BOSTON, Mass. — Entering Monday’s Beanpot consolation game against Harvard, Boston College men’s hockey was on an 11-game winless streak during which the Eagles’ opponents outscored them 51–22.
For 55 minutes of Monday’s matchup, it looked as if that curse might be broken—that is, until Harvard’s Jack Donato tied the game with five minutes left to play. The stalemate held throughout the rest of regulation and an overtime period, as BC (10–15–5, 5–10–3 Hockey East) and Harvard (13–8–3, 10–5–2 ECAC) skated to a 3–3 tie—the first in Beanpot history.
“It’s going to break, and it’s going to turn—that’s what our thought process is,” head coach Jerry York said in his postgame press conference. “Almost tonight, but you know, we couldn’t quite secure the victory. … It’s certainly one of the most enjoyable teams I’ve had to work with, just because of their spirit, their ability to sustain their good, hard work effort without positive results.”
The result marks the first tie in Beanpot history. The NCAA announced new overtime rules in 2020 stating that after a five-minute overtime period, tournament games will only go to a shootout if the contest is a championship game or if it determines advancement.
BC opened the scoring on a goal from Liam Izyk in the eighth minute. After he scored his first two goals of the season against UConn on Feb. 11, he recorded a goal and an assist for another multi-point night on Monday.
“All last year he missed basically the season with a bad wrist injury,” York said. “This year, he started a little slower [and] could not get into our lineup. Right now he’s on fire. He’s just been an excellent player for us.”
Harvard tied things up with a shorthanded goal in the 12th minute of the second period, but Colby Ambrosio responded just 48 seconds later to put the Eagles up 2–1.
Ambrosio netted his second of the night in the 17th minute of the second frame, and the Eagles headed to the locker room for the second intermission up 3–1.
Just 1:05 into the third period, Harvard scored on a 2-on-1 play to cut the Eagles’ lead down to one. BC held its one-goal lead for much of the period, but Donato’s late tally tied the game up at three apiece.
“Giving up a two-goal lead in the third period is something we have to correct,” York said. “Those [goals] are correctable things. We’re face down with our six straight Hockey East games, and we’ve really got to get going.”
As BC faces its final games of the regular season, York said he is optimistic about the character of his team.
“What’s kept me going is just watching our players,” York said. “Their spirit’s outstanding. They come to every practice with the intent [that] we’re going to get better. The locker room has not been affected by how the results are, so that’s great to see.”
Featured Image by Ben Schultz / For the Heights
