Dustin Darou, a junior defenseman with one career goal in 63 games, picked up the biggest point of his college career Tuesday night when he snapped in a long wrister with only 94 seconds remaining in regulation to hand Northeastern a stunning 3-2 win over the Boston College in the nightcap of the Beanpot semifinals at TD Garden.
Darou, who just kept the puck in at the blue line off a feed from Kevin Roy, closed toward the slot and let go his wrister from just above the left-wing circle. It was the 23d shot of the night against Eagles goalie Thatcher Demko.
The Huskies Monday night will face Boston University, winners over Harvard earlier in the night, in the championship final. It is the third straight season NU has made it to the final, something it hadn’t done since 1983, ’84, ’85.
“It’s one thing to score against BC, Darou said. “To get the game-winning goal is a thrill for me. No. 1 because I am not a goal scorer. No. 2, everyone knows the history between BC and us . . . it’s just a thrill to beat them.’’
Senior stopper Clay Witt turned back 21 shots in the NU net for the win. Demko finished with 20 saves. It was only the 10th time in 44 meetings in the tourney that the Huskies were able to beat BC.
“Really good game,’’ Northeastern coach Jim Madigan said. “When it goes down to the wire with under two minutes left, both teams are in it. We found a way to make a play. Darou with a puck to the net that the goalie was screened on. Not able to get three on Demko much in recent years . . . one, sometimes two. But we were able to grind away.’’
The Eagles, who entered the night with a 16-8-2 record, won the last five Beanpots (2010-’14). Northeastern, which hasn’t won the tournament since 1988, came in with a 10-11-4 mark.
A combination of recent heavy snowfall and monumental gridlock on downtown streets made for a very light crowd on Causeway Street. Tournament officials announced a total 10,289 fans made it through the turnstiles (from an overall sale of 14,520 tickets). By the time Darou’s shot went into the net, only some 5,000 remained in the stands.
“We are built for these types of games, 3-2, 2-1 . . . we just have to make a play to win a hockey game,’’ said BC coach Jerry York. “Northeastern did that. A good shot from the point and a good screen in front of the net.”
Because BU and Harvard needed a couple of OTs to settle their score (Terriers, 4-3), the Eagles and Huskies didn’t drop the puck until just before 9:30. Like the city’s snow plow drivers, they were working much later than anyone expected.
Perhaps because they sat around for hours, the two sides produced little in the way of sustained offense in the first period. The Eagles managed a 7-6 shot lead, despite being tagged with the only two penalties of the period — Mike Matheson for boarding at 15:55, followed by Alex Tuch for interference at 18:49.
The best chance of the period, and it wasn’t a true tester, came on NU’s first power play when Husky defenseman Matt Benning squeezed off a long wrister. But Demko handled it with ease, eventually sending the sides into the break at 0-0.
Action picked up considerably in the second, each side scoring a pair, and setting up a 2-2 tie to start the third period.
The Huskies were on the verge of taking a 3-1 lead late in the second, working with an abbreviated power play out of a four-on-four situation. Instead, it looked like the Eagles were on the advantage, twice putting Witt under assault.
With 1:45 to go before the break, Eagles right wing Chris Calnan walked in alone on Witt but failed to convert at the doorstep. Only 14 seconds later, again on a Husky turnover, BC’s Ryan Fitzgerald came streaking down the slot and shoveled in a backhander for his team-high 13th goal of the season to make it 2-2.
The Huskies took their first lead of the night at 0:21 of the second, working with a runover power play from the first, when Colton Saucerman connected on a 10-footer from the left side.
Kevin Roy set it up from the right circle, dishing across a centering feed intended for Mike McMurtry. But McMurtry fanned, the puck slid through, and Saucerman collected for an easy forehand strike into a wide-open left side.
NU, in part because of repeated BC penalties, had much the better of the play for the bulk of the second period. But the Eagles, even with their limited offensive spunk, hung tough, pulling even for the first time at 4:35 when Destry Straight nailed in his seventh of the season.
Fitzgerald appeared to have his first of the night but Witt just managed to keep his doorstep attempt from creeping over the line. Straight, trailing with speed, applied the followup mash. The play went to review, but the goal stood. Tied, 1-1.
Back came the Huskies, with the Eagles’ Steve Santini serving a minor at 11:21. Sophomore center John Stevens connected for the go-ahead goal, snapping in a wrister from just above the left wing circle, isolated there in Brett Hull fashion. Fellow center Mike Szmatula dished the diagonal feed and the sharp-eyed Stevens connected with his rising wrister.
The Stevens shot gave the Huskies a 9-2 shot edge for the first 11:21 of the period.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD.