PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- When skill, effort and tenacity define your game, size shouldn't enter into the equation.

But no matter how many points or awards Boston College's Brian Gionta piles up against the best that college and international hockey have to offer, he can't seem to escape the perceptions that go along with his diminutive frame.

	BEANPOT HERITAGE
	Defending champ Boston University is the top dog in the tradition:
	Last title		Rec.	Titles
	Boston University	1998	65-28	21
	Boston College	1994	51-42	11
	Harvard	1993	44-49	10
	Northeastern	1988	26-67	4

At 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds (USA Hockey lists him at 5-5, 160), the Rochester, N.Y., native certainly stands out on the ice -- from the moment he begins the pregame skate and you're convinced he doesn't belong, to the end of the game when his name is almost always a part of the scoring summary.

"The move from squirt to pee wee and every level since then, it's been the same old stuff," Gionta says. "The players are bigger, stronger and you're not going to be able to use your skill as much any more and it's going to catch up with you.

"I use it as motivation and I'm really not too worried about it because I've been dealing with it all my life. It's not a big issue with me."

So for every shot Gionta puts past a goaltender, he seems to take several in return about his size. And the latter come from everywhere: fans, the media -- even his teammates.

In the hallway outside the Eagles dressing room following a recent win over Providence College, Gionta was in the middle of an interview after he had just registered his third hat trick of the season. Nearby, a youth hockey team was eagerly awaiting its chance to besiege the sophomore right wing for his autograph.

As the scene played out, backup goaltender Andy McLaughlin -- who hasn't seen a minute of ice time all season -- wandered by and couldn't resist taking his shot at the Hobey Baker Award candidate.

"Oh, are you waiting for the pee wee tournament?" McLaughlin asked Gionta with a glance between his teammate and the kids.

"Yeah, yeah," Gionta fired back.

"Good luck," McLaughlin chuckled as he continued on his way.

"Thanks."

Gionta and his teammates -- the ones that help keep his ego grounded -- face Harvard next Monday night (5 p.m. ET) in the consolation game of the 47th Annual Beanpot Tournament at Boston's FleetCenter. The championship game features four-time defending champ Boston University and Northeastern (8 p.m. ET).

An impact player from the day he set foot on the Chestnut Hill, Mass., campus last season, Gionta helped BC reach the national championship game for the first time since 1978. Along the way he was named Hockey East Rookie of the Year and also was the nation's top-scoring freshman with 62 points (30 goals, 32 assists) in 40 games.

This season, Gionta has actually picked up his scoring pace. Through 23 games, he had 41 points (18-23) -- including four game-winning goals. He reached the 100-point mark in just 61 career games.

"I think clearly he's a better player this year than he was last year," Eagles coach Jerry York said. "His strength is better, his ability to utilize the open ice is better and his skating ... he's more balanced and quicker than last year.

"So he's taken great strides from becoming a very good player to an exceptional, Hobey Baker candidate."

	STARS ON DISPLAY
	A team-by-team list of NHL draftees who will play in this year's Beanpot:
	Boston College
	Player	Drafted by:
	Bobby Allen	Bruins 1998, 2nd round
	Brendan Buckley	Mighty Ducks 1996, 5th round
	Kevin Caulfield	Capitals 1997, 5th round
	Scott Clemmensen	Devils 1997, 8th round
	Jeff Farkas	Maple Leafs 1997, 3rd round
	Brian Gionta	Devils 1998, 3rd round
	Tony Hutchins	Blues 1996, 8th round
	Mike Mottau	Rangers 1997, 7th round
	Rob Scuderi	Penguins 1998, 5th round
	Boston University
	Player	Drafted by:
	Russ Bartlett	Maple Leafs 1997, 8th round
	Tommi Degerman	Mighty Ducks 1997, 9th round
	Joe DiPenta	Panthers 1998, 3rd round
	Nick Gillis	Senators 1997, 8th round
	Michel Larocque	Sharks 1996, 6th round
	Mike Pandolfo	Sabres 1998, 3rd round
	Scott Perry	Stars 1998, 7th round
	Harvard
	Player	Drafted by:
	Craig Adams	Hurricanes 9th round, 1996
	Chris Bala	Senators 1998, 2nd ound
	Mark Moore	Penguins 1997, 7th round
	Steve Moore	Avalanche 1998, 2nd round
	J.R. Prestifilippo	Islanders 1996, 7th round
	Matt Scorsune	Avalanche 1996, 8th round
	Ben Storey	Avalanche 1996, 4th round
	Northeastern
	Player	Drafted by:
	Jim Fahey	Sharks 1998, 8th round
	Bob Haglund	Blues 1997, 8th round
	Graig Mischler	Canucks 1998, 8th round

Gionta made his presence felt in international hockey as a member of Team USA in the last two World Junior Championships. In 1998, Gionta scored five goals in seven games, and this year he led Team USA with 11 points (6-5) in six games.

But it's more than Gionta's scoring that has impressed U.S. national team coach Jeff Jackson.

"From my perspective Brian has very few weaknesses," Jackson said. "People perceive his size as being a weakness but I don't necessarily agree with that because he plays much bigger than his height might indicate.

"He's the most dynamic player I think I've ever coached as far as his coachability, his attitude and his competitive play. He's close to being the total package."

Which begs the question about Gionta's future. A third-round draft pick by the New Jersey Devils last summer, he has excelled at every level to date, so can the pros be far behind?

"I've always told myself and my parents have always taught me that if you want something bad enough, you can get it," Gionta said. "I'm not worried about making the next level. If I want that bad enough, I'm just going to work hard and do what I can."

Gionta says he's planning on staying at Boston College for his last two seasons. But don't be surprised if he follows former teammate Marty Reasoner and leaves early. Reasoner passed on his senior year and has split time between the St. Louis Blues and the AHL's Worcester Ice Cats in his first professional season.

Because of Gionta's size, both Jackson and York see comparisons to Calgary's Theo Fleury.

"It's unfortunate that people look at him as being a small player because he may be small in stature, but he's certainly not a small player," Jackson said. "As far as what he adds to a team, it's a lot like Theoren Fleury. He can skate, he can create, he can score and he just has the ability because of his tenacious play to get under the skin of the opponent."

York, who has been a college head coach for 27 years, sees some of his former players' qualities in Gionta: Dave Taylor's inner-drive, Rob Blake's work effort and Reasoner's ability to make others around him better.

"If I look at the NHL, a player like Theo Fleury -- that's the type of impact that he could have on the NHL," York added. "He's going to be a player of Fleury's stature, both physically and impact-wise.

"There's a place for the small player in college and there's a place for the small player in the National League if he's got exceptional attributes -- and Brian's of that mold."

As the BC players milled around outside Schneider Arena before boarding the bus back to Boston College, the swarms of kids were comparing their autograph haul for the evening.

"Did you get his autograph?" one boy asked his friend in reference to Gionta.

"No."

"That was stupid."

"Why?"

"He could be in the NHL someday."

It's probably just a matter of time, not size.