BOSTON – The No. 4 Boston University men's ice hockey team came up short in its bid for a 31st Beanpot title as No. 3 Harvard ended a 24-year drought in the tournament with a 6-3 victory on Monday evening. 

THE RUNDOWN

Final Score: #3/3 Harvard 6, #4/4 Boston University 3
Records: BU (19-9-2), Harvard (18-5-2)
Location: TD Garden – Boston, Mass. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Despite a career-high 40 saves from freshman goaltender Jake Oettinger, Boston University was unable to contain a strong Harvard offense that held a commanding 46-17 advantage in shots and took advantage of two 5-on-3 opportunities.
• After Harvard scored the lone goal of the first, the Terriers responded with two goals in the first first five minutes of the middle stanza to take a 2-1 lead.
• The Crimson, however, responded with four consecutive goals to jump out to a 5-2 lead with 7:13 left in regulation.
• Freshman Clayton Keller scored BU's final two goals and classmate Kieffer Bellows provided BU's first tally.
• Nathan Krusko captured tournament MVP honors for the Crimson after tallying two goals and an assist in the title game. 
• Krusko opened the scoring with 4:50 left in the opening period when he cleaned up a rebound at the crease on a power play.
• Bellows did the exact same thing for the Terriers, knocking home a loose puck in the crease on a man advantage just 1:29 into the second period with assists from sophomore Bobo Carpenter and junior Brandon Hickey.
• Less than three minutes later, Keller redirected a right-point offering by junior John MacLeod over Harvard netminder Merrick Madsen's left shoulder to give the Terriers a 2-1 lead.
• Harvard turned the tables by copying BU to make it a 2-2 affair. A blast from the right point by Clay Anderson was tipped home in the left slot by Luke Esposito at the 10:46 mark of the second.
• Krusko gave the Crimson the lead for good with 1:06 left in the second, and just 31 seconds into the third, Alexander Kerfoot doubled the lead on a power-play tally at the right crease.
• Ryan Donato pushed the cushion to three goals for Harvard at 12:47 on a goal in transition that was assisted by Krusko.
• Keller added his second of the night just 33 seconds later but that's as close as the Terriers would get, as Adam Fox put the finishing touches on the drought-ending Harvard win with an empty netter at the 18:10 mark.

GAME NOTES

• Oettinger claimed the Eberly Trophy for having the top save percentage in the tournament, posting a .913 mark on a combined 63 saves.
• Madsen made 14 saves for Harvard.
• BU went 1-for-3 on the power play while the Crimson went 2-of-5 with both coming on two-man advantages.
• The Terriers were whistled for five penalties and drew three Harvard penalties.
• Senior Doyle Somerby, junior John MacLeod and freshman Dante Fabbro all tied for the game high in blocked shots with three apiece.
• Bellows notched a goal for the first time since BU's 5-3 home victory over Harvard when the teams met at Agganis Arena back on Nov. 22.  

NEXT UP

• The Terriers return to conference play for the final four games of the regular season beginning on Friday (Feb. 17) when they host New Hampshire in the opener of a home-and-home weekend series.
• The game will start at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on American Sports Net and NESN.