CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Two teams headed in opposite directions continued on their respective paths on Tuesday night with Harvard earning a 6-3 victory behind an Alex Kerfoot hat trick over an injury-and-illness-laden No. 8 Boston College team.
The victory extended Harvard’s unbeaten streak to begin the season to four games (2-0-2), while the Eagles dropped their fourth straight game for the first time since the 2003-04 season, more than a decade ago.
While the story of the night should have been the Harvard upset, it instead turned to Boston College’s goaltending.
After Thatcher Demko fell ill earlier in the week with a viral infection, it was revealed that backup Brian Billett has left the team for personal reasons. That set into action senior Brad Barone, who made his first career start, with BC coach Jerry York forced to enlist a sophomore from the student body, Alex Joyce, as the team’s emergency backup.
“I thought that Brad Barone really stepped in and did a nice job for us,” said York. “It was really his first collegiate contest for us. We’ve had him in for some late duty during the course of his career, but for four years, he’s been behind some pretty good goaltenders.”
According to York, Demko began to show signs of illness as early as last Friday against Boston University and by Sunday had spiked a 103.3 degree temperature. It’s not clear whether the sophomore standout will be able to make the team’s trip to Michigan State on Thursday morning for a Friday-Saturday series.
In turn, Harvard took full advantage on Tuesday, peppering the inexperienced Barone (22 saves) in spurts throughout the game and, at times, cashing in on unexpected deflections and rebounds.
“I thought we played to our team speed, were able to turn the puck over a little bit and pin them in,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato. “We were able to make some plays on some bouncing pucks.”
Harvard’s top line of center Kerfoot (three goals, two assists) and wingers Jimmy Vesey (goal, assist) and Kyle Criscuolo (goal, two assists) provided the Crimson with more than enough offensive power on the night.
“Our best players were our best players and that started with our first line,” said Donato.
Special teams also played a big role. While Harvard was 1-for-3 man advantage, extending the team’s hot start with the man advantage to 3-for-13 on the young season, its penalty killing unit was spectacular, killing off all seven Eagles power plays.
The Crimson struck twice late in the opening frame, fending off two BC power plays only to deflate the Kelley Rink crowd when it got a chance of its own on the man advantage. Kerfoot rifled a targeted wrist shot top corner blocker side on Barone for his first of the night at 14:08 to open the scoring.
With 28.5 seconds remaining in the frame, Criscuolo stole a puck from BC blueliner Michael Matheson, walked in on Barone and fired a high shot glove side for the 2-0 lead.
The Eagles dominated the early portion of the second period and closed within a goal when Matthew Gaudreau, brother of last year’s Hobey Baker winner Johnny, tallied his second career goal. Gaudreau made a perfect redirect on an Ian McCoshen shot at 4:56 to bring the crowd of 4,706 back to life.
BC had numerous chances to even the game, particularly on a power play midway through the frame, but couldn’t solve Harvard netminder Steve Michalek (23 saves).
Surviving the Eagles onslaught, Harvard took control of the game late in the second. Vesey redirected an innocuous looking wrister by Max Everson at 14:08. And Phil Zielonka buried a rebound after a deflected pass hit Barone and bounced right to the doorstep.
In the third, little improved for the hosts as Kerfoot recorded his second goal and fourth point of the night at 8:31, tipping home a Desmond Bergin shot for the 5-1 lead.
The Eagles climbed back into the game at 12:03, connecting with each team down a man when Destry Straight banked a rebound off the outstretched arm of Michalek. And when rookie Alex Tuch finished off a nice feed on an odd-man rush from classmate Zach Stanford, there was some hope for BC.
But that was a close as the Eagles would get, the Crimson shutting the door and Kerfoot completing the hat trick into an empty net with 27.1 seconds left to earn just the 45th victory for the team in 121 games of the storied rivalry.
It was Harvard’s first win over BC since a 4-0 victory on Nov. 7, 2006.
The clubs could meet again this season in either the Beanpot final or consolation game in February.
“It’s early in the season and there’s a lot of hockey to be played,” said Donato. “I hope we have a chance to see [BC] again on the second Monday in February in the right game for both of us.”
