Box score

Post-game comments (Jim Madigan - YouTube.com)

Northeastern and No. 2 Boston College skated to yet another epic battle, but the Eagles prevailed in the final moments as BC scored with 2.8 seconds left to take the 2-1 victory on Friday night at Conte Forum.

Sophomore Cody Ferriero netted his first goal of the season, fifth of his career, while juniors Garrett Vermeersch and Alex Tuckerman helped on the marker. Junior Chris Rawlings offered another valiant effort, stopping 34-of-36 shots in the setback. BC backstopper Parker Milner turned away 17 shots.

The Huskies were outshot for the ninth-consecutive game, 36-18.

Tommy Cross's power play blast at the end of the third ruined Northeastern's bid at the upset. Eagles' forward Kevin Hayes scored at the 11:50 mark of the second period.

Freshman Ben Oskroba put NU in the early hole with an interference call at 1:56, and despite a couple cross-crease chance from the Eagles, Northeastern's penalty kill staved off BC's first power play of the game.

A holding call to Cross at 6:03 of the first stanza gave NU a whack at the power play, but the only real chance came when Steven Whitney intercepted junior Justin Daniels' pass and took a rip from the right circle into Rawlings' chest.

A few exchanges later, Northeastern grabbed a 1-0 lead on a transitional goal from Ferriero at 12:41. Boston College attempted a pass to the top of the zone, but no one was home to accept it. Tuckerman raced in, corralled the puck and motored down the right side of the sheet. Tuckerman centered it to Vermeersch and the junior triggered on Milner between the circles. Milner made the initial save, but Ferriero positioned himself on the goalmouth and banged home the loose rebound.

Heading into the second frame, the Huskies were saddled on the power play after being called for too many men at 19:07 of the first period. BC applied heavy pressure to initiate the second period, but NU's penalty kill denied the Eagles once again.

Northeastern snuffed out rookie Dan Cornell's penalty at 6:09 of the middle session and nearly parlayed it into a 2-0 lead around the 11:00-minute mark. Senior Mike McLaughlin pilfered the disc out of the neutral zone and charged up the sheet with freshman Joseph Manno flanking to his right. McLaughlin fired from 20 feet out and Milner let the rebound out to his left. Manno was just inches out of position to bury the loose carom and BC countered seconds later to tie it up.

The Eagles forced the puck into Huskies' real estate and Chris Kreider wound up with the rubber right between the circles after sophomore Braden Pimm attempted to clear it off the far boards. Kreider bucked junior Drew Ellement with a backhand deke and deferred back to Kevin Hayes on the near post. Hayes lifted the puck over Rawlings' blocker with no one in sight to cinch the game up, 1-1, at 11:50 of the second period.

Neither team could break the tie to close out the second despite several chances for both clubs. Junior Vinny Saponari gave Northeastern a chance a minute in with a wrister from the near side post, but Milner made the blocker save.

Bill Arnold was cited for the first penalty in almost a full period with a hold at 5:15 of the third. Freshman Ludwig Karlsson rifled a slap shot from the point, but the puck kicked off Milner to Steven Whitney on the far boards. Whitney put a scare into the Huskies with a rip from the left dot, but Rawlings read the angle to keep it a 1-1 affair.

The door opened for Northeastern after Whitney was sent off for high-sticking at 12:44 of the third. The Huskies had their opportunities, but could not connect. Junior Robbie Vrolyk made a thunderous hit on the forecheck near the 5:00-minute mark to jostle the disc loose deep in BC territory, but the Eagles quickly responded and collapsed on the puck to keep it tied.

The final two minutes turned out to be a knock down, drag out slugfest with each team trading blows at opposite ends of the ice. BC had the first two chances before Saponari nearly chipped the puck over Milner to J. Daniels on the far post, but Milner fell on the disc to freeze play.

Sophomore Luke Eibler took an interference penalty at 19:02 and proved to be costly as BC rode the extra skater to victory. Brian Dumoulin connected with Cross out in the flat all alone and Cross shoveled the puck through traffic from between the circles with just 2.8 seconds left on the clock for the 2-1 triumph.

Northeastern makes its first trip of the 2011-12 season to Amherst, Mass. to faceoff against Massachusetts tomorrow night at the Mullins Center for a 7 p.m. puck drop. The two clubs drew, 3-3, in the season opener at Matthews Arena on Oct. 7.

Game Notes
• Cody Ferriero scored his first goal in 11 Huskies' contests. The Essex, Mass. native's last goal came in the quarterfinal round of the Hockey East Playoffs at Boston University on March 13.

• Juniors Garrett Vermeersch and Alex Tuckerman each secured their second assists of the season on Ferriero's tally.