GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Five players scored one goal apiece and junior goaltender Parker Milner recorded 17 saves to lead fifth-ranked Boston College to a 5-2 season-opening victory over Michigan State at the Ice Breaker Tournament at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
The Eagles enjoyed three one-goal leads - at 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 - before scoring twice in the game's final five minutes for the 5-2 final.
The teams played a scoreless first period and BC led 2-1 after two frames.
Sophomore Patrick Brown redirected captain Tommy Cross's shot from the point for the season's first goal - and his first collegiate score - at 4:17 of the second period.
After Michigan State's Brett Perlini knotted the score at one goal each, junior defenseman Patch Alber put the Eagles back up one goal with 54.5 seconds left in the period, knocking in a Chris Kreider feed for his first goal of the season and a 2-1 lead after two periods.
Spartan forward Trevor Nill tied the game at 2-2 halfway through the third period before Kreider notched the decisive score 50 seconds later. Freshman Destry Straight notched his first collegiate assist on the score.
Junior Steven Whitney beat Michigan State goaltender Drew Palmisano blocker side with a quick wrist shot from the slot off the post for the team's first two-goal lead of the game at 16:27. Alternate captain Barry Almeida concluded the scoring with just more than one minute to play, finishing a rebound in front of the net off a Paul Carey shot.
Palmisano finished with 30 saves in the loss, including 17 saves in the middle period. The Eagles outshot the Spartans 35-19 in the game.
Kreider and sophomore Bill Arnold each tallied two-point efforts for the victors, who last faced Michigan State in the 2007 national championship game in St. Louis.
Next, BC will face the winner of Friday's second opening-round Ice Breaker game between Air Force and host North Dakota. Game time is TBD.
Team Records: Michigan State - 0-1-0, Boston College - 1-0-0.
Game Notes: Three freshmen forwards made their collegiate debuts against the Spartans - Johnny Gaudreau, Danny Linell and Straight ... Brown's goal at 4:17 of the second period marked the first of his 30-game career ... Alber's second period goal marked the fifth of his career and his first since Nov. 28, 2010, a 6-0 home win over Vermont. Alber and classmate Brian Dumoulin registered game-high +3 ratings in the contest ... BC improved to 13-5 in season-opening games under head coach Jerry York.