BOSTON - Boston College will compete for its first Beanpot Championship since 2016 and 21st overall after defeating No. 17 Harvard 2-1 in the first round of the 67th annual tournament on Monday night at TD Garden.
Led by a pair of tallies from freshmen Patrick Giles and Jack McBain and 27 saves from goaltender Joseph Woll, the Eagles topped the Crimson to set up a date with either Boston University or reigning champion Northeastern University next Monday.
Giles netted his first collegiate goal five minutes into the first period as the trailer on a 3-on-2. Graham McPhee laid a drop pass into the high slot for the rookie, who delayed before firing a shot high glove side to beat Michael Lackey.
Harvard tied the game late in the second period as Henry Bowlby finished a centering pass from defenseman John Marino.
With the game knotted at one in the third, McBain registered his sixth goal of the season on a give-and-go passing sequence with linemate and classmate Oliver Wahlstrom. McBain collected Wahlstrom's backhand drop pass in the slot and fired a forehand shot into the upper right corner glove side.
Boston College (10-12-3, 9-4-3 HEA) was a perfect 4-for-4 against the nation's most dangerous power play (34.3-percent), including a frantic 6-on-4 kill in the final minute to seal the victory. The loss snapped the Crimson's four-game winning streak.
The Eagles will be making their 36th appearance in the Beanpot final next Monday. BC improved to 29-14 all-time against Harvard in the Beanpot.
SCORING
4:57 1st, BC Goal (1-0) | McPhee raced out of the defensive zone to create a 3-on-2 and dropped the puck back to a trailing Giles, whose heavy wrister beat Lackey high glove side for his first collegiate goal
15:37 2nd, HU Goal (1-1) | Marino skated around a pair of BC defenders and continued through the right wing corner before centering a pass to Bowlby, who found a seam and beat Woll stick side to even the score
12:22 3rd, BC Goal (2-1) | McBain bounced a pass up the left wing for Wahlstrom, who backhanded a return pass off a Harvard skate to McBain in the slot; McBain quickly snapped a shot top shelf glove side for the eventual game-winning goal
UP NEXT
Boston College will return to Hockey East action this Friday night (Feb. 8) at Tsongas Center against No. 15 UMass Lowell. Puck drop is slated for 7:15 p.m. and the game will air live on NESN.
