Beanpot Wrap: BU Notches Flashy, Dominant Win Over Harvard

BOSTON — No. 8 Boston University flexed its muscles and opened up the 72nd annual Dunkin’ Beanpot with a resounding 7-1 win over Harvard in the semifinal round on Monday night at TD Garden.

The Terriers improved their record to 15-9-1 while the Crimson dropped to 7-12-2.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
For the first 10 minutes of the game, it looked like Harvard was going to put BU on upset alert. The Crimson led 1-0 just 5:44 into the opening frame thanks to a power-play goal by Casey Severo.

But by the end of the second period, the Terriers put to rest any notion of an upset and they did so in style.

BU put its high-end talent on display and overwhelmed the Crimson, especially during a five-goal second period for the Terriers. Shane Lachance got things rolling for BU with a highlight-reel goal (more on that later) on the power play before Cole Hutson, who scored two goals in the win, drove hard to the goalmouth and a Harvard defenseman inadvertently kicked the puck into the back of the net.

The Terriers got back to their flashy game to stretch their lead even further. Jack Harvey continued BU’s streak of seven unanswered goals when he glided into the slot and beautifully picked a corner. Devin Kaplan followed that up with his second goal of the game as he received a cross-ice pass from Jack Hughes and ripped a shot past Harvard goalie Ben Charette.

Sometimes grit can be the best way to earn a win, especially during the Beanpot. But BU showed the opposite can work on occasion, too.

PLAY OF THE GAME
Shane Lachance’s second-period tally might end up being the goal of the Beanpot this year. Lachance, who was positioned just outside the blue crease, put the puck between his legs before flipping it into the back of the net. The filthy move certainly will earn Lachance a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.

UP NEXT
BU, which fell in last year’s title bout, advances to next Monday’s Beanpot championship game against the winner of Boston College and Northeastern. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and you can watch the game on NESN. The Terriers also have a Hockey East matchup with Merrimack on Friday before resuming the Beanpot.

Harvard will face the loser of the other semifinal matchup. That contest is set for 4:30 p.m. The Crimson face Dartmouth in ECAC action Friday.

NESN Dunkin’ Beanpot coverage is presented by Dunkin’.