The game marked the second double overtime game in Harvard's history at the Beanpot (Gil Talbot).
BOSTON – In Harvard's longest Beanpot game in school history, the Crimson dropped a tight contest to Boston University in double overtime, 4-3, in the semifinal round of the tournament.
Steve Michalek set a career-high and new Harvard record with 63 saves, becoming the first Crimson goaltender to eclipse the 60-save plateau since Grant Blair '86 did it on Dec. 21, 1984 against Boston College. The Harvard (12-6-2) netminder made 23 saves against the BU (17-4-4) attackers in the two overtime periods. Michalek also broke the Beanpot record for stops in a game (52 by Boston College's Jim Barton in 1970).
Jimmy Vesey extended his point streak to 20 games, and he remains the only player in the nation to have recorded a point in each game this season. Kyle Criscuolo extended his point streak to nine outings with his first period goal, and is one away from tying his career-high set earlier this season.
Alexander Kerfoot and Sean Malone both lit the lamp in returns to the ice. Kerfoot scored his fifth goal of the season and Malone potted his third in a two-goal second period for the Crimson.
The Terriers were the first on the board in the first period at 16:15 when Evan Rodrigues found Cason Hohmann at the back post for a tap in to go ahead 1-0. The lead would last just 1:50, however, as Criscuolo scored his 12th of the season at 18:05 to knot the score at one apiece. Vesey received the puck in transition from Clay Anderson, found his way behind the BU net, and pulled it back to a waiting Criscuolo who slotted it past the Terriers' goaltender.
Kerfoot scored 22 seconds into the second stanza to take a 2-1 lead. An errant BU pass found Criscuolo on the right side of Harvard's attacking zone, and the winger swung it across to Kerfoot who wristed it across the goal line. Sean Malone extended the advantage to 3-1 at 8:28 when a pair of Crimson shots deflected his direction. From straight on, Malone delivered a sharp, unassisted shot down the middle into the back of the net to give Harvard a two-goal advantage.
The Terriers responded with a pair of goals to even the score at 3-3 in the last 4:26 of the second period. BU got the first one back when Nikolas Olsson found space in the middle and slipped the puck into the left side of Harvard's goal. They then proceeded to tie the game with 23 seconds remaining in the frame when Hohmann and Robbie Baillargeon found Ahti Oksanen with space in front of the net to redirect the puck into the upper left corner.
Michalek was on point in the third period, making 16 saves to keep BU out of the net. Eddie Ellis made a goal-saving deflection of his own, knocking a free floating puck out of the air as it approached the goal line midway through the frame. Harvard nearly regained the lead when Seb Lloyd flicked the puck into a scrum of players around the crease. The puck bounced around the goal line, and upon review referees ruled there was inconclusive evidence to award the goal. The period would end with a stand by the Harvard defense, sending the game to overtime.
The Crimson goaltender continued his top form in the first overtime, making 18 saves in the period. Tyler Moy had the best chance of the frame for the Crimson when he leaked out on a breakaway, but was denied as he tried to flick the puck into the top right corner. Minutes later, Malone slid an angled pass to an approaching Kerfoot in front of the net, but the Terrier defense got a stick in its path and thwarted the effort. The extra period would remain scoreless, sending the game to a second overtime.
Michalek made five saves in the first two minutes of the second overtime, but at the 2:18 mark Rodrigues and Jack Eichel found a streaking Danny O'Regan, who scored a top shelf goal to give the Terriers the sudden-victory.
Harvard returns to the ice with a weekend trip to Yale, on February 6, and Brown, on February 7. The Crimson will return to the TD Garden for the Beanpot consolation game on February 9 at 4:30 p.m.
