Give the Terriers credit. They keep getting closer and closer to knocking off their Green-line rivals this season ...
Boston College 9, Boston University 4
Boston College 5, Boston University 2
Boston College 3, Boston University 2
Boston College 3, Boston University 2 (OT)
Given that trend, let's hope that this is the last we've seen of the Terriers this season. Think it's hard to win five straight over your arch-rivals? Try six, seven or eight straight.
Tommy Cross scored on the power play at 3:17 of the extra session, lifting the Eagles to a 3-2 win over the Terriers in the 59th Annual Beanpot Semifinal. BC also got goals from Philip Samuelsson (14:37 of the first) and Jimmy Hayes (5:00 of the third). BU's Wade Megan and Corey Trevino scored for the Terriers.
Late in the second period, BC's Pat Mullane appeared to score what would have been the equalizer. BU goaltender Kieran Millan made the initial save but replays showed that Jimmy Hayes poked it past Millan. The Hockey East refs reviewed the play for several minutes but the goal was disallowed. They don't call it the BU Invitational for nothing.
BC also had to kill off two (questionable) back-to-back cross-checking penalties late in the third period. Kevin Hayes went off at 15:01 of the third, and Philip Samuelsson got sent off 1:59 later. BC killed off both penalties, and nearly ended the game in regulation with a breakaway on Millan that he turned aside.
With the win, John Muse improves to 17-4-0. He's now won five straight after giving up four goals in a 4-1 loss to Maine up in Orono on January 16.
The win is sweet not because it improves the Eagles' NCAA Tournament hopes (only slightly) or that it moves them up the Hockey East regular season standings (it doesn't). Rather, the win is sweet because BU cares so much about the "BU Invitational."
BC will face Northeastern in next Monday night's Championship Game. The Huskies were 4-0 winners over the Crimson in the Beanpot's first semifinal. BC and Northeastern have faced each other just once this year in the season opener. The Eagles won 2-0 back on October 9.
Northeastern will be looking to put an end to the Beanpot's longest title drought. The Huskies last won the Beanpot in 1988, and will be appearing in just their sixth appearance in the Championship Game in the last 23 tournaments.
This year's Beanpot Championship Game also gives the Eagles and Huskies a rather unique quirk to this year's schedule. After each program returns to Hockey East play on Friday night, BC and Northeastern will face each other three times, in three different arenas, in less than a week -- on Monday February 14, followed by their regular season home-and-home scheduled for Friday and Saturday, February 18-19.