News Staff Photos / Laura Pond

News Staff Video / Gal Tziperman Lotan

By: Jason Mastrodonato, News Staff

Northeastern got a few drops of what its first Beanpot championship in 23 years might have tasted like during the tournament finale against No. 1 Boston College Monday night.

But the top-ranked Eagles seemed to immediately counter each goal the Huskies scored, as BC outlasted Northeastern in a wild affair at TD Garden, 7-6, in overtime.

“I’ve been in a lot of big games,” head coach Greg Cronin said. “And that game had more drama and back-and-forth character from both teams [than any other]. And I said to myself after the third period, ‘It’s a shame someone’s going to lose this.’ If someone came in and bought tickets, they got every penny’s worth of their money.”

Continues after the break…

Beanpot: NU students react

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sOgMEnMBBg[/youtube]

The Huskies appeared out-matched in the first 12 minutes, and BC took the early lead off a shot that bounced off sophomore forward Drew Daniels’ skate and trickled through the legs of sophomore goaltender Chris Rawlings.

Northeastern countered quickly, converting its next two power play opportunities by freshman forward Brodie Reid and freshman defenseman Luke Eibler, and took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

“Obviously our guys to start the game were jittery,” Cronin said. “We have a young team. I think they were a little nervous at first and when Eibler got that goal on the power play I think it helped.”

The momentum picked up in the second period, as the two teams scored a combined nine goals in the final 40 minutes.

“If someone told me it would be a 7-6 game, I would have been shocked,” Cronin said.
Rawlings and BC goaltender John Muse rank No. 3 and No. 1 in save percentage in the country, respectively.

It looked like the Huskies picked up all the energy midway through the third period when senior forward Tyler McNeely converted a deflection in front of the net and Reid picked up his second of the night in the same fashion.

But NU held the 5-4 lead for just more than a minute before BC countered with two quick goals and reversed the pressure.

With 1:46 remaining in the game and the Huskies down one, senior forward Wade MacLeod scored his team-leading 14th goal of the season, sending a one-timer from classmate forward Steve Silva to the back of the net to give NU renewed hope.

“The game was a battle throughout the whole night,” MacLeod said. “It was back and forth but when we got that tying goal, I thought we’d carry that momentum into overtime.”

While both teams appeared to have little left in the tank during the overtime period, the Eagles outshot the Huskies 6-0, eventually winning when forward Jimmy Hayes beat Rawlings, who was lying on the ice after making a save at the other end of his net.

BC took home its 16th Beanpot title, its third in four years.

“I thought this was going to be our year,” MacLeod said. “But it turned out not to be.”