Harvard halts hex
Crimson beat BU for 1st Beanpot since ’93
Harvard rode a pair of goals from freshman right winger and tournament MVP Nathan Krusko to end a Beanpot hex dating back to 1993, upstaging favored Boston University, 6-3, last night to grab its 11th Beanpot title in front of 15,941 fans at TD Garden
Third-ranked Harvard outshot fourth-ranked BU, 46-17, and was in full charge throughout.
“We had a lot of offensive-zone pressure and generated a lot of opportunities and when we play like that we’re tough to beat,” said Harvard co-captain Alexander Kerfoot, who scored the eventual game-winner 31 seconds into the third period.
Asked if the weight of the trophy, never mind the 24year jinx of not winning the ’Pot, entered his mind when he received the coveted mug, Kerfoot said, “I don’t know. It felt pretty light when I was out there.”
The opening period was all Harvard (18-5-2) as the Crimson skated to a 1-0 lead while out-shooting the Terriers 182. The ice was tilted so lopsided against BU that Terriers coach David Quinn used his timeout at 9:05.
“From start to finish we were fighting an uphill battle. At the end of the day, this is a game of want and desire and they wanted it more than us. No question the better team won tonight,” said Quinn. “They outshot us. They outskated us. They outhit us. They outscored us. About the only thing they didn’t do is out-goaltend us.
“We were slow with puck movement. We were slow with skating. It’s disappointing. It really is a head-scratcher in a lot of ways.”
Harvard extended its unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1), and avenged a 5-3 loss to BU (19-9-2) on Nov. 22.
There was little love lost between the teams, and a hard hit by Bruins prospect Charlie McAvoy of BU on fellow B’s draftee Ryan Donato handed the Terriers defenseman a minor penalty, joining teammate Kieffer Bellows in the box and setting up Harvard with a 5-on-3 for 1:04.
BU managed to return Bellows before the potent Crimson lit the goal lamp at 14:34. Senior center Sean Malone sent a drive that BU goalie Jake Oettinger appeared to have trapped. The puck fell loose where Krusko rapped it home at 15:10. Oettinger, with 40 saves, won the Eberly Award as the tourney’s best goalie.
The middle frame began with BU’s imposing 6-foot5 Jordan Greenway cutting sharply across the goalmouth and drawing a slashing call against Harvard defenseman Jacob Olson at 0:52. It took the Terriers 37 seconds to tie the game when Bellows beat Harvard goalie Merrick Madsen (14 saves) on a rebound at 1:29.
BU suddenly found momentum and a shot from the right point by junior defenseman John MacLeod was tipped over the glove of Madsen by Clayton Keller for a 2-1 BU lead.
Harvard righted the ship at 10:46 when a booming blast by Clay Anderson was steered into the net by senior left winger Luke Esposito.
Harvard regained the lead at 18:54 of the second when Krusko buried his second goal of the game.
Penalties landed BU in trouble, and they faced a 5-on-3 shorthanded situation into the third stanza. Harvard took advantage as senior center Kerfoot converted his third swipe at the puck from the right post at 0:31.
Donato and Keller traded unassisted goals at 12:47 and 13:20, and defenseman Adam Fox closed the scoring into an empty net at 18:10.