BOSTON – In a matchup of the nation's top two teams, the No. 2 Boston University men's ice hockey team fell to No. 1 Boston College, 6-2, in the Hockey East title game on Saturday evening at TD Garden.
 
The Eagles, who went 4-for-5 on the power play, jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the midpoint of the first period, but freshman Gavin McCarthy cut the deficit in half with his first collegiate goal early in the second.
 
BC added a power-play goal late in the second period and pushed its lead to 5-1 with a pair of third-period tallies. Freshman Macklin Celebrini added another for BU on the power play with his 31st goal of the season. The Eagles added an empty-netter to create the 6-2 final.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Eagles killed off an early penalty and then opened the scoring on their first power-play of the game as a left-circle bid by Will Smith went off the skate of a BU defender and in at 5:46 of the first.
• Less than three minutes later, Smith added another power-play tally - this time off a rush - when he converted from the right circle for a 2-0 lead.
• The Terriers got on the board at 4:24 of the second as sophomore Ryan Greene, from the left corner, found McCarthy at the right point, where the freshman sent a shot to the net that beat BC netminder Jacob Fowler high to the glove side.
• BC regained a multi-goal lead with 1:14 remaining in the second on another power-play marker, this time from the stick of Cutter Gauthier.
• The Eagles built on their lead in the third as Smith capped a hat trick after receiving a pass at the foot of the right circle at 6:46.
• Gabe Perreault pushed the BC advantage to 5-1 on the team's fourth power-play goal of the evening with 8:28 left in regulation.
• Celebrini tried to get the Terriers back in it when he found the back of the net on a man advantage with 5:15 left on assists from sophomore Lane Hutson and Greene. 
• The Eagles sealed the win on an empty-netter by Smith for his fourth goal of the night. 

GAME NOTES 

• Greene finished the Hockey East Tournament with five points on two goals and three assists, including four points (2g, 2a) at TD Garden.
• Celebrini now ranks second all-time in goals by a BU rookie; Dave Silk scored 35 in 1976-77.
• Hutson is now tied for first among active defensemen with 94 career points (28g, 66a) despite having played only 74 games.
• BU held a 36-29 advantage in shots as junior Mathieu Caron made 23 saves.
• Fowler turned in a 34-save effort for the Eagles.
• Smith had a five-point game for BC, recording four goals and an assist. 
• The Terriers went 1-for-5 on the power play.
• This was the third time that the Comm. Ave. rivals met in the Hockey East title game, with BU winning the previous two in 1986 and 2006.

UP NEXT

• The Terriers are in place to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament and will learn their draw on Sunday's selection show, which will air at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
• Regionals start on Thursday (March 28) and Friday (March 29).