Billy Arnold's OT goal will go down as one of the greatest in Beanpot history. |
As I sat in TD Garden arena watching the Beanpot final amidst hockey legends, NHL big wigs and a bunch of Boston hockey nuts, I realized something, the Beanpot matters. Last night's epic 3-2 Boston College OT victory over BU should only add to the allure of the Beanpot, while most likely going down as one of the greatest Beanpot finals of all-time.
Let's take a step back for a second, the Beanpot isn't a national phenomena. I mean, it's a mid-season college hockey tournament. No one watches the NHL, let alone NCAA hockey. Sportscenter won't give this game more than 2 minutes, despite its epic finish. However, for the region it does affect(the Northeast) it is legendary. Scoring memorable goals in the Beanpot is similar to robbing banks in Charlestown or getting in bar fights in Southie. You're the talk of the town in Boston, forever.
So last night when Bill Arnold found top cheddar with 6.4 seconds remaining in the first OT, he cemented his legacy in the mind of Bostonians everywhere. That is, in spite of the fact that the refs might as well have been rocking the smooth gold jerseys that the Eagles were wearing. Not to be left in the dust was the ridiculous performance by BU goalie Kiernan Milan, who had 44 saves, some of them with wicked flashy leather. But beyond the two best performers from each team, an amazing hockey game emerged. Both squads were flying around laying the body, executing saucy passes and letting off spot-on shots. BU's penalty kill was a thing of beauty,mostly thanks to Milan, but the Terriers were still blocking shots in front of him 'til the final minutes of OT. This game had more chippiness than a wild Friday night at Tequila Rain, but it fed the games' energy instead of derailing it. Once Bill Arnold finally put the puck past the Milan Wall, BU could only fall to its knees in exhaustion, while BC found pure jubilation in a classic celebratory dog pile.
What will make this game so special isn't just because it ended in dramatic golden-goal fashion(though that will help), but that the hockey was purely elite. I thought I was going to have an absolute heart attack in the overtime period, and I don't even call myself a BU hockey fan. The end-to-end action was non stop and every 5 seconds the crowd was sucking the oxygen out of the building with collective gasps. Both BU and BC's fan sections were going absolutely bonkers up in the rafters helping turn this game into absolute pandemonium. As I sat in the "bigwig" seats, I kept hearing about great Beanpot finals before and how this would live up. Don't let me fool you, I don't know what other "great" games have happened in the Beanpot Final, but I'm 100% sure this is top 10 material.
No one ever remembers the loser, we get that. We also understand that there is another chance in 365 days for BU to exact its revenge. But to say you've played in the 2012 Beanpot Final is one for the scrapbooks, no matter if you were left grasping for answers or lifting the trophy.
So Bill Arnold, have you day my friend, may you never have a moment so grand in the rest of your life.
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