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The year in Boston sports: Most memorable games of 2014

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This past year was not always the most friendly to Boston-area teams, but that did not mean 2014 was not without the excitement of thrilling games.

The Red Sox battled through a rebuilding season, while the Patriots and Bruins excelled and played in many important games, including the playoffs. The Revolution even made it all the way to the MLS Cup and Boston College and Harvard had exciting upsets that shocked the college sports world.

Here are the most memorable games, wins and losses, for Boston’s teams during the 2014 calendar year.

10. (tie) April 4, MLB: Brewers 6, Red Sox 2

An early ceremony was spoiled by a late comeback during the home opener at Fenway Park. The Red Sox celebrated their 2013 World Series title and received their rings before this game, but that was the only positive on this day.

Unlike their 2013 run, there was no magic ending on this day. Edward Mujica entered the ninth inning in a 2-2 game and imploded, allowing four runs in the final frame. The Brewers celebrated a 6-2 win and the Red Sox were left shaking their heads.

10. (tie) Sept. 28, MLB: Yankees 9, Red Sox 5

A down year for the Red Sox concluded with a farewell to Yankees great Derek Jeter, as the longtime shortstop was honored at Fenway Park before the season’s last game. During the ceremony, Jeter was greeted by current and former Red Sox, received a pair of boots from his former coach Brian Butterfield and was presented with a check for $22,222.22 for his Turn 2 Foundation. Michelle Brooks Thompson from “The Voice” finished off the pregame event with a rendition of Aretha Franklin’s song “Respect.”

Jeter drove in a run with an infield single during his second plate appearance and was then removed from the game, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. The Red Sox, as they did many times in 2014, lost, dropping a 9-5 decision to finish the season with a 71-91 record.

9. Dec. 7, MLS Cup: Galaxy 2, Revolution 1

Always a bridesmaid and never a bride. That’s what many have said about the Revolution in their attempt to capture an elusive MLS Cup. Four times New England had made and lost the championship game. The Revolution had a fifth chance to exact these demons against the Galaxy, but came up just short again.

The Revolution forced overtime after Chris Tierney tied the game late in the second half. The game went to extra time, where the Galaxy won the game on MLS MVP Robbie Keane’s goal in the 111th minute. A few chances on goal at the end were not enough for the Revs to force penalty kicks.

“It’s tough,” said forward Teal Bunbury. “You go the whole season pursuing a goal and a dream to win a championship, but at the end, the Galaxy are a great team. A lot of respect to them; they had a hell of a game.”

8. June 28, MLB: Red Sox 2, Yankees 1

Mike Napoli‘s heroics bailed out the Red Sox out on a night when the offense was nowhere to be found. Jon Lester carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed one unearned run against the Yankees in the Bronx. New York’s Masahiro Tanaka pitched just as well, scattering five Red Sox hits and one run over the first eight innings.

Down to two outs and two strikes against Tanaka in the ninth, Napoli crushed a fastball into the right-field seats to put the Red Sox in the lead for good. Napoli was so surprised that Tanaka left a fastball over the middle of the plate that he yelled, “What an idiot!” as he returned to the dugout after circling the bases.

“He had me where he wanted me. I don’t know, I was just looking, I was just hoping he would hang the split. Usually he doesn’t,” Napoli said. “I was pretty surprised, but I was down to two strikes. I was just trying to see something up. My mind was saying, ‘Hang a splitter,’ but I just got something up in the zone that I could handle.”

7. Nov. 28, NFL: Packers 26, Patriots 21

Before the players touched the field, this game had the expectations of a possible Super Bowl preview. And when it was all said and done, it left people wanting more. The Patriots went into Green Bay riding high with a seven-game winning streak after starting the year 2-2. Despite the improved play of Tom Brady, it was Aaron Rodgers who walked away the victor.

The Packers started the game with 13 unanswered points and went into halftime with a 23-14 lead after Rodgers hooked up with receiver Jordy Nelson for a 45-yard score. Brady and the Patriots fought back, making it a two-point game early in the fourth quarter when Brandon LaFell grabbed his second touchdown pass of the game. In the end, though, the Packers added one more field goal to close out a win over New England.

“Wish we would’ve done something when we had our chances at the end,” Brady said. “We fought hard. We hung in there. We didn’t make enough important [plays].”

6. March 20, NCAA tournament: Harvard 61, Cincinnati 57

Harvard headed into the 2014 NCAA tournament as a No. 12 seed and with just one win in the history of the event — coming the previous season. With an efficient offense from the outset, Crimson added another postseason victory to their record and advanced to the second round of the tourney.

Harvard had three players score in double figures and five finish with at least nine points. Wesley Saunders finished the day with a team-best 12 points. The Bearcats struggled to find a rhythm in the first half and Harvard grabbed a 36-29 after the first 20 minutes.

Siyani Chambers scored five critical points down the stretch to prevent a Cincinnati comeback, helping Harvard move on to the next round. The Crimson went on to lose to Michigan State, 80-73.

5. Sept. 13, NCAA footballBoston College 37, USC 31

Eagles fans stormed the field at the end of the game as BC upset then-No. 9 USC at Alumni Stadium. Quarterback Tyler Murphy threw for just 54 yards, but he finished with a game-high 191 rushing yards, including a 66-yard dash to the end zone with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter. The Eagles held the Trojans to 20 rushing yards and were able to stave off a final USC comeback.

It was the perfect ending to a game in which the team honored 9/11 victim Welles Crowther, a former BC lacrosse player who was known for wearing a red bandanna.

“This red bandanna game meant a lot,” BC coach Steve Addazio said. “We talked a lot of about Welles Crowther, we talked a lot about who he was and what it takes to be a BC man. Our guys dug deep on this. This was a great win. It was all over, a lot of big plays by a lot of people We were proud to give out one of the game balls out to the Crowther family after the game.”

4.  April 24, NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Game 5: Bruins 3, Red Wings 2

The Bruins had a bit of work to do to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Red Wings in Game 4 of the first-round series. After Pavel Datsyuk‘s second-period goal, Detroit took a 2-0 lead and had a chance to tie up the best-of-seven set.

With backup goaltender Jonas Gustavasson in net for the Red Wings, though, Boston charged back with goals from Torey Krug and Milan Lucic to tie the game.

Forward Jerome Iginla completed the comeback when he redirected Dougie Hamilton’s shot into the net a little over 13 minutes into overtime, giving the Bruins a come-from-behind, 3-2 win.

“It was a bit ugly at times, but then we got our stuff together and got going,” goalie Tuukka Rask said. “It’s just one of those things that we have a lot of character in this room, that once we get going, we can come [back] from a deficit. But it just has to happen.”

3. Nov. 2, NFL: Patriots 43, Broncos 21

It was the 16th edition of the ever-hyped Peyton Manning-Tom Brady Bowl, this time taking place at Gillette Stadium. Unlike the AFC championship game in which the Broncos won, Brady got the last laugh in the rematch with a blowout win.

The game was close early, but an 84-yard punt return touchdown from Julian Edelman in the second quarter changed the complexion of the contest entirely. The Patriots went into halftime with a 20-point lead and continued their dominance in the second half.

Brady finished with 333 yards passing and four touchdowns, while the New England defense picked off Manning twice in windy conditions.

2. May 14, NHL Eastern Conference semifinals, Game 7: Canadiens 3, Bruins 1

The Bruins went into the 2014 playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but had an early exit in a second-round loss to the rival Canadiens.

Facing a win-or-go-home Game 7, the Bruins started off sloppy and never recovered in the loss at TD Garden. Forward Dale Weiss got the scoring started at the 2:18 mark in the first period when he pushed a shot past Tuukka Rask. Down 2-1 with less than five minutes to go in the third, Daniel Briere all but ended the series with a power-play goal that bounced off Zdeno Chara‘s skate and into the net to push Montreal to the Eastern Conference finals.

“You can’t really, there’s no words to explain it,” said Patrice Bergeron. “Obviously got to give them credit, but we didn’t execute and we didn’t score the goals that we needed to get the momentum or whatever.”

1. Jan. 19, AFC championship: Broncos 26, Patriots 16

Tom Brady‘s chance at a sixth Super Bowl appearance was spoiled by Peyton Manning‘s 400-yard passing game and Aquib Talib’s early exit after colliding with Wes Welker.

Denver ran up a 23-3 lead by the start of the fourth quarter on the back of Manning’s efficient play under center and the Broncos‘ stifling defense. Brady was sacked twice, and the New England running backs were held to a combined 64 yards.

Brady’s 5-yard rushing touchdown brought the Patriots within 10 points, but that was as close as this game would get. The Broncos went to MetLife Stadium for the Super Bowl and the Patriots went home with a disappointing loss.

“Any time you lose a game like this there are definitely things you don’t feel great, and there are a lot of things I don’t feel great about,” Bill Belichick said. “That shouldn’t come as any great surprise. But it’s in the books. You can’t do anything about it except look back at it, learn from it and move on.”


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