Mon. February 3, 1997 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOSTON COLLEGE 1 0 3 - 4 (11-13-3 overall, 7-8-3 Hockey East)
NORTHEASTERN UNIV. 1 0 0 - 1 (6-19-2 overall, 2-16-1 Hockey East)
Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play
BC 10 - 7 - 16 -- 33 12 - 51 2 - 5
NU 14 - 1 - 8 -- 23 18 - 71 0 - 3
BC - Greg Taylor 13- 1- 8 - 22 saves (60:00)
NU - Marc Robitaille 9- 7-13 - 29 saves (60:00)
Full box posted to INFO-HOCKEY-L list.
The Boston College Eagles will meet rival Boston University for the
Beanpot Championship next Monday night with a 4-1 win over Northeastern
in the early semifinal. BC scored three goals in a lively third period
after the two teams had skated to a defensive 1-1 tie after two. The
win counts twice for BC, as this game counted as a Hockey East win as
well due to a scheduling adjustment this year.
First - In a very empty and quiet Fleet Center, the game opened up like
BC was going to take it to the Huskies. The Eagles missed several good
chances in the first few minutes, and finally got the first goal at 4:56
on a power play. Blake Bellefeuille pushed the puck to Jeff Farkas on
the right side, and he slid a pass across to Marty Reasoner in the left
circle, who fired a dart in the short side. BC continued to carry the
early play, with Farkas and David Wainwright forcing Robitaille to make
good saves. Northeastern finally got going and evened the play, and
it settled into a defensive struggle. NU had two power plays, then BC
got two consecutive power plays, but it was Northeastern who got on the
board. Reasoner was trying to keep the puck in at the left point on the
BC power play but had it poked free by Calla, and Barclay took off on a
breakaway. He sailed down the middle and shot high over Taylor's glove
for the shorthanded equalizer at 17:53.
Second - The defenses took over for most of the period, and the crowd
was put to sleep by the lack of offensive action. NU got several decent
opportunities but only managed one (weak) shot on goal the whole period,
and BC didn't have many good chances either. There was some lively
up-and-down action late in the period that foreshadowed the third.
Third - The quiet Fleet Center came alive in this period as there were
goals, penalties, and more penalties. Wainwright's hard shot at 1:17 was
just caught between Robitaille's pads, and Mahoney reached into the
crease and cleared a loose puck just before a BC player stuffed it in.
Things were tentative again during a 4-on-4, but then BC finally got the
break they were looking for. Robitaille came out of the crease to try to
clear a puck around the right boards. BC's Chris Masters intercepted the
puck and turned toward the net from a sharp angle deep in the zone while
Robitaille hustled to get back on the near post. Masters' bad-angle shot
caught the goalie off-balance and deflected in off the skate to give BC
a 2-1 lead at 7:09. Play opened up a bit at this point and both teams
had chances off steals in the defensive zones. Shortly after Taylor had
held the post to save a wraparound attempt by Calla, BC got possession in
their own zone. Bellefeuille made a little feather move to get clear of
a forechecking forward, then sent Farkas on a break with a long pass down
the left side. Farkas sent a low shot through the goalie just before the
defense arrived and gave the Eagles a 3-1 lead. Play was physical for
the next few minutes and tempers got short, and then the fun started.
Mahoney, upset at a BC player's interference, turned and took a heavy
slash at the player as he broke into the NU zone. The puck got tied up
in a pile at the goal crease and Wainwright came after Mahoney after the
whistle. Those two mixed it up (mostly wrestling and pulling, but a few
light punches were aimed) and other players got involved. Mahoney and
Wainwright were both given major penalties for fighting and DQ's, while
other players got minors and misconducts. Mahoney also had the initial
slash for a BC power play. During a Farkas push to the net, Kearns got
a tripping penalty and then a misconduct. BC couldn't score, and on a
subsequent NU counterattack Jon Calla got called for charging the goalie
when he crashed the net. BC got the last goal on a rebound during the
power play. Farkas had stolen the puck and wheeled to the goal all alone,
but Robitaille poked the puck away. It was collected at the point and
fired to the net, and Kevin Caulfield was able to push the rebound under
the goalie at 18:02. (Caulfield then did some major woofing in Rich
Schuhwerk's face [not a good idea] but nothing was called.) A steal, a
shot clanged off a post, two more misconducts, and it was over.
This was not a showcase game for the Beanpot, as the slow pace, defensive
play, and extremely quiet crowd took away from the traditional atmosphere.
The third period was more exciting, so the late arrivals (coming for the
second game) got to see the best part of the first game. For some reason
the student sections just do not turn out and make noise in the Fleet
Center -- some have attributed it to the height of the upper sections
above the ice, and that may be part of it. The announced "attendance" was
16,574, but that must have been tickets sold. The maximum at the end of
the first game was probably about 9000 or 10000, tops. It is certainly
more comfortable to not be squeezed by the jokes that passed for Boston
Garden balcony seats, but this building does not offer the same ambience.
Things should be livelier next Monday when BC and BU meet again, this
time for the Beanpot trophy.
Notes - Tony McGaughey of Northeastern (who wears noticable hearing aids)
used sign language to interpret the National Anthem as it was sung between
the games. The second game was also defensive, but much faster and with
more spirit during the first two periods. Harvard just couldn't get the
equalizing goal, and BU scored early and often in the third period to pull
away, ending with a 7-1 win. (We left at 5-0, approx. 10 minutes left.)
One of the newspaper accounts said that Northeastern set a Beanpot mark
for fewest shots on goal in a period with 1 in the 2nd period.
As noted above, this game counted in the Hockey East standings, so BC
picks up 2 needed points in the fight for home playoff ice. The Eagles
need to win most of the 7 remaining games if they want to get above .500;
all are HE games except the Beanpot final. BC plays at Providence
Friday night, and will have to work hard to avoid the "traditional"
between-Beanpot-blues if they want to get that win. Providence, along
with Merrimack, are the two teams challenging for playoff position. BC
plays Merrimack 3 times, Northeastern, and UMass-Amherst in their last
5 games. Northeastern, having a very hard-luck season, can salvage some
pride with a win next week against Harvard in the consolation game.
(Harvard is known for playing lots of JV's, etc., in consolation games,
though, so it doesn't have the same meaning as the championship.)
The two games were broadcast locally on channel 68, WABU-TV, but I'm not
sure if both were on the satellite. If they follow tradition next week,
the final will be on both, but the consolation game will not be broadcast
at all except on radio.
-------------------- ----------------------
Rick McAdoo [log in to unmask]
"Volunteer reporter" A positive BC fan. GO EAGLES!
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.
|
