There's no title on line, but ND gets back at BC

Brock Bradford and his BC teammates couldn't convert on the power play, going 0 for 8. (Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff)

The last time the Boston College hockey team saw Notre Dame, the stakes could not have been higher. It was in the spring - April 12, to be exact - and the teams were playing for the NCAA championship at the Pepsi Center in Denver. The Eagles took home the top prize by a 4-1 score.

Last night, they met again in a regular-season game in front of a sellout crowd of 7,884 at Conte Forum. The result was an identical 4-1 decision, but this time it was in favor of the No. 12 Irish (5-3), who handed No. 2 BC its second defeat of the season and first at home.

"Notre Dame impressed me in a number of ways," said BC coach Jerry York, whose team was 0 for 8 on the power play. "Their penalty killing was outstanding. Their goaltender [Jordan Pearce], I've seen him play a number of times but this is clearly the best I've watched him play. I thought there were half a dozen remarkable saves he made, and that was certainly a catalyst for Notre Dame with their penalty kill."

Despite being outshot, 11-8, in the opening period, the Fighting Irish struck first, at 4:40. The goal came on a terrific individual effort by senior left wing Garrett Regan, who outdueled the BC defense, cut in from the right side, and lifted a shot past goalie John Muse.

Notre Dame thought it had a second goal at 15:40 when sophomore left wing Calle Ridderwall ripped a blast from the left circle that rattled off the right post. The play was reviewed but it was determined the puck did not go in.

BC (5-2), which played well only in spurts, came out like gangbusters in the second period after some missed opportunities in the first.

At 4:52, captain Brock Bradford set up a bid for Benn Ferriero from the left side of the slot, but Pearce made an excellent stop. At 5:27, Bradford threatened from the doorstep, prompting Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson to call a timeout to settle his players. Just 14 seconds later, though, the Eagles tied it. Sophomore center Brian Gibbons, along the right wall, dished the puck to Ferriero in the right circle. He relayed it to Bradford in the slot and Bradford potted his seventh of the year at 5:41.

The Fighting Irish responded with a power-play goal at 6:48 to go back on top for good. Senior center Christian Hanson beat Muse on a rebound of a Brett Blatchford shot to make it 2-1. At 10:04, ND made it a two-goal lead as a result of a fortuitous bounce. Freshman right wing Billy Maday fired a shot from the right circle that hit the post and bounced out in front. It caromed off the skate of BC senior defenseman Kyle Kucharski and into the net past Muse.

Now it was 3-1, and that's how it stayed until junior center Kevin Deeth closed out the scoring with a shorthanded, empty-net goal at 17:49 of the third.

Hanson said his team's penalty killing deserved credit.

"Their power play is phenomenal," said Hanson. "We worked on our penalty killing [all week]. We had to stop giving them time to [set up] the puck in the zone because they move the puck so well."

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell can be reached via e-mail at marrapese@globe.com.