BOSTON—In a game featuring 26 NHL draft picks and played in an NHL rink, it was a pair of undrafted, 5’10 defensemen who were the real pros.

The defensive pairing of Terriers captain Freddy Meyer and sophomore Bryan Miller were the difference last night, at both ends of the ice.

The duo accounted for both BU goals, three points, 8-of-12 penalty minutes and were a combined plus four.

Every time you saw a great hit, a good defensive stop or a fabulous individual effort, it was pretty safe to say either Meyer or Miller were nearby.

When the Terriers were trailing, it was Miller who responded. Jumping up on the rush, he slipped the puck through the legs of Harvard’s Noah Welch, stepped around him, went in alone and snapped glove side over sophomore Dov Grumet-Morris.

And he’s a defenseman.

If this were Tyler Kolarik or Dominic Moore for Harvard or the Terriers’ John Sabo, maybe you would have expected that kind of move.

Maybe if Welch were not 6’4, 212 lbs. and capable of crushing Miller you could have expected it.

But some things in this game just did not make sense. When Meyer drilled Welch into the BU bench in the crucial final minutes of the game, and Welch proceeded to limp around the ice favoring his shoulder, it didn’t make sense. Welch has six inches and 20-30 lbs. on Meyer.

It was a microcosm for the game. At No. 13 in the country Harvard is ranked higher than No. 14 BU, but the Terriers were still clear favorites. The Crimson was a perfect 12-0-0 when scoring first entering last night. Harvard scored first. Now the Crimson is 12-1-0 after opening the scoring.

It is rare when a post-game press conference reveals more about a team than the action on the ice. But just listen to BU and Harvard talk, and you quickly understand a little bit more about how they play.

Logic has little to do with how Meyer thinks or how BU keeps winning in the Beanpot.

When asked about the Boston College-Northeastern semifinal, Meyer was quick to comment.

“We are going to be up in the stands rooting for BC right after we get out of the locker room,” Meyer said. “We want to be playing BC not Northeastern in the final. BC is a great team, and we want some respect back.”

Eventually BU coach Jack Parker just had to cut Meyer off.