February
9, 2004
Beanpot Championship
BC
Solves Fields, Claims Beanpot
By
Joe Gladziszewski
BOSTON –
When deciphering the Rubik's cube, enough twisting and tinkering
will eventually lead to a solution. The Boston College Eagles
needed all hands available to sort out the spectrum of colors
that Boston University goaltender Sean Fields displayed in Monday
night's Beanpot championship game.
Depth and
experience allowed the Eagles to mount a late comeback and win
the treasured Boston prize for the 13th time in school history.
An equalizing goal by Ty Hennes with 3:30 remaining in the third
period and Ryan Murphy's overtime winner at 6:07 gave the No.
1 team in the nation its third championship of the season in the
form of a 2-1 win over the Boston University Terriers at the FleetCenter
in front of a sold-out house of 17,565.
| Boston
College 2,
Boston University 1 OT |
| Team |
Goal |
Str |
| Time |
Assists |
| First
Period |
| 1-BU |
Ken
Roche (5) |
EV |
| 3:30 |
John
Laliberte |
| Second
Period |
| No
Scoring |
| Third
Period |
| 1-BC |
Ty
Hennes (2) |
EN |
| 16:30 |
R.
Murphy, N. Havern |
| Overtime |
| 2-BC |
Ryan
Murphy (5) |
PP |
| 6:07 |
Ryan
Shannon |
| Goaltending |
| BU:
Sean Fields, 66:07, 50 saves, 2 GA |
| BC:
Matti Kaltiainen, 66:07, 12 saves, 1 GA |
| Penalties:
BU 5/10; BC 6/12 |
| Power
Plays: BU 0-5; BC 1-4 |
| Attendance:
17,565 |
Once you've
got the knack for solving the pop-culture puzzle of the 1980s,
it becomes a little easier. Experience, then, became a big reason
why the Eagles were able to eventually beat the dazzling Terrier
goaltender.
You won't
be surprised to read that fortune was dressed in scarlet and white,
a customary outfit for lady luck on the second Monday in February.
Boston College hit the goalposts behind Fields in the first and
second periods and twice in the third.
BC's frustration
peaked six minutes into the third period when J.D. Forrest's shot
through traffic got past Fields at the left post and would've
knotted the score 1-1. Adam Pineault's skate was in the crease,
but he didn't interfere with Fields. Nonetheless, on video review,
the goal was disallowed.
Forrest pointed
to a similar situation encountered by BC last year in the NCAA
quarterfinals, a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Cornell.
"Last
year against Cornell we had a goal called back in overtime and
we learned from that. It's all about gaining experience and you
could see it tonight," said Forrest, an alternate captain
for BC. "Nobody got down on the bench when that goal got
called back. It was just, 'Hey, we'll go get another one.'"
That's where
experience took over, and the most experienced of all Boston College
players, senior Ty Hennes, crashed the net for the tying goal.
|
INCH's Three Stars of the Night |
|
| 3.
Keni Gibson, Northeastern
Goalie
made the most spectacular plays of early snoozer, stopping
Kevin Du's breakaway and Dylan Reese's rebound attempt with
three minutes remaining. The Huskies got an empty-netter
to beat the Crimson 3-1.
2.
Sean Fields, Boston University
For the second-straight year, Fields sweeps the
individual honors, winning Tournament MVP and the Eberly
Trophy, awarded to the goalie with the highest save percentage
over two games. No doubt, it was easier for him to celebrate
last year.
1.
Ty Hennes, Boston College
His 141st game in a Boston College uniform is also
his most memorable, as he nets the game-tying goal with
3:30 left in regulation. |
"The
longer you play, in college hockey and in general, the more things
you've seen. You run into a hot goalie like we did tonight and
you run into hitting posts, you've got to keep on working at it,"
Hennes said.
The game-winner
came on a power play. Boston University's Tom Morrow was penalized
for hauling down Tony Voce as he drove to the net. BU's penalty
killers, thoroughly effective in erasing three previous infractions,
were once again up to the task early in thepower play.
The puck then
bounced in Boston College's favor, when a clearing effort from
David Van der Gulik was knocked down by BC's Ryan Shannon. It
slipped to the slot, where Murphy turned and blasted away for
the winning goal.
Fields, the
tournament MVP for the second year in a row, made 50 saves and
showed the form that carried the Terriers in the latter stages
of last season.
"These
games are important games. When you play in them, you want to
bring your 'A' game," Fields said.
The early
BU goal came off of the stick of freshman winger Kenny Roche.
He got a quick wrister away from the top of the right-wing circle
after linemate John Laliberte lugged the puck down the boards.
It came just 3:30 into the game, and was a considerate gesture
by Roche. He got the scoring out of the way early, and left the
next 54 minutes of the game for Fields to shine.
