No Fourth Chance for B.C.'s O'Connor

He was one of the best ever to wear the Maroon and Gold in the Beanpot, yet he'll be remembered for the games he lost in the B.C. nets. He suffered a 5-4 overtime loss at the hands of Northeastern in the finals his freshman year, a stunning 2-0 Harvard upset in 1981 and B.U.'s 3-1 victory last year.

This would have been Bob O'Connor's final chance in the Beanpot. Instead, he skipped his senior year, accepting an offer from the Winnipeg Jets, even though they encouraged him to stay an amateur and possibly play in the Olympics. He's currently playing for the Sherbrooke Jets of the American Hockey League, rotating in goal with the one net-minder ranked higher in the ECAC last year. Cornell grad Brian Hayward. "At first I thought I was the number one goalie." O'Connor says, "but Winnipeg's been really high on Brian O'Connor adds that he's been in a slump since Christmas

O'Connor cites academic reasons--an inability to change his course of study and avoid a crushing workload--as the major factor in his decision to leave school But, though, he downplays it as a reason for turning pro, he also says. "My three years at B C weren't the best in terms of me and [Coach] Lenny [Ceglarski] getting along."

He talks now somewhat wistfully of his five-game Beanpot career. "My years in the Beanpot the team didn't really play that well," he says. "Who knows the reason? My first two years we had a young team, but last year we had 12 seniors." As for the infamous "choke" rap on the Eagles. O'Connor doesn't deny it outright. "Everyone blames Len Ceglarski, but there are 25 guys out there, too."

Was it a lack of offensive support in the crucial spots? "We've always had trouble scoring," he notes. "Our forte was our defense. We figured if we could keep them down to less than three goals per game we'd usually win." The problem was that the Eagles managed just five goals in O'Connor's three finals. And if there's one thing you can count on, he points out, it's that "you always meet hot goaltending in the Beanpot"--at both ends. Three times O'Connor played superbly and three times other goalies stole the limelight--first Demetroulakas, then Lau and Daskalakis.

Even after coming so frustratingly close three years in a row, O'Connor wasn't tempted by a fourth chance. "I would've loved to have won the Beanpot," he says. "But we've lost so many times...the odds would be against us again."