Boston University freshman goaltender Mikhail Yegorov became a Beanpot legend in his fifth collegiate start.
The New Jersey Devils 2024 second round draft pick from St. Petersburg, Russia, set aside 43 Boston College shots to preserve a 4-1 victory in the 72nd Beanpot championship game on Monday night at the TD Garden.
Yegorov secured the Eberly Award as the tournament’s outstanding goaltender with 69 saves on 71 shots in two games. His .972 save percentage was the third best in tournament history. Yegorov was added to the BU roster on Jan. 21 after two seasons with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL.
“My confidence comes from my team and they help me a lot,” said Yegorov. “There were many blocks from them even in the first and it was a really good job by them and they helped.”
Freshman defenseman Cole Hutson, who scored the game winner against BC, was named tournament MVP. Hutson had three goals and two assists in the tournament.
The No. 8 Terriers (16-10-1) won the rubber match with the No. 1 Eagles (21-5-1) after dropping a weekend home-and-home series back on Jan. 24 and 25. BU won its record 32nd Beanpot title and are now 13-10 against BC in championship games.
“We all know that BC is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason,” said BU coach Jay Pandolfo. “They are a really good hockey team and I thought tonight we showed that we could play with them.
“I think our team knows we can play with the best in college hockey and we proved that tonight.”
BU scored the insurance goal at 14:02 of the third period. Freshman left wing Cole Eiserman stole the puck from BC defenseman Lukas Gustafsson at the blue line, broke down the slot and beat Fowler 5-hole for his 16th of the season. Sophomore defenseman Gavin McCarthy closed the scoring with a 200-foot empty netter at 18:49.
“We started playing our game the way we needed to play to have success,” said Pandolfo. “This group is resilient, they respond and they are a competitive bunch of guys.”
BC opened the scoring with a nifty collaboration by the Eagles’ reconfigured first line at 6:13 of the first. Junior center Andre Gasseau, a Bruins 2021 draft pick, stopped a clearing attempt and set up Ryan Leonard in the left circle.
Leonard, the Washington Capitals first round pick in 2023, feigned a shot and fed left wing Gabe Perreault, who was left unattended on Yegorov’s crease. The Rangers’ 2023 first round pick one timed Leonard’s dish inside the near post for his 11th of the season.
The Eagles battered Yegorov from pillar to post for the remainder of the period and exited with 16-9 advantage in shots on goal.
“I thought we came out really strong in the first, moving pucks and supporting pucks really well” said BC coach Greg Brown. “We carried a lot of the play but weren’t able to get that second goal and that is really tough but I like the overall theme and tempo we were playing with in the first.”
BU opened the second with a strong penalty kill and tied the game 1-1 even strength at 5:41. Fourth line left wing Nick Roukounakis sent center Brandon Svoboda on a rush down the left wall. Svoboda entered the circle and ripped a wrister that beat Fowler top shelf on the near post for his fifth of the season.
BU went ahead 2-1 at 6:51 when Cole Hutson beat Fowler on a slingshot from the left circle for his eighth of the season. BU played with renewed confidence for the remainder of the middle frame but Fowler (40 saves) was magnificent, stoning a Terriers’ breakaway and several odd man rushes. BU outshot BC, 21-16, in the second.
“The first goal really gave us energy and I think we kind of took over the game after we got that little energy boost,” said Cole Hutson.
