After losing their home opener against #8 Quinnipiac, the Boston College Eagles won the first game and tied the second in a series against #12 Minnesota.
After a 3–1 victory last Thursday at Mariucci Arena, the Eagles followed it up with a 2–2 draw on Friday, tied by a late goal from sophomore forward Dean Letourneau.
That’s right, the goal finally happened. Letourneau, the Boston Bruins’ 2024 first-round draft pick, scored his first collegiate goal in his second season with BC. Fans had coined the impending occurrence “the goal,” shouting “Dean” every time Letourneau took the ice. Eagle fans were not only celebrating the win, but also Letourneau’s first goal after the game.
Thursday night’s game set the tone for the weekend. Coming off a disappointing home loss to Quinnipiac, BC bounced back against another top-tier opponent, looking revitalized. The Eagles came out fast in the opening period, setting the pace early. Their effort paid off midway through the first period when junior Will Vote buried a rebound to give BC the early 1–0 lead.
Minnesota responded late in the first, capitalizing on a defensive lapse, but BC continued to control the game. In the second period, freshman Will Moore converted on a pass from Nolan Joyce. Despite taking a late penalty, BC’s defense held firm through Minnesota pressure. Freshman goaltender Louka Cloutier, in his first collegiate game, made several saves to maintain the lead, and Drew Fortescue sealed the win with an empty-netter in the closing seconds for a 3–1 final.
The performance showed BC’s ability to adapt, which was especially important after a loss in which they didn’t look exceptionally comfortable. The Eagles’ transitions looked sharp, and they consistently disrupted Minnesota’s rhythm.
This continued in Friday night’s game. Once again, the Eagles struck first. Less than 10 minutes into the opening period, junior Ryan Conmy, who transferred from the University of New Hampshire, gave BC a 1–0 lead on a power play. But the Gophers equalized shortly after. Both teams went into the first intermission with one goal.
The second period was BC’s roughest stretch of the weekend. A penalty on forward Landan Resendes put the Gophers on the man advantage, which they capitalized on. Brodie Ziemer gave the Gophers their first lead of the night. Minutes later, it looked like sophomore James Hagens had tied the game, but Minnesota successfully challenged the play for offsides, and the goal was overturned. The call deflated BC’s momentum, and they entered the third period down 1-2.
Still, the Eagles did not back down. A penalty on Minnesota’s Javon Moore gave BC another power-play opportunity—but no success. The Eagles’ persistence finally paid off with under five minutes to go when Letourneau shot a loose puck to tie the game at 2–2.
Neither team could find the winner in overtime, and Cloutier made many excellent saves. The end of overtime brought a shootout, which Minnesota “won.” However, since it was a non-conference matchup, the result will not affect standings.
It was a successful weekend for the Eagles, who left Minneapolis unbeaten against a talented opponent. Their offense and goaltending both took a significant step forward, while their defense continued to deliver.
Boston College (now 2-1-1) will look to keep that momentum going when it travels to face Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this week.
Summers in the Newton Woods; advocate for the State of Washington.
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