Departments
Sports
|
Week of 6 February 1998 |
Vol. I, No. 19 |
Sports
|
Will Terrier seniors take home their fourth Beanpot trophy?Game Preview by Brian Fitzgerald Going into their seventh career Beanpot game on February 2, BU hockey forwards Chris Drury (CAS'98) and Mike Sylvia (SMG'98) had never experienced a loss in this tournament. The seniors were 6-0 in Beanpot play and made sure that they would continue their undefeated 'Pot play, scoring the final two goals to seal a 4-1 win against Northeastern and advance to the final. Harvard seniors, on the other hand, had never experienced a Beanpot victory, going 0-6 in the past three years. And it appeared as though the Crimson would post yet another loss, trailing Boston College 4-3 with time running out in the third period. But with 26 seconds left, Harvard junior defenseman Ben Storey tied the game. Then, 2:14 into overtime, freshman forward Chris Bala won the game for Harvard with a slap shot. It was his second goal of the contest and propelled the Crimson into the Beanpot championship game for the first time since 1994, when Harvard took the trophy. It wasn't supposed to happen. Harvard hadn't hit the ice in 22 days because of final exams and seemed to be skating in slow motion in the first period. The Crimson started a freshman in the net because regular goaltender J. R. Prestifilippo was sidelined with mononucleosis. Boston College, ranked ninth in the country, at one point held a 3-0 lead. BC fans, chanting "Bring on BU," were preparing for a Commonwealth Avenue showdown between the top two teams in Hockey East. Harvard had already battled BC into overtime twice this season, resulting in a Crimson loss and a tie. But the teams' third overtime battle resulted in a Harvard victory. The BU-Northeastern game was a lot closer than the score indicated. However, Terrier goaltender Michel Larocque (MET'98), another senior who has yet to experience a Beanpot loss, made some spectacular saves. "Northeastern hung in there, played hard, and had some great scoring chances," says 1980 Olympic hockey hero Mike Eruzione (SED'80). "But Michel Larocque was solid." |
Athlete of the Week
Alicia Charles and Michel Larocque
Hosting Hofstra on January 31, the BU women's basketball team had a lot at stake. The Terriers wanted to extend their two-game winning streak. And in the stands was Debbie Miller-Palmore (SED'81), the highest scoring women's basketball player in BU history.
On the court was Alicia Charles (MET'98), who last year had shown shades of Miller-Palmore: Charles averaged 17.3 points a game before tearing a ligament in her left knee. But this season Charles is picking up where she left off. Against Hofstra, the Butler, N.J., native scored 24 points and pulled down 15 rebounds as BU defeated the Flying Dutchwomen, 84-72.
"We kind of take him for granted," said Hockey Coach Jack Parker after BU's 4-1 victory over Northeastern in the opening round of the Beanpot Tournament February 2. "He can be spectacular." Parker was talking about goaltender Michel Larocque (MET'99), who made 26 saves, including 14 stops in the third period. Larocque, from Dieppe, Nebr., has a .911 save percentage and is enjoying an 8-1-1 record this year.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||