The Best of the Battle of Comm Ave

This weekend, Boston College and Boston University are celebrating the 100th men’s Battle of Comm Ave and the 50th women’s Battle of Comm Ave! In honor of these games, we’re remembering our favorite BC vs. BU hockey moments. We’d love to hear your favorites in the comments!

Arthur

I have to pick the 2016 Beanpot championship.

That day was so crazy, partially because there was a point where we were worried that the game wouldn't be played. If I remember correctly, there was a major snowstorm that hit, and after the Beanpot scheduling debacle due to the snowstorms during the 2015 tournament, everyone was worried. But the game was played, so I got out of my 12:00 class and went straight to the Garden. By the time I emerged from North Station, I could feel the intensity in the air. There were already hordes of fans around the Garden and at the bars. I spent most of the pre-game with Grant and Joe at The Four's and went with them to the game to catch the end of Northeastern/Harvard.

The game was incredible. BC dominated much of the opening period, but couldn't convert on anything because Sean Maguire stood on his head.

And then, the lights went out. At that point the game became surreal.

When the game progressed, it was a game between two heavyweights in net, Maguire and Thatcher Demko. It was like watching a title fight.

And then Alex Tuch scored, sending our section into delirium.

I have had an argument with Joe and Grant about that game's standing in Beanpot history, and I'll grant that there have been other exciting games that have been played in the long history of the Beanpot. But that was my Beanpot moment, and that was my BU rivalry moment.

Steven

The BC-BU Beanpot Championship game in 2012 is probably my favorite sporting event that I have ever attended. I was a sophomore at the time and while I had followed BC from a young age, you just don't know how intense a BC-BU Beanpot final is like until you experience it as a student. The atmosphere at the TD Garden was incredible that night, both student bodies had filled multiple sections and you could tell from the very start how real the hatred was between the two groups of fans.

I think the reason this game sticks out so much is because it really was such a back and forth affair. BC jumped ahead early on a Pat Mullane shorthanded goal, and then the teams just went at it. It was an up and down affair all night and you really never had a chance to catch your breath. Three powerplay goals later and we're headed to overtime.

Before the extra period started, my friends and I tried to calm our nerves by picking the player we thought would end the game. I picked Steven Whitney, one of my friends picked Chris Kreider, and the guy who was just starting to get into hockey picked Bill Arnold.

Five years later and I still can't believe how long overtime lasted. I mean, BC was all over the Terriers for the full 20 minutes. A quick look at the box score says BC outshot BU 13-7 in overtime, but that doesn't do it justice. BC had half a dozen grade A chances to end it, but Kieran Millan just stopped everything. It was one of those games where you started feeling like a hot goalie and a fluke goal against the run of play was going to break your heart.

And then, some magic. Brian Dumoulin breaks up a BU charge, Tommy Cross makes a great outlet pass to Barry Almeida, Almeida finds Steve Whitney who gains the blue line and hits Bill Arnold in the slot, and Arnold (a personal top 5 favorite Eagle) roofs one past Milla with 6.4 seconds left on the clock. Bedlam. Five skaters on the ice, five players making an impact. Beautiful hockey.

The scene after that goal was just incredible. I missed Arnold's on ice celebration immediately after scoring because the student section was going as wild as I've ever seen it go. If I hadn't lost my voice screaming in the second period, I surely would have lost it then. There have been great moments against BU before and there will surely be more to come, but I have a hard tome seeing how anything will ever top that.

Unnamed Former Editor

Eff BU

Grant

I guess as the women's hockey guy I should come up with a good women's hockey memory. That honor goes to the 2016 Women's Hockey East Championship game.

Leading up to the 2015-2016 season, Boston University inexplicably won four straight WHEA titles without managing to be particularly good, with all four coming in Hyannis -- yes, Hyannis, because Hockey East thought it was a good idea to put is tournament far away from any school in Hockey East.

The two previous WHEA titles for BU came as an upset over the #1 seeded Eagles. But BC had a secret weapon: the fact that the game was moved from Hyannis to... Merrimack?

There was also the fact that the Eagles had Haley Skarupa, Alex Carpenter, and a perfect 37-0-0 record heading into the game.

BC was not losing this game. They ran BU out of the building in the first period to the tune of a 14-0 shot count and never looked back. Alex Carpenter scored just seconds into the 2nd period to make it 3-0, and the rest of the game was a party from there.

It was quite a revenge game, and BU had no chance. The final score was 5-0, and it wasn't even as close as that.

Laura

Like Steven, the 2012 Beanpot final is my favorite BC/BU memory. But in honor of it being December 1, I’m going to give a shoutout to the December 1, 2006 BC/BU fog-out at Conte... the second fog-out in as many years. BC would go on to lose the rematch, but the final game against BU during the 2006-07 is another favorite of mine. BC defeated BU by a score of 6-2 in the Hockey East semifinals behind 30 saves from Cory Schneider and 2 goals from Brock Bradford.