February
7, 2005
Beanpot Semifinals
Hub
of Upsets
No. 1 lost and the only unranked team advanced
on the first night of the Beanpot
By
Joe Gladziszewski
| Northeastern
2,
Harvard 1 2OT |
| Team |
Goal |
Str |
| Time |
Assists |
| First
Period |
| 1-H |
Kevin
Du (5) |
EV |
| 0:59 |
R.
Maki, D. Grumet-Morris |
| 1-NU |
Mike
Morris (14) |
EV |
| 17:23 |
J.
Guerriero |
| Second
Period |
| No
Scoring |
| Third
Period |
| No
Scoring |
| First
Overtime |
| No
Scoring |
| Second
Overtime |
| 2-NU |
Tim
Judy (3) |
EV |
| 2:01 |
Unassisted |
| Goaltending |
| NU:
Keni Gibson, 82:01, 39 saves, 1 GA |
| H:
Dov Grumet-Morris, 82:01, 34 saves, 2 GA |
| Penalties:
NU 5/10; H 5/10 |
| Power
Plays: NU 0-5; H 0-5 |
| Attendance:
17,565 |
BOSTON –
As the underdog and only unranked team headed into the Beanpot,
Northeastern knew it would take hard work and grit to win the
fabled tournament.
It was fitting,
then, that perhaps the hardest-working Husky delivered the goal
to send Northeastern to next Monday's title game. After 82 minutes,
Tim Judy sent a shot past Harvard's Dov Grumet-Morris to deliver
a 2-1 double-overtime win.
For Husky
goaltender Keni Gibson, himself impressive with a 39-save performance,
it's not unusual to feel indebted to Judy.
"I should
get him a present every game for all the shots he blocks,"
Gibson joked.
Gibson and
his teammates approached the tournament hoping to build on a season
that has been best described as close but not quite.
"Some
people think we're really good, and others don't," he said.
"I think we're a good team. Our record doesn't show it, but
our schedule hasn't been easy. We've won some big games, but lost
a couple we should have won. That's hockey."
They won Monday
night despite taking a penalty in the final minute of regulation
and two more in overtime. But Gibson made every save after a first-minute
goal by Harvard's Kevin Du and the rest of the Huskies played
with intensity.
"We showed
great character tonight," said Judy after his game-winner.
"We've done that all year, and it's paying off now."
| Boston
University 2,
Boston College 1 |
| Team |
Goal |
Str |
| Time |
Assists |
| First
Period |
| 1-BC |
Ryan
Shannon (9) |
EV |
| 14:18 |
Unassisted |
| 1-BU |
John
Laliberte (9) |
EV |
| 19:44 |
D.
Van der Gulik |
| Second
Period |
| 2-BU |
John
Laliberte (10) |
PP |
| 6:40 |
Unassisted |
| Third
Period |
| No
Scoring |
| Goaltending |
| BC:
Matti Kaltiainen, 59:19, 16 saves, 1 GA |
| BU:
Stephan Siwiec, 60:00, 36 saves, 1 GA |
| Penalties:
BC 6/12; BU 4/8 |
| Power
Plays: BC 0-4; BU 1-6 |
| Attendance:
17,565 |
OVER
THE HUMP
Boston University
was three weeks removed from a sweep at the hands of Boston College,
and less than a year away from a lopsided Beanpot loss to the
Eagles, but Monday night those were distant memories to those
wearing Scarlet and White.
The Terriers
got two goals from John Laliberte and an inspired performance
from goaltender Stephan Siwiec to win, 2-1, and advance to next
Monday's Beanpot final against Northeastern. What's more, BU has
evened the season series against its archrivals, 2-2-0, and seemingly
leveled the playing field after a rough stretch against the Eagles.
"I think
it's huge for our confidence as a team," said Laliberte,
who now has 3-3—6 in his last three games. "We've been
playing better since the Merrimack game (Jan. 27). We've started
to play more open and a little more free. I think it's starting
to show."
The Eagles
still controlled play for long stretches at the Fleet Monday night,
but a few key breakdowns were their undoing. First, Laliberte
beat Matti Kaltiainen in the final minute of the first period
to tie the score, 1-1. He scored again on the power play in the
second period, a goal that came in the midst of a stretch of four
straight BC penalties.
"There
were three straight penalties on us in the second period and I
think we lost our composure," head coach Jerry York said.
"Even though we killed the five-on-three we were frazzled
on the bench, and I didn't like that about our team."
With the win,
the Terriers move on in search of their 26th Beanpot title –
considered almost a birthright on Babcock Street. But for now,
BU was content to celebrate its win over its rivals.
"It's
big to make the final," admitted Laliberte, "but also
to beat the No. 1 team."
|
INCH's Three Stars of the Night |
|
| 3.
Stephan Siwiec, Boston University
His
36 saves were a career high, none bigger than the stop on
Stephen Gionta on a 2-on-1 shortly after the only goal Siwiec
allowed.
2.
Keni Gibson, Northeastern
The Huskies' leader delivered exactly the performance
his team needed in order to reach the final.
1.
John Laliberte, Boston University
Laliberte's two goals give him 10 for the year,
equalling his total from his first two seasons at BU. |
SEEN
AND HEARD AT THE FLEET
• The
first college hockey game at the FleetCenter since last year's
NCAA championship game saw the same man wearing the orange arm
band. Tim Kotyra, who officiated Denver's 1-0 win over Maine last
April, called the Northeastern game. Like last April, he wasn't
hesitant to send players to the box at critical times, calling
four penalties in the last minute of regulation and overtime.
• The
NHL lockout relegated the spoked B to a smaller position at center
ice, sharing the faceoff circle with the Beanpot logo.
• Non-Bostonians
were in for a surprise approaching the arena. The elevated Green
Line tracks above Causeway Street are now gone, replaced by street-level
tracks and providing a much better view of the Fleet from the
street.
• A
sparse crowd watched Harvard and Northeastern, perhaps expected
for the 5 p.m. game, but it didn't fill up much as the game went
to one, then two overtimes. We're guessing that the local taverns,
equipped with NESN's coverage, weren't quite so sparse.
• As
the Harvard-Northeastern game extended to a second overtime, BU
had to summon its strength and conditioning coach for a second
session of pre-game stretches.
• Bruins
coach and BU alum Mike Sullivan was among those in attendance
to watch the Terriers.
• The
BU Terrier took the ice in the first intermission with the BC
Eagle and a unique wardrobe: an "I'm With Stupid" t-shirt.
• All
four BC-BU games this season have been close enough that the trailing
team has pulled its goaltender late in the game.
• The
15 semifinalists for the Walter Brown Award, presented annually
to the top American-born college hockey player in New England,
were announced on Monday. The semifinalists are: Ryan Shannon,
Patrick Eaves and Andrew Alberts of Boston College; Tom Cavanagh,
Dov Grumet-Morris and Noah Welch of Harvard; New Hampshire's Sean
Collins; Maine's Jimmy Howard; Dartmouth's Lee Stempniak; Merrimack's
Bryan Schmidt; Boston University's John Curry; Northeastern's
Jason Guerriero; Holy Cross' Tony Coskren; and UMass' Marvin Degon.
• It's
been a quiet hockey season at the FleetCenter with the Bruins
locked out, but the next week will make up for it. With the Beanpot
and an Atlantic Hockey doubleheader this Saturday, the building
will host six college hockey games in a span of eight days.
• There
wasn't a huge variety of sweaters in the crowd Monday night. We
spotted one Vermont Catamount jersey, lots from the four participating
teams ... and at least 200 from the Super Bowl champion New England
Patriots.
WHAT'S
NEXT
Boston University
and Northeastern meet for the 10th time in the Beanpot championship
game, with the Terriers holding a 6-3 edge. The Terriers will
seek their 26th Beanpot title, while Northeastern looks for its
fifth and first since 1988. It will be the second meeting of the
season between the teams, following a 3-1 BU win on Jan. 7.
"They're
a great team and they have a great goaltender in Keni Gibson,"
Parker said after the game. "They have one of the best first
lines in college hockey, so we'll have our hands full."
While Siwiec
shined Monday night, the Terriers could have injured goaltender
John Curry back by next Monday. If he's healthy, Parker indicated
that he's be inclined to give Curry the start.
