BOSTON--As the final seconds ticked down in the No. 1 Harvard women's hockey team's 9-0 victory in last night's Beanpot final, senior forward Jen Gerometta and junior forward Sally Maloney turned to each other and hugged as tightly as they could before storming onto the ice when time expired.

Way back in November, the Crimson set some lofty goals for itself, ending with a national championship. Goal number one was the Beanpot, proving that Harvard was the best team in Boston.

Harvard (20-1-0, 16-1-1 ECAC) captured its fifth Beanpot championship last night, blanking Boston College 9-0 at Northeastern's Matthews Arena. Like so many of its games this year, the Crimson dominated from start to finish, refusing to allow the Eagles (7-15-2, 3-13-2 ECAC) to tarnish any portion of its victory.

"It's huge, that's the only way to describe it," Gerometta said. "We've last the past couple of years, to come back, Boston pride--great win."

Co-captain A.J. Mleczko, the nation's leading scorer, gave Harvard the only goal it would need as she collected the rebound of freshman forward Jennifer Botterill's shot at the left side of the net. Switching the puck to her backhand she tucked it home at 7:48 of the first period for the first goal of her eventual hat trick.

"Scoring a hat trick felt really great," Mleczko, the Beanpot MVP, said. "We've crossed some of the hurdles we wanted to cross."

Eagle junior goaltender Christy Nentwig did all she could to keep her team in the game, miraculously limiting the Crimson to just the Mleczko goal in the first period.

Nentwig put on a goaltending clinic in thefirst period, stopping a dizzying 22 Harvardshots.

Her finest came with 5:59 left in the periodwhen she robbed Mleczko with a lightning-quickglove save off a rebound shot to her left from thedoorstep.

HARVARD  9BOSTON COLLEGE  0

The Crimson shots, though just kept coming, asthe ice appeared tilted throughout the entirecontest. Harvard tacked on 24 in the second periodand 16 in the third.

"The one thing this league has is tremendousgoaltenders," said Harvard Coach Katey Stone."We're used to that and we don't give up."

Only Dominik Hasek could have continued to denyHarvard's attack. The Crimson was rewarded withtwo goals within three minutes of each other earlyin the second period to seal the game.

Sophomore Jamie Notman struck first, givingHarvard a little breathing room at 3:37. She tooka pass from Gerometta at the center point andstepped into the high slot to drill it pastNentwig.

"I was coming down into slot and I got a greatpass," Notman said. "I got lucky. My second goalagainst B.C., the second of my career.