Boston College
Michigan State (NCAA West Regional)
Hockey Defeats Michigan State in Overtime
March 25, 2000 | Men's Hockey
March 25, 2000
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Senior forward Jeff Farkas netted his second goal of the game at 11:53 of overtime to lift Boston College to a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over Michigan State in the opening round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament West Regional in Minneapolis, Minn.
With the win, BC meets top-seeded Wisconsin in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, March 25 at 9:30 p.m. (Eastern time, 8:30 p.m. Central).
Farkas' goal was a power-play tally. The Eagles' special teams accounted for all six goals. The power-play unit converted on 5-of-8 chances, and senior Blake Bellefeuille netted a shorthanded goal at 14:02 of the second period.
Farkas' game-winning goal gave Boston College its only lead of the night. Michigan State jumped out to a 2-0 lead less than nine minutes into the game. After BC answered with two man-advantage goals in the first 1:39 of the second period, the Spartans regained a one-goal lead - three times (3-2, 4-3 and 5-4) - before the Eagles' overtime tally.
Goals by Farkas and junior Brian Gionta evened the score at 2-2 early in the middle stanza. With the Eagles enjoying a 5x3 advantage, Farkas netted his first goal at 0:34 of the second period. Gionta evened the score at 1:39.
MSU took a 3-2 advantage at 13:04 of the second period, but Bellefeuille's unassisted, shorthanded tally tied the game less than one minute later.
The Spartans answered at 1:11 of the third period, with a power-play goal. BC senior Kevin Caulfield deflected a Marty Hughes shot past MSU freshman Ryan Miller at 10:35 to give the Eagles their third power-play goal of the night and even the score at 4-4.
MSU netted its second man-advantage goal at 13:05 to take a 5-4 advantage, forcing the Eagles to pull junior goaltender Scott Clemmensen with 1:11 to play in regulation. While BC enjoyed the extra skater, MSU was whistled for a bench minor (too many men on the ice) with 57 seconds remaining, giving the Eagles a two-man advantage. Junior Mike Lephart tied the game with 50 seconds to play, taking a beautiful pass from senior captain Mike Mottau and slipping the puck past Miller.
MSU was accessed a five-minute major penalty (checking from the behind) at 6:59 of overtime, giving BC another man advantage and setting the stage for Farkas' heroics. The goal was the senior's 30th of the season, his fourth gamewinner.
BC's Clemmensen made 17 saves to earn his 17th win of the season, the fifth NCAA Tournament victory of his collegiate career.
BC Notes: Five Eagles joined Farkas with multiple-point games. Mottau tallied three assists to bring his career total to a school-record 130. He entered the game with 127 assists, tied with David Emma for the all-time school mark ... Gionta, Bellefeuille and Lephart each notched one goal and one assist, and junior defenseman Bobby Allen registered two assists ... BC outshot Michigan State, 42-22 ... Saturday night's game against Wisconsin will be shown live on Fox Sports New England ... BC has a 5-6 all-time record against the Badgers.
