BU holds on in dog-eat-dog match

By Associated Press, 2/11/02

BOSTON -- Justin Maiser scored two goals including the game-winner with 1:12 remaining, as Boston University beat Northeastern 5-3 in the 50th Annual Beanpot championship game Monday night.

The win gives the Terriers its seventh title in eight years in the Hub's biggest hockey tournament, and sends the coveted trophy back to Boston University for the 24th time. Boston College beat Harvard 4-0 in the consolation game earlier Monday.

Maiser, the Tournament MVP, gave Boston University (19-7-2) the victory when the puck squirted to him during a scramble in front of the net and he roofed the puck over Keni Gibson.

With Gibson on the bench, Northeastern (16-11-3) had two point-blank chances in the last 40 seconds, but couldn't capitalize and fell for the ninth straight time to BU in Beanpot play.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the third period, Maiser tied the game when Huskies' freshman defenseman Jon Awe turned the puck over in front of his own goalie and Mike Pandolfo stole the puck and beat Gibson at 3:54.

Pandolfo has scored four goals in four games against the Huskies this season and had four points in the two Beanpot games.

Northeastern last won the tournament in 1988 and has the worst Beanpot record among the four participants at 28-72 and is only 7-25 all-time against BU.

Traditionally held on the first two Mondays in February, the Beanpot matches Boston's four college hockey powers.

Trailing 2-0, Northeastern scored three unanswered goals over the last 7:17 of the second period. Chris Lynch scored two power-play goals in a span of 1:35, the second when he jammed in his own rebound at 14:18, to tie the game at 2-2. Then, with 10 seconds left in the period Jim Fahey's slap shot from the left face-off circle beat a stunned Sean Fields.

Fahey, who also added an assist, is the top-scoring defenseman in the nation and leads the team with 38 points.

BU took a 1-0 lead with 12:08 left in the first period when Maiser scored through Gibson's pads.

BU made it 2-0 when Ryan Whitney slid a backhander through a crowd that snuck inside the right post. Whitney scored the game-winning goal in the Terriers' first round victory over Boston College.

The Terriers got an empty-net goal from Jack Baker and have won five straight overall.