BC moves on to another rematch by icing Harvard
Stop me if you've heard this one before.
You've listened to all the talk about upsets, you've felt all the anticipation that this might be the year for Northeastern and Harvard, you've read all the hype about a possible changing of the guard from perennial Beanpot powers Boston College and Boston University.
Well, as "Saturday Night Live's" Emily Litella used to say, "Never mind."
The Eagles knocked off the Crimson by a 3-1 score in last night's second game at the TD Banknorth Garden in front of 17,565 and will face BU for the championship next Monday. BU shut out Northeastern, 4-0, in the tournament opener, so the Huskies will play in the consolation game against Harvard prior to the finale.
It will be a rematch of last year's final and will mark the sixth time in eight years that the two schools have squared off in the title contest, with BU winning three of the previous five. Overall, BU has won an astounding 11 of the last 13 crowns, with the only two losses coming to BC in 2001 and 2004.
BC coach Jerry York said he sympathized with Harvard coach Ted Donato because the Crimson were playing their sixth game in 11 days.
"I think that's a really, really difficult task," said York. "Even some of the NHL teams, in the busiest schedules, don't play that many games in a row. I think we might have had a little more jump in the third period and that's probably the difference in the game. We were a little more rested for the game than the Crimson were."
Harvard struck first, midway through the opening period. It was the Crimson captain, senior Dylan Reese, who put his team on top, with a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Eagles netminder Cory Schneider between the pads at 8:12.
With 2:33 left in the period, BC pulled even when right wing Benn Ferriero became the first of three Eagles to reach the team-high 13-goal mark for the season. Left wing Joe Rooney, positioned along the left side of his own blue line, drilled a pass up ice to Ferriero, who was charging in from the right side of the Harvard blue line. His shot from the right point eluded freshman goalie Kyle Richter to make it 1-1.
The Crimson had an opportunity to go back in front when BC defenseman Mike Brennan was whistled off for tripping at 5:25 of the second but instead, the Eagles took advantage for a shorthanded goal. Left wing Nathan Gerbe finished off a two-on-one by beating Richter with a backhander from the right circle at 6:22. It was Gerbe's 13th goal and it turned out to be the backbreaker.
"It was a good blocked shot by Brian Boyle," said Gerbe. "It was a shot from the point and Brian hit it up to Benn Ferriero and I think I had the easiest job there, just sitting there, and Benn made a terrific pass to me and luckily it went in. I didn't really do much work there; it was all Benn Ferriero and Brian Boyle."
The Crimson had a couple of strong bids by sophomore center Jimmy Fraser with 3:34 remaining. The first was a shot from the right circle that Schneider turned back with his right foot. Fraser got to his own rebound and tried to backhand a shot through the five hole but the netminder gave him no opening.
The Eagles had a chance to build on their lead at 3:34 of the third when they raced up ice during a two-on-one break. Gerbe had the puck in the left circle and tried to dish it across to linemate Brock Bradford but Harvard defenseman Brian McCafferty blocked the pass and fired it out of the zone.
As it turned out, the Eagles already had enough offense to move them past Harvard and on to face their biggest rival again. But Boyle made sure, sealing the victory with an empty-net goal with 18.9 seconds left -- also his 13th goal.
A disappointed Donato said his team just couldn't get anything going.
"We didn't make enough plays in my mind to win the game," he said. "We had five shots [to BC's 13] trailing by a goal in the third period. Not good enough.
"I don't think we played with a lot of jump. I don't think the effort was lacking; it's one of those things where our guys just didn't come out and play the type of game they are capable of."
