Box Score

BOSTON -- A number of college hockey streaks--streaks that may never be matched again all came to an end on Monday night (February 12th) when the Terrier hockey team bowed to Boston College, 5-3, in the title game of the 49th annual Beanpot hockey tournament.

First, it ended a streak of six straight Beanpot titles for the Terriers. No program had ever won more than four, and that was B.U. during the early seventies when the team skated off with the coveted trophy from 1970-73.

It ended a streak of three straight senior classes winning four consecutive Beanpots--1998, 1999, and 2000. No class had ever won more than three straight Beanpot titles. During the early seventies, freshmen were not eligible to play varsity hockey. Thus, the class of 1973 could not have won four straight. The best it could have done was three straight, which it did. The classes of 1968 and 1972 also won three straight. In the late nineties, though, three classes posted a perfect 8-0 record in the Beanpot.

The Terriers had won their last seven straight meetings in the Beanpot final against the Eagles. There was not a single member of this year's B.U. who was born the last time the Eagles beat the Terriers in the Beanpot championship game. That came on February 9, 1976 when BC skated to a 6-3 win.

B.U. entered the BC game on Monday night having won its last 14 straight Beanpot games. The last time the Terriers had lost a Beanpot game was on February 7, 1994 when they bowed to Harvard, 4-2, in the opening-round game. The following week they blanked Northeastern, 8-0, and the streak had begun.

"All good things must come to an end," Terrier head coach Jack Parker said philosophically in the post-game press conference. Parker himself has amassed some impressive Beanpot statistics that may never be equaled. His overall Beanpot record is 42-14, making him the winningest coach in the tournament by a large margin. As a Terrier player during the mid-sixties, he was on teams that posted a 6-0 record in the tournament. When you combine his three Beanpot titles as a player, along with his 15 as a coach, the total has reached 18 of the 49 Beanpots that have been contested.

"It is amazing that we won six in a row," Parker continued. "I don't think that's every going to happen again." Credit the Terriers--they did not relinquish the trophy without a tough fight.

"B.U. really hung in there," Eagle coach Jerry York said after the game. "They weren't about to give up the Beanpot easily. They played very well."

Parker agreed.

"I thought we played well for the most part," said the coach. "We had a couple of breakdowns that gave them three or four easy goals.

"I don't think Jason (Tapp) had his best night in goal tonight," Parker said of the junior goalie, who turned aside 26 BC shots. "I think there were times when he was jumpy.

"However, he did make some big saves in the second period," continued the coach. "I know he will come back and play very well for us down the stretch."

From the outset of Monday night's game, it appeared the Eagles, who entered the game with a 21-7-1 record and ranked second in the nation, would coast to the victory.

J.D. Forrest took a shot from the right point that beat Tapp at 9:33 of the first period. Then, Krys Kolanos, who was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player, upped BC's lead to 2-0 at 13:12 of the first period when he came around the B.U. goal from right to left. His wraparound shot beat Tapp, and the Terriers were looking at a 2-0 deficit.

The score did not bode well for the Terriers, who were 0-8-1 this year when trailing after the first period.

The prospects got worse at 4:47 of the second period when BC's Chuck Kobasew collected the loose puck in front of the Terrier goal. Kolanos had taken a shot that bounced off the boards behind Tapp. The puck came out front and Kobasew gave his team a 3-0 lead.

"We have been resilient all year," said Parker. "We have come back from two- and three-goal deficits."

The Terriers almost came all the way back against the Eagles.

Freshman Frantisek Skladany started the B.U. rally when he scored his fourth goal of the season at 9:22 of the second period. Sophomore Mike Bussoli took the shot from the left point. It appeared the puck hit a player in front of BC goalie Scott Clemmensen, and it bounced out to Skladany whose shot beat Clemmensen to the glove side.

Another Terrier freshman, Kenny Magowan, cut the B.U. deficit to 3-2 on the prettiest goal of the game.

Tapp started the play when he cleared the puck out to sophomore Brian Collins, who was at center ice. Collins then fed the puck up to Magowan. Eagle defenseman Bill Cass was draped all over the Terrier left wing to no avail as Magowan managed a shot from the left faceoff circle that beat Clemmensen to the far side.

The goal, which came at 15:41 of the second period, closed out the scoring for the period as B.U. trailed by just a goal with 20 minutes to play.

Rob Scuderi gave his team a bit of a cushion when he scored at 2:19 of the third period. Tapp made the initial save off Scuderi's shot. However, the puck came up and over Tapp's left shoulder, and it trickled over the goal line.

Just 1:19 later, junior Mike Pandolfo brought the Terriers back to within a goal when he collected the puck in front of Clemmensen and pushed it into the goal.

Once again, the Terriers had come to within a goal, and there was still 16:22 to play in regulation.

Unfortunately, they could not score the equalizer.

Instead, Ben Eaves gave his team the backbreaking goal at 12:31 of the final period when he collected the loose puck at the right faceoff circle. He skated across the crease and finally took his shot that beat Tapp to the stick side.

"We got beat by a better team tonight," said Parker. "You know it's good for the Beanpot for another team to win it. People were getting tired of our winning it every year."

"I don't think it hurts anymore that we lost to BC," said senior captain Carl Corazzini. "It would have hurt just as much losing to Northeastern or Harvard. We didn't want the streak to end. This is tough for the seniors. But, our class still won three Beanpots and two Hockey East regular-season titles."

"Certainly this hurts, but now we must get ready for our league race," said the coach.

That race--the battle for home ice for the Hockey East post-season playoffs, resumes this Friday night (February 16th) when the Terriers travel to Providence College. The Friars are one of the surprise teams of the league this year, as they are ranked eighth in the nation in the most recent poll.