Boston University forward Chris Connolly described the play of Harvard freshman Conor Morrison best.

“Unbelievable,” Connolly said. “He had a great night. The puck was on his stick all night, and he was burying his chances.”

Morrison, who scored four goals in a losing effort, was 20 seconds away from single-handedly beating BU, the defending NCAA Champions. He is the first Crimson player to score four goals in a game since Chris Bala accomplished the feat in 1998.

Before last night’s game, Morrison had one goal on the season. His offensive outburst now makes him Harvard’s leading goalscorer.

But BU’s 6-5 comeback win soured what was a career night for the rookie.

“I mean, we’ve been on kind of a rough stretch, so it’s tough to lose like that,” Morrison said. “At the same time, it was a special night for me, so I’ll be happy but not satisfied.”

For his first two goals, the freshman benefited from being in the right place at the right time.

He notched his first tally on a play where a referee deflected the puck with his skate, and he grabbed his second on a rebound.

But to complete the hat trick, Morrison added some of his own flair—he sped past a BU forward along the boards, cut inside toward the Terrier net, and then flipped a backhander into the goal.

Morrison finished the night with what seemed to be the game-winning tally with a minute remaining in the third period.

“He’s a talented guy. When he gets opportunities, he knows what to do with them,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91. “I’m very happy for him, obviously. It was a big boost to our team to have him step up and have a great game.”

SHOOTING AT GOLIATH

Although the Crimson found itself on the losing end, the battle with BU provides a glimmer of hope for a team that is currently in the midst of a seven-game winless streak. The Terriers are the defending NCAA Champions and, according to BU coach Jack Parker, played one of its best games of the year last night.

The Terriers have struggled this season, compiling a record of 4-7-1, and have been plagued by inconsistency and injuries.

The strong performance against Harvard was a surprise, primarily because it came immediately after Parker reprimanded his team for a lackluster practice the day before.