Bring On Harvard; BU Drops BC In Beanpot Opener

BOSTON GARDEN — For the first time since 2007, BU defeated Boston College in the Beanpot, ending a six game drought for the Terriers against their Green Line rivals and will face Harvard in the finals next Monday.

Clayton Keller celebrates after scoring shorthanded in the
second period to give BU a 3-1 lead.
(Photo by Matt Dresens)

“Its been a while since we beat Boston College in the Beanpot,” said coach Quinn. “We have had three great games with them all year. We’ve been fortunate to come out on the winning end. I thought all three games could have gone either way.”

BU controlled the pace of play for most of the first period, dominating the Eagles on the shot counter by a 12-2 margin, but only one found the back of the net. Patrick Harper made a strong move up the near side boards and swung in all the way behind the net to attempted a wrap-around. From the edge of the crease, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson found the loose puck and punched it home through BC goalie Joe Woll five-hole to get the Terriers on the board 4:29 into the game.

“I really liked our first period tonight. We were really ready to play from the drop of the puck,” added Quinn.

The second period evened out. Boston College had much more jump and outshot BU 17-5, but it was the Terriers extending their lead on a power play goal from Chad Krys three and a half minutes into the frame. Krys beat Woll upstairs through traffic for his fourth of the year from Bobo Carpenter and Dante Fabbro.

Kieffer Bellows and Patrick Curry react after Chad Kry's
(not pictured) shot went in on the power play early in the
second.
(Photo by Matt Dresens)

BC got on the board just under four minutes later. Austin Cangelosi was Johny on the spot for a loose puck in the crease to Jake Oettinger’s right and was able to pump home his 12th of the year before Oettinger could recover.

“I thought the second period was a little bit sloppy,” mentioned Quinn. “We got up 2-0, I thought we maybe dropped our guard a little bit, but we weathered the storm.”

Weather the storm they did and a bit more. Clayton Keller scored shorthanded on a breakaway at the 11:06 marker to give BU and all important two goal lead.

“Charlie [McAvoy] made a great play to me,” said Keller. “He found me breaking for the breakaway and Joe Woll’s a guy I played with ever since I was about ten years old, so I know his game a little bit. I was lucky enough to slide one five-hole.”

“ I don’t know If I have ever coached a guy who has the hand-eye coordination that he has,” said Quinn in praise of Kellers’ fourth shorthanded goal of the year. “He’s just so dangerous killing penalties. He’s such a threat out there, such great instincts out there. You know, when you’re on a power play and you got him coming at you, you get a little nervous ‘cause you know what could happen.”

Ryan Cloonan seemed to have made it a 4-1 game early in the third, but after review, it was determined he dislodged the puck from Woll by pushing him into the goal and thus it was waived off.

BU was able to hold the BC offense in check for the remainder of the game, thanks in large part to the number of penalties the Eagles took. BU had four power plays in the final frame, but could not convert on any.

BU is back at it on Friday at Lowell, before facing Harvard in the championship game for the first time since 1998.