Terriers center John Laliberte received the puck inside the right circle, but with his path to the goal blocked, held possession to draw the defense before sending the puck high to left winger Kenny Roche just inside the blueline.

Roche wasted little time, blasting a shot high just below the crossbar on Kaltiainen’s glove side to seize a 1-0 lead just 3:30 in.

“We had the puck down low, our forecheck did a good job on the play,” Roche said. “I walked out of the corner and put it in. I always try to put it short side on top. I tend to do it on all goals.”

In anticipation of an offensive onslaught by the swifter, more-talented Eagles, the Terriers fell back into a defensive posture, hoping to weather the BC offensive storm and pull off the upset victory.

But BU’s “prevent” defense, anchored by Fields—whose 50 saves earned him the tournament MVP and the Eberly Award as the Beanpot’s top goaltender—though outstanding on this particular night, was simply second-best.

“It was not the game we wanted to play,” Parker said. “Last time out against BC, we actually outshot them, and they were the ones protecting the lead. We were playing conservative tonight and it was a little weird for us.”

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.