BU Edges BC 8-7 in ECAC Tourney Thriller

Boston University's Rick Meagher scored with less than three minutes left in last night's hockey game against Boston College, giving BU an 8-7 victory in a seesaw battle that saw seven goals scored in the final period.

The affair at BU's Walter Brown Arena highlighted last night's ECAC tournament action. In the other quarter-final games, Clarkson topped Brown, 6-3, Cornell edged RPI 7-5, and the University of New Hampshire beat Brown 4-3 in overtime.

Last night's game at BU between the two teams Harvard knocked off in the Beanpot was the thriller which everyone had expected. It almost seemed a replay of last year's quarterfinal match which BU won with two goals in the closing minutes; or of this season's last minute 6-5 victory over. Harvard on another clutch Rick Meagher goal.

But yesterday's third period was the craziest.

Meagher's score at 2:33 came just six seconds after BC's Bob Ferriter had tied the game for the fourth time of the night. It was Meagher's third goal of the game, all coming in the final period.

BU entered the third period riding a 5-3 edge, which Meagher upped to 6-3 five minutes into the period.

Joe Augustine narrowed the margin to 6-4 with 8:37 gone in the period, and the stage was set for the heroics of BC's Joe Mullen.

After high-sticking calls against BC's Tom Songin, BU's Jack O'Callahan set up a four-on-four situation, Mullen slapped a deflection of a Dave Annecchiarico shot into the nets with 5:23 left in the game.

Mullen tied the contest at six-all just 27 seconds later. The score was Mullen's fourth of the evening, two coming in the first period.

But Rick Meagher was not to be outdone, and less than a minute later he put the Terriers on top by 7-6. Meagher's tally came off a rebound of a Dick Lamby shot with four minutes remaining to be played.

At 16:28 O'Callahan was called for interference, placing BC at the advantage. But for several moments it looked as if BU would turn the tables as Lamby took the puck down the ice and fired three consecutive shots at the BC goal. Only outstanding play by the Eagles' star goalie Paul Skidmore kept the Eagles in the game.

After an exchange in the BU zone, Ferriter stole the puck as the Terriers' defensemen attempted to clear the puck. Ferriter moved toward BU goalie Jim Craig and the forward's ensuing slapshot bounced off Craig's shoulder and trickled into the net.

Ferriter's score knotted the game at 7-all and paved the way for Meagher to complete his hat trick and put BU over the top.

BU's victory gave the defending ECAC champions the right to play Clarkson in the semi-finals of the tournament. That game, as well as the semi-final match between Cornell and UNH, will be played Friday night at the Boston Garden.

Clarkson rode to a 5-1 first period advantage in last night's game against Providence. After a scoreless second stanza, Providence came back with two goals, but Clarkson coasted to a 6-3 victory.

The win was Clarkson's fourth in a row. Ironically, the last team to beat the Knights was BU.

Red hot RPI, winners of their previous six games, fell prey to perennial ECAC contender Cornell, 7-5. George Corneil broke a 5-5 tie at 9:01 of the final period by pushing the puck past RPI goalie Joe Ens while lying flat on his back.

In Durham, N.H., Dave Lumley scored a power play goal at 5:31 of the sudden death overtime, pushing UNH to a 4-3 victory over Brown. The teams matched goals during regulation time, with Brown's Dave Roberts setting up the extra period confrontation by tying the game at three-all with 15 minutes to play.