Goalie Kyle Richter tied a career high by giving up six goals before being pulled early in the third period in Harvard’s 7-2 loss to the Eagles, the largest Crimson setback since an NCAA tournament loss in March of 2006.

Thirty total penalties. Seventy-six resulting minutes in the box. Nine goals. Two ejected players. Throw in an assist by a goalie, and it’s difficult to find a better way to describe Boston College’s chaotic 7-2 thrashing of the Harvard men’s hockey team (6-4-2, 5-3-1 ECAC) at the Bright Hockey Center last night.

“That could have been one of the worst beatings we’ve taken sice I’ve been here,” co-captain Dave MacDonald said, adding, “they outplayed us in pretty much every aspect of the game.”

The first goal of many came 3:33 into the matchup, as Eagles forward Nathan Gerbe scored just 23 seconds into a power play. Gerbe’s shooting plagued the Crimson all night, to the tune of four goals and an assist.

“I think the first goal, to me, was not a dangerous shot,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91.

The lack of an effective penalty kill, too, wreaked havoc on the Crimson; BC (6-4-5, 4-3-4 Hockey East) racked up points in four out of nine power plays. Coming into the game, Harvard had only allowed five goals in 47 power plays.

“We’re usually pretty tight defensively, strong on the penalty kill, and I think there were more than a few times tonight where that wasn’t really our team out there,” MacDonald said.

After failing to convert its first power play, the Crimson regained momentum momentarily following a penalty against BC’s Anthony Aiello. Just ten seconds after Aiello entered the box, freshman forward Michael Biega bounced a shot off of BC goalie John Muse and into the net, following assists from junior forward Brian McCafferty and Michael’s older brother, sophomore defenseman Alex Biega.

The younger Biega had Harvard’s only two goals.

Muse held off the rest of the Crimson’s attack, accruing 34 saves and helping the Eagles kill six out of eight penalties, three of which came in the first period. Combined with the BC defense, Muse’s goaltending gave the Eagles extra chances on offense and catalyzed another score in the first, putting them on top 2-1.

Then things got out of hand.

Throughout the second period, referees called a combined 11 penalties for 42 minutes in the box, forcing players to adjust to 4-on-4 play for most of the period.

“As the game kind of opened up, obviouisly that plays to their strength,” Donato said. “They’re a very good skating team, they’ve got great speed up front.”

With BC up 4-1, Harvard scored its second and last goal during one of the period’s seven power plays, with Michael Biega approaching the enemy net from the right, accepting a pass from sophomore forward Doug Rogers and launching the puck past Muse’s flailing arms.

Throughout the second, Richter struggled to keep up with the Eagles offense, allowing four goals. The most notable of the four arrived at the end of the second period, as Gerbe accepted a pass from fellow forward Joe Whitney and flicked the puck into the goal from a position nearly parallel to the net.

Only 43 seconds into the third, BC forward Benn Ferriero picked up a rebound off of Muse’s stick, skated down the ice, and fired it past Richter from the right. Muse was credited with an assist on the play.

Two minutes later, a defeated Richter was pulled from goal and freshman Ryan Carrol skated to the net in his first official collegiate appearance. Richter finished with 16 saves compared to six goals, while Carrol made four saves while allowing one goal.

“That’s not something you want to happen,” Richter said of his performance.

Amidst liberally-administered penalties—there were 13 in the third—the demoralized Crimson pushed on, only to be denied by Muse on two power plays.

Although Harvard may have been out of the game, players continued fighting with both their sticks and fists. The players’ frustration culminated halfway through the third period when a heated fight broke out between sophomore forward Chad Morin and the Eagles’ Aiello. Both were ejected.

“Obviously, in a game like that, there are a lot of emotions at play,” MacDonald said.

The penalties amounted until literally the last second of the game, when refs called roughing on junior forward Jimmy Fraser. As he was sent off, the Harvard band launched into “10,000 Men of Harvard.”

They might as well have been playing the BC fight song.