First came Mike Pandolfo; he’s the co-captain, so it makes sense. Then came Chris Dyment, the other “C” wearer. Next were Jack Baker and Jason Tapp. Finally Pat Aufiero, the fallen leader on the blue line who’s on crutches until March, received the coveted chalice of Boston hockey dreams.
The Beanpot had come full circle within BU’s ringlet of seniors.
This is a special bunch of hockey players in the sense that each one is a rare Terrier to have seen both the good and the bad. They were there for the OT win over Boston College in the Beanpot, but an otherwise horrible freshman year. Sophomore year there was the 25-10-7 record, the sixth straight Beanpot, but also a four-overtime loss to St. Lawrence.
Last season, BU struggled through their second 14-20-3 record in three years and lost the Beanpot to Boston College, and had to watch as they celebrated with their Beanpot.
They say a year can make a world of difference. They’re right. This year’s squad is now 19-7-2, ranked No. 8 in the country and cruising toward the Hockey East playoffs next month.
When Pandolfo walked into the post-game press conference, he was carrying the Beanpot under his grey shirt sleeve and lugged it up to the table, complaining it was “heavy” but not really caring.
I have had the privilege of picking up the Beanpot, and I can tell you it is one heavy piece of silver metal. But I can only imagine in my craziest dreams how light it must feel to hold it over your head in the elation of victory.
But victory didn’t come easy. It never seems to in the Beanpot, and the seniors led the way, on and off the ice.
With Aufiero watching alongside Kevin Bjelajac from the press box level and Jason Tapp relegated to a backup role, Dyment, Pandolfo and Baker were the three senior statesmen instrumental in the outcome of last night’s victory.
Pandolfo’s goal at 3:54 of the third period tied the game at 3-3, perhaps when a majority of the sellout audience figured BU’s fate was sealed when NU captain Jim Fahey scored with 10 seconds left in the second and Pandolfo took a “stupid” boarding penalty as the period expired.
After Pandolfo’s tying tally, all three on-ice seniors had chances to ice the game and the ‘Pot for BU, but all were denied by the fabulous freshman and Husky goalie, Keni Gibson.
Until, that is, freshman Justin Maiser put home a wrister top-shelf over a sprawled Gibson with 1:12 left to play. Husky players fell to one knee in utter exhaustion, while the Icedogs swarmed the gifted freshman.
“I don’t remember the goal, but I know Maiser scored it,” Pandolfo said.
Indeed, all 17,565 fans in attendance saw it was Maiser. All the raucous NU Dog Pound members and all the Terrier Nation members were privy to a Beanpot classic, a game that will go down in the annals of Boston college hockey lore as deserving of being the 50th anniversary of the Beanpot.
And now for another week, BU will be walking with an extra spring in its collective step. Just like after the Patriots won The Big One, BU has won its Big One, and no one can ever take that away from the seniors who have seen great, sickening, everything in between, and therefore can appreciate this ‘Pot with extra meaning.
And if anyone had any doubt that BU stands for “Beanpot U.,” consider this.
While BC has finished in third place 20 times, BU has won the whole shabang a whopping 24 times.
Put that in your ‘Pot and smoke it.
Why don’t the all-powerful powers-that-be place the BU Pep Band next to the BU section? Is that so unreasonable or unfathomable? Northeastern gets the luxury, and we win the tournament most every year.
Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni called forward Dominic Moore “his team’s best offensive player.” Harvard didn’t score any goals on the night. Yes, this is from a school that is smarter than all of us.
A very disoriented and possibly drunk BU fan held up a sign to the NU Dog Pound reading, “NU fans can’t read this sign.” The fan was right. The sign was held upside down. Oh how the jokers can become the jokes.
If BC coach Jerry York precedes any more of his comments with “very, very,” I’ll just keel over on the press conference room floor. In school, we’re taught that adverbs are evil and to omit needless words. Take a lesson, Jerry.
Kenny Magowan obviously doesn’t like the sight of his own mug. When the FleetCenter “penalty box cam” put the penalized sophomore up on the Jumbotron, he stuck his stick into the lens. Three minutes later, he went right back in for another penalty. Some people just can’t get enough of attention.
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