Terriers defeat BC, move on to Beanpot title game

BOSTON -- The No. 3 Boston University men's ice hockey team never trailed en route to a 3-1 victory over No. 7 Boston College in the opening round of the 65th annual Beanpot on Monday night at TD Garden.

BU dominated the first period, outshooting the Eagles 12-2 and scoring the lone goal of the frame just 4:29 into the proceedings. Freshman Patrick Harper skated up the left wing, circled around the BC cage and fired a shot on target that Joe Woll (25 saves) stopped. Sophomore Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson knocked home the rebound, however, for his 11th goal of the season.

Freshman Chad Krys made it 2-0 with the Terriers' lone power-play goal of the contest at the 3:32 mark of the second stanza, with sophomore Bobo Carpenter and freshman Dante Fabbro both assisting on the play.

BC cut the deficit in half minutes later, but freshman Clayton Keller answered back with a shorthanded strike at the 11:06 mark of the middle period. Sophomore Charlie McAvoy collected a puck in his own zone and eventually got it to Keller, who deftly defied a defender and slotted home his team-leading 14th goal of the campaign.

BC took four penalties over the final 20 minutes, hampering its chance at a comeback as the Terriers held on for the victory.

RELATED: Harvard defeats Northeastern, advances to Beanpot Final | Numbers to Know

Harvard defeated Northeastern, 4-3, in the first semifinal and for the first time since 1998, BU and Harvard will face off in the Beanpot title game. The Terriers will be aiming for their 31st Beanpot crown while the Crimson is in search of its 11th and first since 1993. BU completed a regular-season sweep of the Eagles for the first time since the 1994-95 campaign.

The Terriers' snapped a stretch of six straight losses to BC in Beanpot games with BU's last win over the Eagles in Beanpot play coming in the 2007 championship game. BU is now tied with Union for the most wins in the country with 19.