WORCESTER, Mass. – It was a rematch of the opening round of the Beanpot Tournament this year and it ended with the same result: Boston College soaring past their crosstown rivals Harvard 4-1 behind a pair of goals from Alex Tuch and solid goaltending from Thatcher Demko.
The Eagles will play Minnesota-Duluth in the NCAA Northeast Regional championship game on Saturday, after the Bulldogs defeated Providence 2-1 in double overtime on Friday evening.
Coach Jerry York had some high praise for Demko.
“He had a great year right from the get go,” York said. “You know he had that hip surgery of the offseason on both hips. I think he’s elevated his game a lot this year and really helped our team get better overall.”
Despite the win, Harvard had the better of the play until they went down 1-0. The Crimson were all over the Eagles early, with shots from the outside trying to set up second chances, but Demko kept that in check.
But as were reached close to half way mark the tide had suddenly turned to the Eagles. After a scramble and pile up in the crease Tuch fired the puck into the net.
After review it was ruled a good goal, Colin White got the lone assist. From that point it was Eagles, they started to take control of the game and there was nothing the Crimson could do. Lewis Zerter-Gossage went to the box for hooking, putting the Eagles on the power play.
Austin Cangelosi tipped a Miles Wood shot past Merrick Madsen to put the Eagles up 2-0.
The best Harvard chance came from Ryan Donato who dangled Demko out of his pads, but was robbed by a last ditch skate effort by Demko. The first period ended with the Eagles leading 2-0 and the shots 12-8 in favor of Harvard.
The second period was more of the same Eagles domination over the Crimson. BC was all over the Crimson as the second period began. Madsen was forced to come up huge for the Crimson just to keep them within two goals.
But a defensive miscommunication gave Tuch a breakaway opportunity, which he capitalized on. Scott Savage got the lone assist on Tuch’s second goal of the game.
The Crimson found a little bit of life as the second period went on, but they gave the puck way too many times to the Eagles.
The Crimson finally got on the board on a goal from Seb Lloyd assisted by Luke Esposito and Clay Anderson. After that the Crimson started to gain more and more momentum. But with little time left in the second Harvard struggled to capitalize on their opportunities.
As the second period was expiring Colin White took the puck on a partial break on Madsen. Madsen barely got it with the pad, but kept the puck out of the net. The second period ended with the Eagles leading 3-1 and the shots 24-6 for Harvard.
The third period was the exact same story, BC was all over Harvard though the early going. You could tell the frustration of players on Harvard like Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Donato. Both players were shadowed all game and couldn’t get too much offensively going.
Madsen was tested a few time throughout the third period stopping two breakaways, one from White and one from Tuch. The Crimson continued to press Demko, but he was in the middle of an outstanding game. Anything they threw at him was easily swallowed up.
They traded chances through much of the third period, but neither team was able to slide anything past the goalies. Late in the third period Ryan Fitzgerald took a hooking minor that sent the Crimson to the power play. Harvard pulled their goalie and with three minutes to play had a 6-on-4 opportunity.
But nothing came of it, the Crimson couldn’t get anything the layers that the Eagles penally kill had put up. Austin Cangelosi put the puck in the empty net to seal the deal for the Eagles.
For Vesey, his vaunted career with the Crimson comes to an end. The Hobey Baker finalist has to decide whether he will sign with Nashville, who drafted him, or opt for free agency.
“It was a huge honor to play with him on a line with Kyle Criscuolo and Alex Kerfoot,” he said. “I definitely got most of the attention of the last two years. But they always kept their mouths shut and didn’t say anything, and i’m definitely gonna miss playing with them next year.”
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