Sunday, January 2, 2000 at Kelley Rink (Conte Forum), Chestnut Hill, MA
BC 6, BROWN 2 NON-CONFERENCE GAME
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BROWN UNIVERSITY (ECAC) 0 2 0 - 2 1-7-0 ECAC (2-9-0 overall)
BOSTON COLLEGE (HE) 0 1 5 - 6 5-4-0 HE (11-5-0 overall)
Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play
BR 5- 6- 3 -- 14 7 - 14 1 - 3
BC 9-13-16 -- 38 4 - 8 1 - 6
BR - Scott Stirling 9-12-11 - 32 saves/5 goals (59:41)
BC - Tim Kelleher 5- 4- 3 - 12 saves/2 goals (60:00)
3 Stars: BC Blake Bellefeuille, BC Brian Gionta, BR Scott Stirling
COMMENTS
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Boston College came from behind with a 5-goal outburst in the third period
to defeat a game Brown University team Sunday afternoon. Brown worked hard
defensively and got good goaltending from senior Scott Stirling to carry a
2-1 lead into the final period, but BC put together an offensive onslaught
to take the game going away. This was BC's 4th consecutive win over ECAC
opposition, having previously defeated Harvard, Dartmouth, and Vermont.
The Eagles are riding a 6-game win streak with the victory.
BC opened the first period with lots of pressure and several tips and
clean shots that went wide of the net. Brown returned the favor by sending
2 of their few shots wide of the goal as well. Play was tight, though not
really physical, and many of the shots were weak or missed the target.
After a BC penalty, Brown got 2 clear slappers that Kelleher saved, then
Brown took their first penalty. The quickness of the BC power play proved
itself with lots of pressure, quick shots, a Jeff Farkas shot from the
right circle that clanged off the post/crossbar, etc., but Stirling was
able to keep the puck out of the net. Most of the rest of the period was
played in the Brown end, with BC pressure on a second power play, then
good Stirling stops on a 3-on-1 break and a midair tip of a slap shot.
No score after one.
The Eagles again were carrying the play as the 2nd stanza opened, with
hard forechecking. A long break pass got Ales Dolinar in clear behind the
Bruin defense, but he could only manage a weak shot as the defense got
back quickly. Brown got their best chance of the game when a pass from
the right boards found a forward all alone in front of Kelleher. His shot
was blocked, then a wild scramble ensued for the loose puck as it sat in the
crease. Finally a BC defenseman was able to clear the puck. The teams
traded penalties -- BC couldn't capitalize but Brown could. The puck was
worked loose along the left side, fed back to the point, and sent toward
the net where Keith Kirley tipped it over Kelleher's shoulder at 10:25.
BC fought back on a couple of power plays, cranking up the shot totals,
but Stirling was able to dive on loose pucks in the crease to protect the
lead, then flashed the glove on a Gionta slapper. The BC pressure finally
produced results after forcing a Brown icing. Bellefeuille popped the
puck free, Gionta was able to tip the puck away from the defense and cut
to the net home free. He moved left to right and slid the puck in for the
equalizer. Brown came right back when BC goalie Kelleher got caught out of
the net, rushed back toward the post, and arrived just in time to knock a
centering pass from below the red line into his own net, just inside the
post. With Stirling playing well and some luck, Brown went to the locker
room with a 2-1 lead and hopes they might steal one on the road.
It wasn't to be. BC rolled over Brown during much of the third period,
starting off with the tying goal at just 1:28. A big hit on the forecheck
popped the puck loose to Jeff Giuliano, who passed it back to Krys Kolanos
heading toward the right side near post. Stirling came out to challenge,
only to see Kolanos circle around him and behind the net. Stirling dived
back across to protect against the wraparound, only to see Kolanos feed the
puck in front to a wide-open Mike Lephart, who popped it in the open right
side. More pressure produced a power play for the Eagles, and they
capitalized at 3:45. The puck went from point to point, and Kevin
Caulfield tipped the shot as it came through the slot for the eventual
game-winner. Brown took a timeout to get settled, and they held on for a
few minutes after that. Stirling produced the highlight save of the night
when Farkas was sent in clean on a breakout play and fired a rocket to the
upper far corner, only to see the flash of the glove instead of the red
light. Lots of deserved applause for this save!
BC's top line kept working, though, and picked up another goal just a
minute later on a pretty passing play between Gionta, Farkas, and
Bellefeuille, who had a wide-open net to finish into. Brown was forced to
try generating more offense, with a little success, but couldn't get the
puck in the net. BC had their chances as well. Stirling came out at
17:45 for an extra skater, but Bellefeuille pushed the puck clear to
center ice for Gionta's easy empty-net goal to make it 5-2. The Eagles
finished the scoring at 19:23 on a casual 2-on-2 break in, shot, and
deflection by Paul Kelly off Stirling's glove and into the net. It was
freshman Kelly's first BC goal.
Brown fought gamely for most of the afternoon, but appeared to run out of
gas in the third period. Stirling was able to stop most of the one-on-one
shots but was victimized when BC was able to get extra manpower, either
from power plays or odd-man rushes. Brown wasn't able to respond -- offense
is not their strength, with their leading goal scorers only having 3 goals
apiece. BC sent a lot of shots wide in the first half of the game, often
because of Brown defensive pressure. But later they were able to take
better shots and it paid off in the final period. Overall the Eagles
took 68 shots, 38 on net (+2 pipes), compared to Brown with only 25 shots
attempted and 14 on net.
Most of the BC fans were a bit disappointed with the win, assuming that
Brown was a weak opponent that should have been handled easily. The Eagles
haven't dominated on the scoreboard against most teams, though, having to
work extra hard to get the puck in the net. Eventually the speed and
pressure leads to lots of shots, especially later in games; the defense
is good enough to keep them in most games if the offense isn't clicking.
BC also was playing minus some players, with Brooks Orpik in Sweden for
the World Junior Championships and Tony Hutchins and Mark McLennan
unavailable. Coach York has not been playing the 4th line much, though,
and played only 5 defensemen (the 6th dressed but didn't get in.) He
appears to not trust the younger players until they have developed more
consistency. Whether or not this wears out the top groups over the season
remains to be seen.
The ECAC series of games was not the toughest opposition, but it is now
6 wins in a row for BC, leading into a tough matchup with rival BU next
weekend. Saturday's game is at BC, and Sunday has the first Fox Sports
New England Hockey East TV broadcast from BU.
Brown gets a couple of home games to try to get back on track in the
ECAC, hosting Princeton and Yale next weekend. They probably need to keep
the score low to have good chances to win, given their lack of offense.
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Rick McAdoo [log in to unmask]
"Volunteer reporter" A pleased BC fan. GO EAGLES!
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