Sophomore defenseman Domenick Fensore scored in overtime for the Terriers
Fensore Scores in Overtime to Lift Boston University Past Harvard, 2-1
Sophomore defenseman Domenick Fensore scored in overtime for the Terriers

Box Score - Highlights

BOSTON, Mass. - Senior captain Domenick Fensore scored with 31.8 seconds to play in overtime to lift the No. 9 Boston University men's ice hockey team to a 2-1 victory over No. 9 Harvard on Friday night at Walter Brown Arena.

Playing in front of a sold-out crowd at Walter Brown for the first time since Jan. 2, 2005, the Terriers earned their second consecutive win over a top-10 opponent. BU never trailed, as the Terriers opened the scoring in the first period before Harvard equalized with 4:57 remaining in regulation.

Fensore's goal came off a great rush into the offensive end during 3-on-3 play. Senior Matt Brown began the sequence by racing back into his own zone to be first to a loose puck, denying a Harvard breakaway bid. Brown then turned towards the Crimson cage and played a pass off the boards to senior Wilmer Skoog, who carried the puck into the Harvard zone. Skoog stopped at the right circle and found the trailing Fensore, who collected the pass and beat Mitchell Gibson (33 saves) low to the blocker side for his seventh goal of the year.

Freshman Quinn Hutson also lit the lamp for BU, with classmates Devin Kaplan and Ryan Greene assisting on Hutson's seventh strike of the season. Junior goaltender Drew Commesso was outstanding for the Terriers, turning aside 33 shots, including nine on the penalty kill.

Harvard entered the game with the fifth-best power play in the country at 27.5%, but the Terriers held the Crimson to an 0-for-4 mark with the man advantage. Hutson's power-play goal came against the top penalty kill in the nation, as Harvard entered the evening with a 90.9% success rate on the PK.


HOW IT HAPPENED

- Hutson opened the scoring just 2:02 into the proceedings. Good puck movement on the power play led to a chance that Gibson turned aside, but the puck bounced to Hutson in the left circle and he fired a shot through a screen and past Gibson.

- BU outshot Harvard, 11-7, in the opening frame and continued to pressure the Crimson in the second stanza, peppering Gibson with 15 more shots, including breakaway chances by both Kaplan and senior Jay O'Brien.

- Brown was the next Terrier to nearly extend the lead to 2-0 after a terrific pass from Hutson on a 2-on-1 that Brown initiated with a slick pass in the neutral zone. Gibson slid post-to-post to make the blocker save, however.

- Matthew Coronato scored just as a Harvard power play expired to tie the game and send it to overtime.

- The Terriers outshot the Crimson, 3-1, in the extra session, capped by Fensore's fantastic finish.


GAME NOTES

- BU improved to 5-1-0 against top-10 teams this season.

- Fensore extended his point streak to seven games, totaling six goals and four assists in that span.

- Brown leads Hockey East with 24 points and is second in the league with 16 assists.

- He pushed his point streak to four games (1g, 6a) with his helper on the game-winner.

- Brown also assisted on the Terriers' last game-winning goal, providing the primary helper on Skoog's clincher at then-No. 8 UConn on Dec. 11.

- All three Terrier overtime goals this season have been scored by defensemen, as freshman Lane Hutson is responsible for the other two.

- This was the first men's ice hockey regular-season game in front of fans since Jan. 2, 2005; BU opened Agganis Arena the next night.

- Friday's game was nationally televised on ESPN2. BU has also had games on ESPNU and ESPNEWS this season.


UP NEXT

- BU will begin 2023 out west when the Terriers take part in the Desert Hockey Classic hosted by Arizona State.

- The Terriers will open the tournament on Jan. 6 against Air Force before facing either Michigan Tech or the host Sun Devils the next day.