Gaudet strikes in OT; Terriers edge Cornell, 2-1

(photo courtesy of Adam Wodon, College Hockey News)

Junior Ross Gaudet’s overtime deflection of a Max Nicastro shot at 2:48 of overtimes sent BU and Terrier faithful home all smiles as Red Hot Hockey 3 ended with a 2-1 BU win. It was Gaudet’s first goal of the season. Ben Rosen also drew an assist.

Terriers had taken a 1-0 lead on Adam Clendening’s power play goal—a two-man advantage—in a first period dominated by BU hard-checking that effectively tied up the Big Red. Following a middle stanza in which Cornell had the better chances, the Big Red tied the score in an otherwise evenly played third period. Kieran Millan made an initial save on a shot for the high slot, but Locke Jillson collected the puck and fired it off a Terrier skate and behind Millan on a sharp angle.

BU caught a break minutes later when a Cornell shot off the dasher behind Millan bounced high in the air. The officials lost sight of the puck and whistled the play dead before the puck came down on Millan's back and dropped into the goal. A reviewed confirmed: "No goal."

Red Hot Hockey turned white hot in a frenetic overtime that featured excellent chances at each end of the ice. Millan made one particularly outstanding save before first-star Gaudet’s slick deflection turned on the red light.

Gaudet: “It’s the most exciting goal I’ve ever scored, and one of the best moments of my athletic career.”

► BU's win was its seventh in the past 12 meetings with the Big Red and narrowed Cornell's lead in the overall series--which began with a BU win on an outdoor rink in Ithaca in 1925--
to 23-18-2.

► Like the two previous iterations of Red Hot Hockey, edition #3 was a sellout of 18,200, and there was an electric atmosphere in The Garden all night. While there may have been more Cornell fans in the building, the BU student section deliver the chant of the night—“1970”—a reference to the Big Red’s last national championship. And the BU Pep band outperformed their rivals all night.

● GoTerriers.com recap, comprehensive box score and photo gallery
● Boston Hockey Blog recap
● USCHO recap
● College Hockey News analysis of “no-goal” and winning goal
● Boston Globe recap

► Today, Sunday, Nov. 27, marks the 40th anniversary of the first game played at BU men’s hockey’s former home, Walter Brown Arena, now the home of the women’s team. Check back this evening for a new Terrier Tales feature on BU’s first on-campus arena.

Looking ahead
2012 recruit Matt O’Connor picked up his 10th win for BU as Youngtown beat Sioux City, 5-4.

2012 recruit Sean Maguire stopped 20 of 21 shots over a little man than two periods in a relief roll as Powell River fell to Surrey, 4-3, in BCHL action.