GOAL BY GOAL: Boston College Hockey Solves Gillies, Beats Providence College

Beanpot Monday is almost here, but for BC Hockey, there would be no looking ahead. The Eagles put together one of their best efforts of the season Friday night against the Providence College Friars and took home an exciting 3-2 win at Conte Forum.

The regular season, believe it or not, is rapidly coming to a close. There are just eight games left before the Hockey East Octofinals and BC is quickly putting itself in a position to get to avoid a first round matchup.

In the first period it felt a bit like both teams were feeling each other out and neither team got much going. It was a slow start. But starting in the second period, things got crazy.

Boston College Goal #1: 2:36 of the 2nd period
Alex Tuch (Adam Gilmour)

BC 1, PC 0

Gilmour gets the smallest of touches on this puck to earn the assist, but it's an important touch. He disrupts the pass across the ice and Tuch pounces.

He intercepts the puck and moves to the outside before ripping off a shot that finally, at long last for BC, beats Jon Gillies to put the Eagles up by 1.

That was the only goal of the period, but not the only action. Hockey East referees went bananas, calling 16 minutes of penalties over the last 15 minutes of the period. Included in that were a couple of roughing minors that were as close to fighting as you're going to get in college hockey.

In the third period, the penalties stopped, but the goals started coming.

Boston College Goal #2: 4:24 of the 3rd period
Noah Hanifin (Michael Matheson, Zach Sanford)

BC 2, PC 0

3

Noah Hanifin.

He's an incredible talent. You don't usually see defensemen his age with this much polish on their game. He makes it all happen himself on this goal.

Matheson drops the pass over to him and Hanifin skates in through the center of the ice. He comes in with some good speed and the Providence defenders are definitely not expecting it. Florentino for Providence recovers okay, and tries to disrupt Hanifin a little bit, but Hanifin is already on the doorstep and it's too late. The freshman just fits the puck through Gillies and it's 2-0 BC.

The Eagles were dominating the game to this point. Gillies was the only reason the Friars were in the game.

But then I jinxed it...

BC is kicking the everloving crap out of PC

— Grant Salzano (@Salzano14) January 31, 2015

...and all hell broke loose.

Providence College Goal #1: 5:08 of the 3rd period
Kyle McKenzie (Anthony Florentino, Nick Saracino)

BC 2, PC 1

This was as against the run of play as it gets. It was all BC to this point (I mean really, shots were a whopping 31-12), and then PC scores this awful goal to make a game of it again.

It's tough to see in the GIF but the shot is actually tipped in front of the net. The referees would review the goal for a high stick but it would stand.

Providence College Goal #2: 
Shane Luke (Anthony Florentino, Mark Jankowski)

BC 2, PC 2

Demko probably wants this one back, but as hard of a shot as it was I don't think it came off Shane Luke's stick cleanly because of Hanifin's swipe. The second swing at Luke's stick makes contact and I have a feeling it wobbled the puck just enough for it to knuckle past Demko.

The game is tied, but in a tremendous show of mental toughness, BC pulled itself together and finished very, very strong—and they were rewarded for it.

Boston College Goal #3 (GWG): 10:52 of the 3rd period
Zach Sanford (Adam Gilmour, Alex Tuch)

BC 3, PC 2 -- FINAL

After Providence's two goals, BC came right back at PC like it had been earlier in the period. This goal gives you a good idea of how BC was just coming in waves. Tuch gathers in the puck behind the net and passes it over to Gilmour who takes a shot, which Gillies saves, but Gillies can really only do so much.

The first shot comes from the slot and he doesn't have enough time to react and gather the puck in, leaving an oh-so-juicy rebound right on the doorstep. Sanford was going to the net and finds the puck to give BC a huge 3-2 win over another top 10 team.

BC climbed up to 12th in the Pairwise with the win—and don't look now, but BC is less than 0.001 RPI points away from climbing up into 6th (!!). They have a ways to go to get there, but a 2 seed for the NCAA tournament is absolutely in reach for the Eagles.

Next up is the Beanpot. Get pumped. We'll be chock full of coverage in the coming days, so make sure you stay tuned.