BOSTON UNIVERSITY FALLS TO HARVARD, 6-2, IN BEANPOT CONSOLATION

Junior forward Evan Rodrigues scored a goal for the Terriers

BOSTON - The Boston University men's ice hockey team fell to Harvard by a score of 6-2 in the consolation game of the 62nd Beanpot on Monday evening at TD Garden.

BU junior Evan Rodrigues scored the lone goal of the opening period, but the Crimson responded by finding the back of the net three times in the second stanza.

The Terriers (8-16-4) made it a 3-2 contest on a tally by sophomore Ahti Oksanen at 8:20 of the third only to watch Harvard regain the two-goal edge less than a minute later.

The Crimson (8-12-3) potted an empty-netter and added another goal in the final minute to create the 6-2 final and send BU to its third fourth-place finish at the Beanpot in the past four seasons.

Rodrigues assisted on Oksanen's goal for a two-point night but Harvard freshman Luke Esposito was the star of the night, scoring two goals while adding an assist. Sophomore Kyle Criscuolo registered a goal and two assists for the Crimson and sophomore Jimmy Vesey posted a goal and an assist.

Harvard got a 25-save performance in goal from junior Steve Michalek. Sophomore Sean Maguire made 31 saves on 35 shots before being replaced by senior Anthony Moccia, who stopped one of the two Harvard attempts he faced in the final 2:14 of regulation.

Midway through the first, freshman Robbie Baillargeon won a battle for the puck behind the Harvard goal before finding Rodrigues in front at 10:42 to give BU a 1-0 lead.

Harvard, however, scored twice in the first four minutes of the second to take a lead it would not relinquish and then added another soon after.

Criscuolo tied the game at 1:14 of the middle stanza with a slap shot from the right side that beat Maguire at the far post. Just over two minutes a later a shot by Vesey went off the body of a BU player and the puck landed in front of classmate Brian Hart, who sent it home to make it a 2-1 game.

The Crimson's three-goal spurt in the second was capped at 6:59 when Esposito knocked in a rebound in front following a shot by junior Max Everson. Criscuolo also picked up an assist on the play.

With the teams skating 4-on-4 following matching minors, BU made got within one with Oksanen converted from the inner edge of the left circle on a 3-on-2 at 7:20. Rodrigues picked up the primary assist to post a two-point night and sophomore Danny O'Regan also earned a helper.

The Crimson would score on the same 4-on-4, however, to pose a major threat to the comeback effort. Esposito provided the tally just 37 seconds after Oksanen's marker.

The Terriers pulled Maguire in favor of an extra attacker and Vesey scored on the empty net with 2:14 to play to make it a 5-2 contest. With Moccia in goal, freshman Tyler Moy put the finishing touches on the Harvard win with 26 seconds left in regulation.

Harvard went 0-for-3 on the power play and the Terriers came up empty on both of their chances with the man advantage.

BU will return to action this weekend with a home-and-home series against New Hampshire. On Friday (Feb. 14), the Terriers will visit the Whittemore Center in a game that will be televised on NBCSN beginning at 7 p.m.



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