the excitement surrounding the opening of the Beanpot, the accident made last night's game secondary in the minds of many players and coaches.

"Everyone was taken aback by it," Harvard coach Ronn Tomassoni said. "It certainly puts things into proper perspective because it could have been a whole lot worse. Fortunately, everyone's fine."

Northeastern coach Ben Smith '68 was also relieved that none of the players were seriously hurt.

"I thank God that there were no permanent injuries to those kids," he said