MANCHESTER, N.H. — James Hagens knew tenacity was the key for Boston College.
After more than 58 minutes of hockey against a surprisingly stingy and sprightly opponent, Hagens scooped up a missed wrist shot by Aram Minnetian, took it himself from behind the net and wrapped it around the post and into the net with 1:17 to play in regulation. The goal helped lift overall top seed BC to a 3-1 past Bentley at the NCAA Manchester Regional on Friday.
“You have to stick with it,” Hagens said. “I think everyone on our bench knew that no matter what adversity you face, you have to be able to get past it together. It showed at the end.”
Ryan Leonard added an empty-net goal at 19:28 to account for the final score.
BC (27-7-2) advanced to the regional final for the second straight year and will face either conference foe Providence or Denver — the team it lost to in last year’s NCAA championship game — on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. Bentley (Atlantic Hockey America), making its NCAA tournament debut, saw its season end at 23-15-2.
BC was the winner, but the story of the game was Bentley goalie Connor Hasley. The junior lefty finished with 41 saves and largely held the Eagles off the board, making a number of key saves to keep the Falcons in business until the final minutes.
“You just have to stay patient,” BC coach Greg Brown said. “And our guys did a good job of that. The defense didn’t get crazy and try to force the issue. They stayed with it.”
BC had a hard time getting anything past not only Hasley, but the entire Bentley defense, which finished with 20 blocks. The Eagles had only one goal to show for 28 shots through two periods. BC finally got one off the stick of Gabe Perreault when he buried a pass from Leonard at 16:45 of the first and took that lead into the locker room.
“Our whole year, when we’re in those types of games, we always find a way to come out on top,” Leonard said. “You look down the bench and you just see all the relief there. (We) all know it’s going to go in at some point. It’s just a matter of time. I mean, that goalie played an outstanding game. Their team was selling out, blocking shots. They played one hell of a game.”
Bentley, which managed only six shots in the first period, finally got on the board early in the second when Ethan Leyh got his 17th of the season (Stephen Castagna and Nick Bochen assisted) at 3:21. Leyh one-timed a pass from Castagna into the net to tied the game 1-1, which is where it stood after two frames.
“My heart could not be filled with more pride for our hockey team,” Bentley coach Andy Jones said. “We left every single thing we had on the ice. (I) don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of them than I am tonight.”
BC goalie Jacob Fowler had 20 saves.
Hasley did all he could to keep Bentley in the game, including a huge stop on an opportunity by Hagens late in the third period that had Hagens slamming his stick against in frustration after the puck was whistled dead.
“It’s kind of been that way all year, he’s been our anchor,” Leyh said. “Once again, he was fantastic, like he’s been all season long.”
