COLLEGE HOCKEY

• BU to face BC in Beanpot title game

  
  

  Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Boston College will face Boston University in the title game of the 55th annual Beanpot Tournament after each school won semifinal games Monday at TD Banknorth Garden.

  Nathan Gerbe scored the game-winning goal while short-handed and Brian Boyle added an empty-net tally to pace Boston College to a 3-1 victory over Harvard.

  Earlier Monday, Pete MacArthur and Kenny Roche scored 48 seconds apart midway through the second period to lead Boston University to a 4-0 victory over Northeastern. Dan McGoff added a pair of third-period goals for the Terriers.

  The championship game will mark the 19th time in the 55-year history of the championship that BU and BC have faced off in the title game, with Boston University holding an 11-7 advantage. It will also be the fourth time in five years the two schools have faced off in the final.

  Two of college hockey's winningest coaches will square off in Boston University's Jack Parker and BC's Jerry York.

  Boston University (14-5-8) advanced to next Monday's final for the 13th consecutive year and for the 23rd time in the last 24 years. BU holds the record for consecutive Beanpot final appearances at 16 (1964-79).

  BU, which has won a record 27 times, has now reached the finals in 40 of the last 44 years and 46 times in the 55-year-old tournament.

  Senior goaltender John Curry, one of 45 Hobey Baker finalists, improved to a 4-0 career mark in the Beanpot with his second straight shutout, 4-0, over Northeastern (10-13-4). It was his sixth of the season, which leads the nation, and his 12th career, one shy of the school mark set by Jack Ferreira in 1966.

  "I thought the game was one of our most thorough games of the year," Parker said. "We were terrific in all three zones. We did a terrific job killing penalties and we got a few power play goals. We did a lot of things very well, which helped us control our own destiny."

  It was a rough ending for Northeastern, which got 33 saves from freshman goaltender Brad Thiessen.

  "I really felt this game was men against boys," Northeastern coach Greg Cronin said. "I thought we had a pretty good jump in the first 10 minutes, but when you play BU it becomes a trench battle where there's play along the wall. That usually dictates scoring chances and momentum."

  In the second game, Cory Schneider made 20 saves to earn his 15th win of the season for BC.

  Harvard scored the game's first goal at 8:12 from defenseman Dylan Reese, but the rest of the game belonged to the Eagles. Benn Ferriero evened the score on his 13th goal of the season at 17:27.

  Gerbe's goal came off a backhand at 6:22 of the second period before Boyle's empty-netter.

  "I think we might have had a little more jump in our legs in the third period and that's probably the difference in the game," York said. "We were probably a little more rested for this game than the Crimson were."

  Harvard goalie Kyle Richter recorded 29 saves in the loss.

  "Honestly, I don't mean to demean anybody, but I thought all three goals were goals that the goaltenders would like to have back," Harvard coach Ted Donato said. "We didn't make enough plays in my mind to win the game. We had five shots, trailing a goal, in the third period. That's just not good enough."

  02/06 01:32:39 ET