Boston College beats Harvard 3-2 to reach Beanpot final
BOSTON (AP) — Zach Sanford and Colin White scored power-play goals in the second period to lift Boston College over Harvard 3-2 in the opening round of the 64th Beanpot on Monday night.
The Eagles (18-4-4) will face the winner of the second game between defending champion Boston University and Northeastern next Monday night. Boston College is seeking its 20th Beanpot title.
Harvard (12-5-3) hasn’t reached the Beanpot final since 2008 and last captured the title in 1993. It’s the Crimson’s longest drought.
Casey Fitzgerald also scored for the Eagles, and Thatcher Demko made 21 saves.
Ryan Donato and Adam Baughman had first-period scores for Harvard. Merrick Madsen had 30 saves.
The tournament brings together Boston’s four local Division I college hockey programs and is scheduled for the first two Mondays in February at the TD Garden.
This year’s contest features the strongest field in Beanpot history, with three teams ranked in the Top 10 — BC is No. 4, Harvard No. 7 and Boston University ninth. Since the tourney began in 1952, the winner has gone on to win the NCAA title 10 times, and none of the four programs has won an NCAA title without first winning the Beanpot.
Sanford tied the game 2-2 off a rebound from the edge of the crease 6:05 into the second period.
White put the Eagles ahead just over 4 minutes later by cutting in from the left circle and wristing a shot past Madsen.
Fitzgerald scored on a slap shot from the slot 1:35 into the game for a 1-0 lead.
Donato tied it on a breakaway 9:47 into the first, beating Demko between the pads.
Baughman got his first collegiate goal with 5:16 left in the first, putting a shot off Demko’s right pad and in for a 2-1 lead.
Last year, the Beanpot was postponed twice for the first time due to major snowstorms that clobbered the city with a record-breaking snowfall, most of it coming in February.
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