BC Wins 4th Straight Beanpot, 6-3 Over Northeastern
BOSTON (AP) — Johnny Gaudreau scored twice and Parker Milner stopped 20 shots to lead No. 4 Boston College to a 6-3 victory over Northeastern on Monday night and give the Eagles their fourth consecutive Beanpot title.
Already the defending national champions — the Eagles (17-7-2) have won three of the last five NCAA titles — this class of BC seniors is the first in school history to go unbeaten in the annual tournament for college hockey bragging rights in Boston.
Harvard (6-15-2) beat No. 13 Boston University 7-4 in the consolation game earlier Monday.
Kevin Roy, who had a hat trick in Northeastern's first-round victory over BU (13-12-1), had a pair of goals for the Huskies. Despite the loss, Roy was named the tournament's most outstanding player.
Milner, the most outstanding player from last year's NCAA Frozen Four, received the Eberle Award as the Beanpot's best goaltender.
Chris Rawlings made 24 saves for Northeastern (8-14-3), which surprised Boston University in the first round by sending the Terriers to the consolation game, where they've played just four times in 30 years.
Boston College fans chanted "Four more years!" as the final seconds ticked off the clock, then threw red and yellow streamers toward the ice as the Eagles spilled out of their bench for the now-familiar celebration.
Bill Arnold and Patrick Brown also scored for BC, and Steven Whitney beat the buzzer with 0.4 seconds left in the second period to give the Eagles a 4-1 lead.
Northeastern made it a one-goal game on a goal from Roy just 11 seconds into the third period and one from Braden Pimm less than four minutes later. But Eagles defenseman Michael Matheson stickhandled through the middle, drawing the defense to him before backhanding it by Gaudreau to make it 5-3 with 5:23 left.
Pat Mullane added an empty-netter with 88 seconds left.
Northeastern has not won the tournament since 1988 — the longest losing streak of the area's four college hockey powers. Harvard last won in 1993, and BU won its unprecedented 29th Beanpot in 2009 before BC went on its current run.
BC beat Harvard 4-1 in the first round and Northeastern beat BU 3-2.
Roy was denied another hat trick when Milner stopped him on a second-period breakaway. The BC goalie also protected a 4-3 lead midway through the third by poking the puck away from Roy, who was alone in front of the net.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
