As each scarlet duffel bag was packed tightly beneath the Crystal Transport bus Friday night, another memory of one of the strangest seasons in the 87-year history of Boston University hockey was buried along with it.

There was the “No. 3” bag of freshman Kevin Schaeffer, carrying inside an early-season hat trick that announced a future star’s admittance into Terrier Nation. There was the “No. 1” bag of sophomore goalie Stephan Siwiec, filled partially with flashes of brilliance from the past, but weighed down with expectations of what the future might bring. There was the “No. 19” bag of junior Ryan Whitney, seemingly empty, after the future Pittsburgh Penguin convincingly evicted the doubters months ago.

But as the bus filled up just 50 feet away from the FleetCenter ice that had served as the stage for the final curtain call of the season, there were a few bags still missing. Five bags, to be exact.

When Steve Greeley, Frantisek Skladany, Mark Mullen, Sean Fields and Kenny Magowan tossed their bags under the bus, alongside the unused bag of senior scratch Gregg Johnson, another class of Terrier seniors said goodbye to the scarlet and white one final time. And while Fields’ massive scarlet sack might have carried away the most history, it was Magowan’s “No. 15” bag – and the fact that it was filled with sweaty pads – that was the most meaningful on this night.

“It was pretty special,” said Magowan, who played in his first game since re-injuring his right knee on Feb. 28. “I was just fortunate enough to play again, and put on the BU jersey. I was lucky enough that the guys played phenomenal – they saved their best hockey for the last few weeks of the season. It didn’t work out tonight the way we wanted to, but you know, things happen.”

The reasons why Magowan was able to “put on the BU jersey” one more time were packed tightly in the 23 other bags underneath the bus.

Just one week after re-injuring his knee against Northeastern University, Magowan – clad in street clothes – glanced up at the Whittemore Center scoreboard to see 150 seconds remaining in his career. A scrambling overtime goal by sophomore Dave Van der Gulik gave the Terriers new life.

Seven days after that, Magowan looked on from the stands at Boston College’s Conte Forum as the Terriers tussled with top-seeded BC for a spot in the semifinals. An other-worldly Terrier performance gave Magowan one more week to heal – and that was all he needed.

But just a few hours after struggling to get on the ice one last time, Magowan was struggling to get off, as he and the rest of the seniors – especially Fields – lingered on the FleetCenter ice, thanking the fans and taking one last look around.

“We just kinda hung out there, showing respect for the fans, ’cause we’ve been here for four years and they’ve been great all four years,” Magowan said. “I think that’s what we were doing, just trying to extend it as much as we could and eventually we had to get off that ice.”

“[I was] kind of just savoring the moment,” said the visibly emotional Fields. “It’s the last time I’m gonna be in BU colors, so I took a look around, a look at the team. Just try to remember it.”

While Fields was trying to remember four years, BU coach Jack Parker, repeatedly rubbing his temples at the post-game press conference, was probably trying to forget most of this one. But hidden in a disappointing season, there were some positives.

“It’s pretty inspiring,” said Mullen. “The season we had was one of the toughest seasons I’ve ever been through – probably the toughest. To see the way everybody hung in there together, stuck together as a team, players and coaches, it was a great feeling.”

With Magowan back in the lineup, along with junior David Klema’s return from a shoulder injury, the Terriers were completely healthy for the first time in 17 games.

But while freshman Eric Thomassian will have more chances at the FleetCenter, Johnson, the other healthy scratch, will not. Parker, who has never been one for sentimentality when it comes to his line charts (see benching of senior defenseman John Cronin during last year’s NCAA Tournament) decided to go with a fourth line of Magowan, Klema and Greeley.

But that line, just like the other three, was unable to put the puck past Maine goaltender Jimmy Howard.

It may be knowing that he was beat by a player like that that made Parker wax poetic about his seniors – and the rest of his squad – after the game.

“There was redemption that we finally got it together as far as playing with some poise and playing with some intensity down the stretch,” Parker said. “They were excited with the fact that they earned their way into the playoffs, and then they wanted to do something when they earned their way in. They certainly did something last weekend [against BC], and they almost did something tonight. So it was nice to see them finish off the way we’d have liked to see them play most of the year.”

While the Terriers may not have played up to their potential for much of the 2003-04 season, Magowan said after the game that the late-season run to the Fleet will help next year’s Terriers when the going gets tough.

“It’s a great learning tool,” Magowan said. “If we would have done things a little differently and … found ourselves a little earlier in the season, we could maybe have been playing next weekend [in the NCAA Tournament]. But I think this team’s got a great future.”

But for six Terriers, there is no future in scarlet and white, something Magowan said “won’t hit home for a couple weeks.” After a senior sendoff in the FleetCenter locker room that Magowan called “pretty emotional,” the Terriers packed their bags underneath the bus one last time. And when those bags are unloaded and those six jerseys removed from their lockers, Terrier hockey will officially fall silent for the next seven months and the long ride for a half-dozen elder statesmen will be over.

But after a season full of rocky times and numerous false endings, at least they can be glad it lasted this long.