Beanpot Blog: Consolation game vs. Harvard

Welcome to the live blog of the 2010 Beanpot consolation game! Your Huskies, 2-1 losers to BU last monday, will face the Harvard Crimson, who fell 6-0 to BC. Let's do this!

7:03- This one is OVER, Huskies win 4-1 behind a 27-save performance by Chris Rawlings. Check back on GoNU.com for a full game story and box score. Thanks for following the game on the Insider!

7:01- GOAL HUSKIES!  Harvard yanks Carroll for the 6-5 advantage, but Wade MacLeod puts it in the empty net from just inside the half-ice line. One minute left to play, Huskies up 4-1.

6:57- All the recent penalties have been killed off and we've got 4:30 left in regulation. NU still holds a 3-1 lead, but Harvard is turning up the heat. They just had a fantastic opportunity in front of Rawlings, but the shot popped just high.

6:53- NU puts on a great short-handed run, but McNeely's wide-open shot from just outside the crease gets lost in the webbing of Carroll's glove.

6:51- Harvard kills the penalty, and NU decides to get in on that p-box action too. Chris Donovan's slashing penalty will give Harvard two minutes of much-needed advantage.

6:46- Just after the goal, Alex Fallstrom of Harvard gets boxed up for roughing. The Crimson look to be going more for the big hit than the big shot.

6:44- GOAL HUSKIES! Wade MacLeod redirects a Garrett Vermeersch shot into the net for a powerplay goal. Assists go to Vermeersch and Kyle Kraemer.

6:42- Harvard penalty...David Valek gets sent away for hitting from behind.

6:38- The period opens with a few good chances for each team. The intensity is picking up...the DogHouse is mirroring that by now doing their chants in double-time. Multiple NU breakaways have been broken up at the last second by the Crimson defense. Rawlings stands his ground as a potentially nasty scrum in front of him results in a blind Harvard shot. Rawlings' leg pads say thank you, come again.

6:25- We've seen some peculiar activity from the DogHouse today. The lower bowl has not filled up for the title bout tonight, so the crowd, and therefore, the atmosphere is a little bit lacking. The DogHouse has reflected the energy of the rest of the crowd by doing their chanting in half-speed. It's pretty funny and the students seem to be loving it, so good for them. The student section for BU is starting to fill up as we're now just an hour and a half from puck drop on the championship game. BC, on the otherhand, has just a handful of students in their sections, though surely those seats will fill up. Harvard students are choosing to use their student section as a quiet study space. Intermission is almost over. We've had a nice battle of the bands so far... Harvard's rendition of Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" may take the cake in this one.

6:20- NU gets some momentum by piecing together some good opportunities, but the second period buzzer quickly ends that run. Score is still 2-1 Northeastern, but Harvard now leads SOGs 23-20.

6:17- Both squads just patched together some good scoring chances, but neither can convert. The puck is being sent between offensive zones at an unusually fast pace.

6:13- Harvard notches their 19th shot of the night, tying Northeaster for the time being. NU has made some sloppy passes and are surely looking to tune things up. 4:40 remaining in the second.

6:09- Another Harvard shot winds up in Rawlings' glove. We're back at full strength for both teams. NU still leads the SOGs, but only 19-17.

6:05- NU penalty. Costa gets sent off for hooking, opening up the door for Harvard should they choose to take it. Just 20 seconds later, Alex Killorn of Harvard gets whistled for contact to the head/high sticking, creating a 4-4 for the next minute. Rawlings just went sprawling for a loose puck and gloved it up. But  GOAL HARVARD. Harvard strikes back with their first goal of the game. Conor Morrison tipped in a distant slap shot to find the back of the net. Right after the goal, Justin Daniels of NU gets boxed up for interference. 4-3 for Harvard for a few seconds, but it's about to be 4-4 again. Harvard will have about a minute of true powerplay action.

6:00- Harvard just stuck a few more SOGs, but Rawlings gobbled them all up. NU leads the shots category, 18-12. The goal light at the NU offensive end is malfunctioning, causing a stoppage of play. We're going again now.

5:57- Harvard penalty again. Cross-checking at 3:19 for Rence Coassin. A hot shot from the blue line for the Huskies resulted in a loud thud off Carroll's leg pads. Harvard has killed the penalty, and both teams are starting to get a little more pushy with eachother.

5:50- GOAL HUSKIES! Greg Costa chipped in a back-handed goal past Carroll after the initial Drew Daniels shot bounced back onto open ice. Give the assists to Daniels and J.P. Maley. It was Costa's second goal of the season.

5:48- We're about to drop the puck on the second period. We've got an official scoring change, as McNeely's goal from earlier now has an assist for Jake NEwton. Either way, the Huskies start the period on the powerplay and are getting off some decent shots. Penalty is over, though, and the teams are both at full strength.

5:31- Harvard penalty at 19:09. The call was interference on Tallett. NU managed a good shot, but the period comes to a close before anything else can happen. NU still has 1:08 remaining on the penalty and will start the second seeking their second goal. 1-0 in favor of the Huskies after one period. The usual TD Garden dual-zambonis are putting on quite the show of handiwork.

5:28- GOAL HUSKIES! Tyler McNeely deeked left, then right, and snuck a short-handed, unassisted goal past Carroll to light up the lamp. Goal's official time is 17:53. Now, both penalties are up. We're still hearing plenty of the usual trash-chanting from the DogHouse aimed at Ryan Carroll. The Harvard band seems offended.

5:24- Chris Donovan locked up in the no-no box at 15:30 for tripping. He's joined just 30 second later by Mike Hewkin for a hitting-from-behind call. Harvard is in control for the next few minutes.

5:22- A flurry of NU shots in front of the net. Carroll ended up on his keister, but the puck never found the net. We're 15 minutes in, and we're about to see a faceoff in the Huskies' offensive zone.

5:19- Legitimate shots for each team from the blue line. The Huskies certainly aren't shying off the trigger finger tonight.

5:15- The Huskies kill off Kraemer's penalty and instantly go on a rush, controlling the puck for over a minute. The Crimson didn't get off any shots in their powerplay and even gave the puck to NU a few times. Northeastern just got whistled for their second offsides of the game. The ensuing faceoff give Harvard a decent shot, but Rawlings absorbed the shot into his chest with ease.

5:11- Kyle Kraemer gets boxed up for hooking at 5:58 into the first. The Harvard band is ecstatic.

5:09- Both teams have had the puck in their offensive zone for a significant time, but no real chances so far. Northeastern dialed in a few shots on Harvard netminder Ryan Carroll, while Chris Rawlings is uncontested through five minutes of play.

5:03- The puck is on the ice and we're skating at the TD Garden. Not much action in the first minute of play, as both teams are trading possessions and takeaways. Two icing calls so far.