B.C. Talk of the Town

BOSTON--Back in November, Harvard turned in one of its most exciting games of the season against cross-town rival Boston College.

Though the Crimson fell to the Eagles 3-2 in extra minutes--thanks to a dubiously waived goal--Harvard's stellar performance boosted it into the national rankings for the first and only time this season.

Unfortunately, the Crimson couldn't bring the same effort to the table last night against B.C. in the opening round of the 49th annual Beanpot Tournament. The Eagles dominated the majority of playing time and downed the Crimson 4-1, proving once again why they are No. 2 in the nation.

Since the Thanksgiving contest, it is clear that both squads have improved dramatically, as both teams have steadily climbed in their respective leagues. B.C. has a lock on first place in Hockey East, and the Crimson is only a point from possessing the top slot in the ECAC behind Ivy foe Cornell.

However, it's tough to draw a comparison between the two leagues, as Hockey East boasts some of the best teams in the nation, including Providence and Maine.

And while it's a heated battle for first in the ECAC among teams like Harvard, Cornell, and St. Lawrence, the Eagles are thick in the hunt for a national championship. B.C. essentially has a lock on its regular season conference title, having dropped both Providence and Maine handily in two games each, including a 7-2 embarrassment of the Black Bears in late January.

Although the Eagles are one of the top teams to beat in the country this season, there's always a chance for upset in the annual Beantown tournament. Harvard didn't have much of a chance to put this plan into action as B.C. jumped to an early and insurmountable two-goal lead after the first period.

The end of the final frame witnessed a rejuvenated Crimson squad, but its effort was much too late. A great individual effort from rookie winger Kenny Turano at 9:38 prevented Harvard's second straight blanking in the first round of the Beanpot, but B.C. steamrolled to victory.

But the real story from yesterday's matchup is not Harvard's lackluster effort. Rather, the talk of the town after last night is B.C.

With Boston University still floundering under .500 with a losing record, this is the best chance the Eagles have had in a long time to snap the Terriers' six-year Beanpot domination and officially claim Boston bragging rights for their own.

Leading the way for B.C. is senior captain Brian Gionta, one of the top three Hobey Baker favorites. Gionta has turned in nothing less than a phenomenal performance every time he has taken the ice, and last night was no exception.

Gionta put B.C. on the board at 4:37 in the first with an unstoppable slapshot that clanged under the crossbar, a shot that senior goaltender Oli Jonas had virtually no chance of saving. Gionta nabbed a pair of assists on Marty Hughes' powerplay tally only 47 seconds into the second stanza and Tony Voce's rebound shot at 6:16 in the third.

"I thought that Brian Gionta played one of his best games tonight," B.C. coach Jerry York said. "He played an outstanding game and was really an inspiration to our players."

While I would agree that Gionta was once again the key to the Eagles' success, last night's performance hardly overshadows the one-man show he put on against Maine a few weeks ago. Gionta netted five goals on five shots against the Black Bears, all coming in the first period.

Gionta is flanked by a comprehensive core of forwards, including a number of impressive rookies, a credit to the recruiting ability of York and his coaching staff. Linemates Ben Eaves and Voce have both broken into double digits. Eaves already has 21 points, while Voce trails with 16. And with 33 of his own, freshman Chuck Kobasew is closely chasing Gionta's team-high 37 points.

And though the Eagles sorely missed sophomore Krys Kolanos, who is tied with Gionta for points, they definitely didn't need him last night.

Top to bottom, B.C. is a dominant offensive team. Four of their six blueliners have at least 13 points on the season. Senior Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi were both effective in last night's victory as both posted assists on Kobasew's tally.

Add to the mix a 2.17 GAA and .914 save percentage, courtesy of senior netminder Scott Clemmenson, and you've got yourself a force to reckon with.

"I thought the team had a lot of jump and explosiveness," York said. "We were cycling pucks well and Scott Clemmenson was very solid in goal. It's a good combination to have."

It becomes more evident when you see what the Eagles did to a team that prides itself on its impressive specialty teams. The Eagles basically put the Crimson's power play to bed last night, holding Harvard scoreless five times on the man advantage. B.C. did some damage to the Crimson's penalty kill unit, netting two power play goals in nine chances.

When it comes right down to it, its no tragedy that Harvard dropped the first round of the Beanpot to the better competitor. Although we would have liked to see a better effort from the Crimson, Harvard was clearly the underdog going into the contest.

"Mark Mazzoleni's team is a difficult team to defend," York said. "I feel real good about our effort."

B.C. is well on its way to the NCAA tournament, but its first stop is a Beanpot championship, two feats that the Eagles have been denied for far too long.

Next Monday can't come soon enough. At least for B.C.