BU outlasts Northeastern, wins Beanpot title game

NHL

BOSTON — Dylan Peterson scored with 2:48 remaining and Boston University edged three-time defending champion Northeastern 1-0 on Monday night in the 69th annual Beanpot Championship.

Vinny Duplessis stopped all 20 shots he faced as the Terriers won their 31st Beanpot title and first since 2015.

The Terriers (17-10-3) outshot the Huskies 29-19 and controlled most of the third period, but could not beat Northeastern freshman goalie T.J. Semptimphelter until Peterson converted on a 2-on-1 rush.

Semptimphelter finished with 28 saves but had little chance at stopping Peterson’s tap-in off a perfect pass from Jamie Armstrong, who skated the puck hard down the left side and slid it across the crease, finding Peterson just inside the far post. Domenick Fensore also assisted on the play.

Northeastern (19-9-1) had won three straight Beanpot titles but its run was interrupted last year when the tournament was canceled for the first time because of COVID-19.

It was the first shutout in a Beanpot title game since the Terriers lost to rival Boston College 1-0 in overtime in 2016. The game was a rematch of the last Beanpot championship, when the Huskies beat the Terriers 5-4 in double overtime.

The final appeared headed to OT once again as Semptimphelter, who took over for the Huskies in net when top goalie Devon Levi joined Team Canada at the Winter Olympics, and Duplessis kept it scoreless until late in the third.

Semptimphelter came up with a glove save on a backhand by Matt Brown as he skated across the crease with 4:49 left.

Duplessis, taking over in net for the Terriers as Drew Commesso competes for Team USA in the Olympics, didn’t face nearly as many shots but came up with some big saves when he was tested. Northeastern had a great chance 5:54 into the second on a wrister by Aidan McDonough right after a faceoff win but Duplessis was in position and smothered the shot.

BU had a chance in the final minute of the second but Brown shot the puck wide from in front and the game remained scoreless after two periods.

Northeastern also got the first power-play opportunity, which didn’t last long. BU’s Jay O’Brien was called for boarding with 2:02 left in the first, but Jordan Harris of Northeastern was called for roughing 23 seconds later. Neither team could capitalize on the brief advantage.

With some of the top players overseas at the Olympics, and some of the teams not having their traditionally strong seasons, the Beanpot had a different feel to it this year. None of the four clubs — BU, BC, Harvard and Northeastern — are in the Top 10 this week, and only the Huskies (No. 13) and Terriers (No. 17) are ranked at all.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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