By Joe Concannon, Globe Staff, 02/11/1992

They are largely a young team, but perhaps young and yearning is a better way to put it. Put them in the uniforms of the Boston University hockey team, put them on the ice for a Beanpot Hockey Tournament in Boston Garden, and they seem to go from year to wonderful year in this parochial exercise of the college game played out in this tournament they rule with such aplomb.

The Terriers weren't expected to approach the lofty levels of a year ago when they won the Beanpot, the Hockey East championship on the same ice and went to a third overtime before bowing in the NCAA championship game to Northern Michigan in St. Paul. They've exceeded everybody's wildest expectatons and are presently ranked No. 3 in the nation. They also took step one by winning another Beanpot.

This time it was a 5-2 decision over Harvard before a sellout crowd of 14,448 in the Garden to win the Beanpot for the third straight year and the 17th time in 40 tournaments. They've also been in the final nine straight years and 32 of 40. "It's a great feeling to see all the fans up there," said forward David Sacco. "They're loyal to us. We wanted to give something back to them."

The heroes on this team that is 13-1-2 in its last 16 games and 15-2-2 in its last 19 (20-5-2 overall) were freshman right wing Mike Prendergast and goaltender Scott Cashman. It was Prendergast's dash up the ice to score the fourth goal just 16 seconds into the third period that ruined the Crimson, and it was Cashman who was credited with 33 saves as the Terriers wore down Harvard, which played its third game in four days and sixth in the last 11.

BU coach Jack Parker, who was a part of three championship teams as a player in the late 1960s, became the Beanpot's winningest coach with his 27th victory and ninth Beanpot, surpassing the legendary John (Snooks) Kelley of Boston College, whose teams owned the Beanpot in an earlier era. "He was something really different," said Parker of Kelley's legacy. "He was a legend."

Prendergast -- one of seven freshmen in the lineup -- also had a pair of goals disallowed in the second period but still scored two, and with one in an opening 5-4 victory over Northeastern, was named the tournament's most valuable player. "That was probably the only four-goal game I've ever had in my life," said Prendergast.

The goal that Crimson (11-4-5) coach Ronn Tomassoni said did in his team was the fourth goal, and it was a solo effort once Prendergast poked the puck away from Crimson captain and defenseman Kevin Sneddon and flew in alone on goaltender Chuckie Hughes. "I just saw a lot of open ice," said Prendergast. ''We were four on four. The defenseman just mishandled it, so I broke away. I came down on Chuckie. I was going to take a slap shot, but I got his legs to open up, and I just slid it through."

The Terriers seized a 1-0 lead on Prendergast's first goal at 6:27 of the first period. Sacco took a pass, Prendergast broke for the right post, and Sacco delivered it right to his stick to complete a two-day celebration for the Saccos of Medford. Brother Joe was on the winning US team in the opening game of the Olympics Sunday in Albertville, France. "He called me last night," said younger brother David. "He was pretty happy."

The Crimson, who were tied at Yale (5-5) and Princeton (4-4) over the weekend, tied the game, 1-1, when Tim Burke moved in front and rerouted Steve Flomenhoft's setup past Cashman at 12:37 of the period. The Terriers took a 2-1 lead when Tom Dion's shot from the top of the circle glanced off the leg of Crimson defenseman Rich DeFreitas at 14:35, but the Crimson evened it, 2-2, when freshman center Brad Konik won a faceoff and slid the puck out to Sneddon, who drilled it into the net at the 18:04 mark for just the second goal of his four-year career.

The second period was Prendergast's frustrating stretch. He put in his second rebound on a power play, but referee John Gallagher had whistled the play dead. The Terriers took a 3-2 lead when freshman defenseman Rich Brennan's shot from the right point found its way home after Mark Bavis had won a faceoff out to Kevin O'Sullivan. He slid the puck across to Brennan, who pulled the trigger at 7:06 of the period. Prendergast's next goal was disallowed when Doug Friedman was called for slashing Hughes.

The Terriers are 15-1 when they lead after the second period, and Prendergast sent them on their way to a celebration at the Dugout Cafe. Mike Bavis closed out the scoring at 5:07 of the period. The Terriers skated the Beanpot around the Garden ice as their faithful cheered, and the Crimson skaters filed off the ice in despair. They could only stand there for an eternity in the BU end as the fans rocked the building, and the cheers cascaded down.

"We made a game of it for two periods," said Tomassoni. "We were on the road this weekend, but I thought we gave them a run. We ran out of gas. You've got to credit their penalty killing. They hurt us on faceoffs, and little things make a big difference in the Beanpot."