BOSTON - In a game that will officially go down as a 4-4 tie, freshman Wilmer Skoog's goal in the 73rd minute of play lifted the Boston University men's ice hockey team to a thrilling victory over No. 4 Boston College in the semifinal round of the 68th Beanpot on Monday evening at TD Garden.
The Terriers advanced to next Monday's championship game against No. 12 Northeastern, a 3-1 winner over No. 17 Harvard in the first semifinal.
Senior Patrick Harper and junior David Farrance each tallied a goal and two assists for the Terriers, with those markers coming 70 seconds apart to erase a late 3-1 deficit. Freshman Robert Mastrosimone appeared to provide the game-winner for the Terriers with 1:42 to play, but the Eagles sent the game to overtime on an extra-attacker goal with just 58 ticks left on the clock.
Instead of going to 20-minute overtimes as has been done in the past at the Beanpot, an NCAA-mandated five-minute overtime took place, and with neither team finding the net in that period, the game officially went down as a tie. All games during the regular season must now be played in this manner.
For advancement purposes, the game then turned to the tournament-standard 20-minute periods. Just over seven minutes into the next overtime, an attempt at the goalmouth by graduate student Alex Brink of a rebound made its way to an open Skoog, who crashed the net from the right side and knocked the puck to the back of the net at 72:20.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- BC jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, first getting a tally from Patrick Giles off a drop pass from behind the net by Marc McLaughlin just 2:15 into the game.
- The advantage was doubled at the 7:19 mark when freshman Alex Newcook took a pass from Julius Mattila and skated along the foot of the right circle before roofing a shot past BU netminder Ashton Abel.
- BU cut into the deficit to 2-1 less than two minutes later when some tic-tac-toe passing on a power play allowed Curry to deposit his goal at the right crease.
- An unfortunate bounce led to a 3-1 for the Eagles as a backhand bid by David Cotton went off Abel and then right to the ankle of a BU skater and in with just 2:12 left in the second.
- BU regrouped and Harper and Farrance teamed up for back-to-back goals, first a drive to the net by Harper that resulted in a chance for Farrance from the left crease that the junior buried at the 12:36 mark of the second.
- Moments later, Farrance returned the favor when his drop pass found its way to Harper, whose bid from the inner of the edge of the left circle snuck inside the far post for a 3-3 game with 6:14 left in regulation.
- The Terriers got their third straight goal with 2:12 remaining off the forecheck as Mastrosimone one-timed a long pass by freshman Trevor Zegras at the left crease to give BU what would be a temporary league.
- BC got a late power-play chance and took full advantage of it and a pass by Cotton from the right side to the slot made its way back to him and he put the puck to the top portion of the net with just under a minute to play.
- Neither team got on the board in the five-minute overtime.
GAME NOTES
- The Terriers advanced to the Beanpot title game for the 31st time in the past 37 years.
- Abel is now undefeated in five starts (3-0-2).
- The Eagles held a 41-36 shot advantage and got a 31-save effort from Spencer Knight.
- None of the stats from the second overtime will be officially recorded due to the NCAA's new mandatory format.
- Farrance and freshman Domenick Fensore tied for the game high in blocked shots with four.
UP NEXT
- Just one point out of first place in the Hockey East standings, BU returns to action on Friday (Feb. 7) when it hosts Merrimack.
- Game time at Agganis Arena is set for 7:30 p.m.
- Miracle on Ice legend and BU alumnus Mike Eruzione will sign copies of his new book, "Making of a Miracle," at Friday's contest.
