Harvard freshman Marek Hejduk was actually a last-second time beyond regulation possibility who averted a Beanpot catastrophe.
The proper wing obtained an ideal saucer move from Alex Laferriere and scored with 1.5 seconds to play in time beyond regulation. Hejduk’s second tally of the sport lifted Harvard to 4-3 victory over Boston College in Monday evening’s opening match of the seventieth Dunkin Beanpot Tournament on the TD Garden. Harvard is 6-1-1 in time beyond regulation video games this season.
The Crimson (16-6-1) will look to safe their twelfth Beanpot title and first since 2017 and can battle Northeastern within the title recreation subsequent Monday evening (7:30) on the Garden. Harvard and NU will meet within the championship recreation for the primary time in Beanpot historical past.
“I have to check but I do think that was the first (overtime) shift that Marek was out all year in overtime,” stated Harvard coach Ted Donato. “We had some guys drained, some guys banged up and I assumed he was going and deserved the chance and good for him. He made an incredible shot there. “
The Crimson had been bottled up in their very own and being mercilessly pelted by the Eagles late within the third interval whereas tenuously defending a fragile two-goal lead.
BC lower the result in 3-2 at 15:45 of the third on a terrific particular person effort by Nikita Nesterenko. The junior left wing from Brooklyn acquired behind the Harvard protection and flicked it by goalie Mitchell Gibson for his sixth of the season.
BC tied the sport at 18:29 on when freshman middle Cutter Gauthier’s shot from the proper level discovered its manner by way of visitors and by Gibson (45 saves) for his 14th of the season.
“We had a good push and it was great to tie it up,” stated BC first 12 months coach Greg Brown. “We positively had higher legs within the third and it seemed like they’d a few accidents and their bench was a little bit shorter.
“When you are behind you are always a little more desperate to play that kind of hockey and push a little freer.”
Hejduk netted his third of the season to open the scoring at 11:33 of the primary. Defenseman Ian Moore of Concord despatched Casey Severo and Hejduk up the ice on a 2-on-1 break. Severo skated the proper flank and fed Hejduk on the backhand between the circles. Hejduk deftly switched to the forehand and beat BC goalie Mitch Benson excessive to the glove facet. Harvard loved a 9-6 benefit in photographs on aim on the finish of the primary interval.
Harvard went up 2-0 on a tic-tac-toe energy play aim that sophomore middle Matthew Coronato completed at 1:49 of the second. John Farinacci gained possession alongside the low board and fed Sean Farrell in the proper circle. Farrell, a Montreal Canadiens draft decide, relayed the puck to Coronato, who one-timed a wrist shot from the underside of the left circle for his fifteenth of the season.
“We’ve been playing together now for four years and developed some chemistry together,” stated Farrell, a junior left wing from Hopkinton. “He is a really good goal scorer and I try to find in any spot when he’s ready to shoot. I just found him in his one-timer spot.”
BC made it 2-1 at on a pleasant collaboration between Colby Amborsio and Mike Posma on the ability play at 7:42 of the second interval. Ambrosio made a saucer feed from the proper circle to Posma, who redirected the puck by Gibson for his third of the season. Gibson was lockdown stable the remainder of the way in which.
Coronato’s second put Harvard up 3-1 on the ability play at 8:34. Farrell made a candy dish to Coronato who fired a laser from the left circle that beat Benson close to publish on the stick facet. BC outshot Harvard 18-12 within the second.
NORTHEASTERN 3, BOSTON UNIVERSITY 1
The Northeastern Huskies ended Boston University’s seven-game win streak and extracted a measure of Garden payback within the course of.
NU junior goaltender Devon Levi stoned the Terriers’ vaunted scoring machine with 33 saves within the Huskies 3-1 victory within the nightcap on the TD Garden. Levi recorded his 14th win on the season. BU ended Levi’s bid for a fifth shutout when Matt Brown scored at 18:09. NU’s Hunter McDonald scored an empty web aim with 30.2 seconds on the board.
“I say it all the time, he’s the best goalie in the country,” stated NU coach Jerry Keefe. “We have a lot of confidence in him and you can see our guys want to play in front of him. He was really good when we needed him to be.”
BU beat Northeastern 1-0 in final 12 months’s title recreation. NU will look to safe its eighth Beanpot title towards Harvard subsequent Monday evening on the Garden.
Both faculties turned out in power and the raucous ambiance, enhanced by the trade of biting chants and vigorous band music, was paying homage to the Beanpot earlier than the pandemic.
Northeastern senior left-wing Aidan McDonough of Milton, a Vancouver Canucks draft and established Beanpot legend, scored the lone aim of the primary interval at 14:00.
Freshman proper wing Jack Williams made a play and the blue line to remain onside and fed defenseman Vinny Borgesi, who was pinching down in the proper circle. Borgesi reversed ice to McDonough who wristed it by BU goalie Drew Commesso for his 18th of the season.
“It was just a great play by Vinny,” stated McDonough. “He got to the middle of the ice, drew some guys to him and then hit me. I tried to put it on net as quick as I could.”
The Huskies upped the result in 2-0 at 1:48 of the second on an alert play by graduate left-wing Justin Novak within the BU crease. Defenseman Jeremie Bucheler unleashed a slap shot from the purpose that Commesso initially blocked along with his chest protector. But Commesso failed to regulate the puck and left a juicy rebound on the doorstep for Novak to notch his seventh of the season.
The the rest of the center body was quick and livid throughout open ice and brutally contested alongside the boards. NU completed the interval with a slim 12-10 benefit in photographs on aim. Northeastern killed off two BU energy performs whereas the Terriers stoned the Huskies energy play to finish the interval.
Source: www.bostonherald.com