The puck was cleared for the last time with about four-and-a-half seconds left.

The University of Denver player (I think it was Ryan Caldwell, the Pioneers’ senior captain) tossed his stick skyward, whipped his gloves off and tore his helmet off, making a quick turn to head back toward his goaltender, Adam Berkhoel. Berkhoel played a little game with his teammates, using his net as a barrier, darting from side to side in the most playful manner to avoid being crushed by his jubilant squad. Before I knew it, sticks, helmets and gloves were strewn about the Denver zone, and the players were mobbing each other. One player, not wanting to be left out, jumped on top of the net, climbing over the twine and bars to join the pile.

From Section 301 of the FleetCenter balcony, I watched this all, my thoughts and emotions changing constantly.

First, I was disappointed. I was rooting for the University of Maine. While this would have been unheard of for a BU fan in the not-so-distant past, I respected the team game the Black Bears played, and I couldn’t help being wowed by Jimmy Howard’s incredible goaltending.

Then I was happy, as I watched the Pioneers experience a joy that I could only imagine. They were an underdog team, and for them to defeat Maine was an impressive achievement. The fact that they killed off a six-on-three advantage in the game’s waning moments made the joy even greater. Berkhoel made a great glove save, and Maine missed two golden chances to tie the score at one.

Next, I was relieved. Relieved that Gabe Gauthier, a player I never saw play before last Thursday, didn’t have to feel the weight of losing a national championship. It was Gauthier’s delay-of-game penalty that gave the Black Bears the two-man (three when they pulled Howard) advantage with time winding down. He had been whistled when he gloved a puck and threw it down the ice. While it was a bad play, the referee could have simply whistled the play dead and given Maine a face-off. Instead, Gauthier went to the sin bin, where he sat, head down for the final 1:30, unable to watch his teammates deal with a desperate situation, all the odds in the world favoring Maine.

Finally, as I watched jubilant Denver fans and players celebrate in the Vault, I was jealous. I can only imagine what the feeling of knowing a team you’ve put your heart into cheering for has won the ultimate prize. I loved going to games and watching this year’s Terrier squad play, but it was nowhere close to having this kind of moment. An underachieving team that barely made the playoffs, the lone moment of joy was when BU upset BC in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs. But still, I knew that BU should have never been in that position, and the fact that BU missed the NCAA tourney this year, along with losing the Beanpot and finishing sub-.500, made that victory bittersweet.

But the jealousy didn’t last long. I know BU wasn’t close this year, but who knows what will happen next year. Maybe the senior class of McConnell, Miller, Radoslovich and Klema will lead BU to its fifth national championship. Maybe they will struggle again. There’s just no way of knowing exactly what a team is going to do.

But that’s why we keep watching and going to games, year after year. That’s why we vigorously defend our team on college hockey message boards. Because there’s always a chance. And if we stick by a team through good times and bad (and having a team is like a marriage, in a way), it will pay off.

That’s why I finally settled on feeling grateful. Denver and Maine gave me and 18,000-plus other college hockey fans a great show. I saw two great teams battle – cleanly – until the final whistle. Then I witnessed both dejection and elation as the final horn blew and Denver was crowned the best of NCAA hockey 2003-04. Now I can dream about what it will be like when BU finally claws to the top of the pile once more.

For now, I can dream. With sports, we can always dream.

Just Because I Can

Have I mentioned that I love the Stanley Cup playoffs? Yeah, still do … Songs of the Week: 1) Nirvana: “Dumb,” 2) The Strokes: “The End Has No End,” 3) The Kings of Nuthin’: “Drive All Night,” 4) Iron Maiden: “The Number of the Beast,” 5) Stevie Wonder: “Too High” … Are you as annoyed as I am that the ice is about 10 times more slippery since the hockey team isn’t cutting it up daily before broomball games? In the last two weeks, four of my teammates have gotten hurt … Oh yeah, sandwiched in between the Frozen Four, I got to go to the Red Sox home opener on Friday. Even though they lost, it was an incredible day. Just seeing (even if it was barely seeing) Johnny Pesky, Yaz and a bunch of other old time Sox greats would have been worth it.