CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Despite Johnny Gaudreau's power play goal early in the third, No. 14 Notre Dame curbed No. 1 Boston College's 19-game unbeaten streak in overtime on Senior Day in front of a sold out Kelley Rink, 2-1.
Vince Hinostroza's walk-off tally 1:56 into the extra session resulted in the Eagles' first loss in 92 days (Nov. 29, 2013 - Holy Cross).
Boston College will still be the No. 1 seed in the Hockey East playoffs and will take a two-week hiatus before the quarterfinals commence at Kelley Rink.
Gaudreau extended his point streak to 29 games, now just two short of matching Paul Kariya's (Maine) Hockey East record of 31 games set in 1992-93. The Carneys Point, N.J., native has also scored a power play goal in five-consecutive games and a goal in six-straight games, marking a career best.
Saturday's contest yielded only 41 total shots with the Irish owning the narrow margin, 21-20. Both BC goaltender Thatcher Demko and Fighting Irish netminder Steven Summerhays stopped 19 attempts.
Senior Kevin Hayes was cited for a late cross checking call at 18:08 of the first period and the Irish capitalized just after the infraction let out 32 seconds into the middle frame.
Steve Fogarty cleared the puck out of the zone off the near corner and raced up ice. Fogarty dropped it off for Jeff Costello on the Eagles' blue line and Costello slowed his stride and delivered a crisp cross-zone pass to Kevin Lind in the slot. Lind zipped the one-timer past Demko for the early 1-0 advantage.
The Eagles had a couple chances following the Irish's tally after Lind was sent away for holding at 15:12 of the second period. Gaudreau handled a rebound just in front of Summerhayes, cradled it and lifted it past the goaltender, but the puck clanked off iron.
Much like Notre Dame's strike, the Eagles took advantage of a late Irish penalty to close out the second frame.
Sam Herr was whistled for hooking with 20 seconds remaining and Gaudreau took care of business out of the chute to start the third. Sophomore Michael Matheson chased a Notre Dame clear around the net and linked up with Gaudreau on the Eagles' blue line. Notre Dame did everything in its might to collapse, but Gaudreau split the defense, broke up another attempt at the blue line and beat Summerhays with his patented five-hole backhand to tie it, 1-1, at 1:31.
Demko made a huge pad save with about five minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime, but Hinostroza's shot found its way over the goal line in the extra session.
Hinostroza accepted Herr'd dish and blasted it through the zone. The puck fortuitously kicked off of Patrick Brown's stick and found its way over Demko's shoulder at 1:56 to clinch the 2-1 triumph.
With the conclusion of the regular season and a No. 1 seed locked up, Boston College will have next weekend off as the first round start up on Friday, March 7. The Eagles will await their opponent for the start of the Hockey East quarterfinals starting on Friday, March 14, at Kelley Rink. Game times are yet to be determined.
Game Notes
- Johnny Gaudreau extended his point streak to 29 games with a power play goal. It marks the fifth-consecutive game Gaudreau has tallied a power play goal and sixth-straight outing with a goal. That marks a career high. The Carneys Point, N.J., native has accounted for 27 goals and 29 assists over the course of the streak. Gaudreau is two games shy of matching Paul Kariya's Hockey East single-season record of 31-straight games with a point set over the course of the 1992-92 season.
- Saturday's loss marks the first setback the Eagles endured when Johnny Gaudreau scored a goal. Boston College was 21-0-2 when he scored a goal before tonight's result.
- Johnny Gaudreau has scored 30 goals this season, marking the first Eagle to accomplish the feat since Cam Atkinson in 2010-11. Atkinson scored 31 goals in 2010-11, following his first 30-goal campaign in 2009-10.
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