BOSTON--Both Boston University and Harvard pulled up to the starting gate at the same time.

Unfortunately for the Harvard fans, the Crimson was dangerously low on fuel.

By the time the team came out for the third period of play last night in the 40th annual Beanpot Tournament finals, it became clear that the Crimson was out of gas.

After an exhausting six games in just over a week, including two overtime matches in the last three days, Harvard collapsed within sight of the finish.

Harvard gritted it out for 40 minutes, hanging with BU 3-2. But in the third period, Harvard finally succumbed to the Terriers, allowing two goals to give BU a 5-2 win and the coveted Beanpot.

"I thought for the first two periods, we played just as well as they did, five-on-five," junior forward Steve Flomenhoft said. "But when the third came, we had nothing more to give."

With last night's win, BU (20-5-2, 8-5-2 Hockey East) captured third straight Beanpot, its fifth in the last seven years.

"BU keeps on chugging along," Terrier Coach Jack Parker said. "People keep asking me how we do so well: we get good players."

The Crimson lost its third straight Beanpot match to the Terriers. Harvard's last win against BU came in 1989, when the Crimson downed the Terriers in the Beanpot championship, 9-6.

With the loss, Harvard drops to 10-4-5 overall, giving the team a 1-3-0 record in non-conference games.

The turning point in the game came 16 seconds into the third period, when tournament MVP freshman Mike Prendergast went one-on-one with Harvard goalie Chuckie Hughes and converted to give his team a 4-2 lead.

"That one was kind of tough," Hughes said.

While BU didn't outshoot the Crimson by much (37-35), the Terriers were in control throughout the game.

The well-organized offensive attack that symbolized Harvard's play over its 10-game undefeated streak was frustrated by a stingy Terrier defense.

No doubt the absence of freshman scoring starSteve Martins didn't help. Martins didn't suit upfor last night's game after he was sidelined by agame after he was sidelined by a shoulder injuryover the weekend road trip.

Harvard especially missed the freshman on thepower play, where he is normally an integralmember.