CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Sophomore forward Johnny Gaudreau scored twice, including an empty-net tally with 13.3 seconds left to seal the victory, to lead top-ranked Boston College in a 3-1 win over seventh-ranked Notre Dame before a sellout crowd of 7,884 fans at Kelley Rink.
With the victory, the Eagles captured possession of the coveted Snooks Kelley - Lefty Smith Trophy, awarded the winner between the Boston College - Notre Dame hockey classic. Snooks Kelley served as BC's head coach for 36 years (1932-42; 1946-72) and became the first coach in college hockey history to surpass the 500-victory plateau. Lefty Smith was hired in 1968 as the Notre Dame's first varsity hockey coach and guided the Irish for 19 seasons (1968-87).
Senior goaltender Parker Milner recorded 19 saves to earn his seventh win of the season and the 49th of his career.
Host Boston College scored the game's first two goals. The visiting Fighting Irish scored its lone goal of the contest in the seventh minute of the third period before Gaudreau sealed the victory into an empty net.
After both teams went scoreless in the first period, BC senior captain Pat Mullane broke the scoreless draw at 4:41 of the second. Mullane received the feed up the seam from senior defenseman Patrick Wey, broke in alone and put a backhanded shot between the pads Irish goaltender Steven Summerhays.
Gaudreau doubled the team's lead at 16:30 of the frame, receiving a cross-ice feed from freshman defenseman Michael Matheson and lifting the puck into the top of the net over Summerhays' right shoulder.
Notre Dame pulled within one at 7:10 of the third period when forward Thomas DiPauli found a loose puck and punched it into the net through traffic to make the score 2-1.
Boston College did not record its first shot until 10:49 of the first period. The Eagles then held Notre Dame without a shot for 7 minutes, 45 seconds in the second period, a period in which the Eagles outshot the Fighting Irish, 12-2.
Both teams were scoreless with a man advantage. The Eagles were 0-for- 6 on the power play while Notre Dame was 0-for-5.
Milner recorded 19 saves to improve to 7-1-0. Summerhays recorded 19 saves in 59:47. He falls to 5-3-0.