No. 2 BC tops No. 1 BU in historic meeting
Eagles pull away late for 4-1 win before capacity crowd
Round one of the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue went to the Boston College Eagles in a game that was an historic first with national ramifications.
BC freshman goalie Jacob Fowler set aside 26 shots as the No. 2 ranked Eagles beat No. 1 Boston University, 4-1, on Friday night at Conte Forum. It was the first time in the 292-game history of the rivalry that BU and BC squared off as the top two teams in the nation.
“I think both teams and especially ours in particular threw the rankings out,” said Fowler, a 2023 Montreal draft pick. “Any time these two teams play each other it doesn’t matter who is ranked where or in the Hockey East standings. It’s BU and BC and for us it was just coming out and controlling our emotions for 60 minutes.”
BC improved to 17-4-1 and 10-3-1 in Hockey East while BU fell to 16-5-1 and 11-2-1. The teams will en- gage in round two of the home and home series on Saturday night (7) at BU’s Agganis Arena. BC and BU will meet for a third time in the nightcap (8) of the 71st annual Beanpot twin bill on Monday, Feb. 5, at the TD Garden.
The electrified atmosphere became unruly during player introductions, with the BU players on the business end of verbal brickbats from all corners of the house. The noise amped up a few decibels when Boston Bruins’ baritone Todd Angilly stepped onto the ice to perform the national anthem wearing a road white BC jersey.
“I thought everyone got to witness a pretty exciting hockey game and the crowd and the support was incredible,” said BC coach Greg Brown. “They have been here all year but tonight they took it to another level and that was great to see.
“They got to see two pretty good hockey teams make a lot of plays out there and Jacob was huge for us.”
Fowler had made 25 straight saves before BU cut the lead to 2-1 at 13:22 of the third period, denying him the first shutout of his college career. Sophomore center Ryan Greene set up left wing Jack Hughes in the left circle. The junior transfer from Northeastern one-timed a slap shot that beat Fowler top shelf to the glove side for his fourth of the season.
BU coach Jay Pandolfo lifted goalie Mattieu Caron (28 saves) for and extra skater with 2:22 to play. BC secured the victory on a breakaway empty net goal Cutter Gauthier, his team high 18th of the season. The Eagles made it 4-1 on a second empty netter by Andre Gasseau at 18:57.
“Right there was a good time to pull him,” said Pandolfo. “I did not love our decision on the goal they scored, we have to make better decisions there but I would do the same thing again.”
The Eagles and the Terriers exchanged quality scoring chances through the opening five minutes of the first period as both Fowler and Caron piled up the saves.
Fowler was mercilessly peppered by the Terriers’ power play but stood up under the onslaught and made a sequence of remarkable saves from close quarters. The Eagles’ power play did a similar number on Caron with one-time slappers from both circles amidst a swell of activity in the blue paint. Caron and Fowler were the story in the first period and they exited the ice with 13 saves apiece.
BU brought the heat at the start of the second period but BC scored first at 3:34. Senior defenseman Eamon Powell got the puck to freshman forward Ryan Leonard at the bottom of the right circle. The Washington Capitals 2023 firstround pick from Amherst fired a bad angle wrist shot that beat Caron to the near post of his 13th of the season.
BC went up 2-0 at 17:15 of the second when Leonard sprang Will Smith and Gabe Perreault on a two-onone break deep into the BU zone. Smith made a tape-totape pass to Perreault in the right circle and the Rangers’ 2023 first-round pick beat Caron top shelf to the glove side of his eighth of the season.
“They are a very good team and they don’t need a lot of chances to score,” said Pandolfo. “You have to manage the puck against them and they are very good in transition.
“You saw that on their second goal. You think you are in a pretty good spot and the next you know they get behind you and they don’t need a lot of chances to finish. I think we shot ourselves in the foot that way.”