MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Six different Eagles scored and junior Nathan Gerbe recorded a game-high four points -- one goal and three assists -- to lead No. 14 Boston College to an 8-2 victory over Air Force in game one of the semifinals of the Dodge Holiday Classic in Mariucci Arena.
BC (7-4-5) will face the winner of Saturday's second semifinal contest between host Minnesota and the Rochester Institute of Technology. The Golden Gophers will play their second-round opponent on Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on Fox Sports Net North.
BC sophomore Ben Smith (2 goals, 1 assist) and senior Dan Bertram each netted two scores for the visiting Eagles, who have won each of their last four games. Gerbe has registered 16 points -- nine goals and seven assists -- during this four-game BC win streak.
The Eagles scored three times in each of the first two periods and twice in the final frame for a season-high eight goals.
Bertram opened the scoring for the victors with a power-play tally at 7:45 and junior Benn Ferriero doubled the Eagles lead at 12:30. Freshman Brian Gibbons concluded the first-period scoring at 15:19.
Bertram netted his second score of the game 40 seconds into the second period. Smith gave the Eagles a five-goal advantage at 5:16 and sophomore Matt Price netted his first goal of the season at 16:40 to put BC up 6-0 after two frames.
The Eagles and Falcons traded goals within the first minute of the third period. Air Force (9-5-3) got on the scoreboard at 0:45 and BC countered with a goal from Gerbe just 11 seconds later.
Josh Frider of Air Force scored at 5:58 and Ben Smith of BC scored at 8:33 concluded the games scoring.
The Eagles totaled a 33-26 shot advantage in the game, including a 10-3 edge in the second period.
BC freshman goalie John Muse made 24 saves, including 13 in the middle period, to earn his seventh career victory.
Falcons' starting goaltender Andrew Volkening recorded eight saves and allowed three goals in 15:13 to take the loss. Ian Harper played the final 44:41 in net for Air Force and recorded 17 saves.
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Game Notes: Freshman RW Joe Whitney recorded two assists in the victory, marking his sixth multiple-assist outing of his 16-game career BC scored its first goal of the contest on the power play and has now scored a power-play goal in each of the last 13 games With two goals, Dan Bertram recorded his fourth multiple-goal performance of his career and first April 5, 2007 in the team's 6-4 win over North Dakota in the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo. Gibbons and Gerbe both extended their scoring streaks to four games Ben Smith, who had his seven-game point-scoring streak snapped against Harvard (Dec. 12), registered a point for the eighth time in nine games and recorded his seventh multiple-point effort of the season. It also marked his second three-point effort in the last three games Benn Ferriero played his 100th career game BC scored eight goals against an opponent for the first time since Feb. 10, 2006 in the team's 8-2 home win over Providence.