Nieto, O'Connor lead Terriers past Merrimack—UPDATED

Just days after an offensive drought against Lowell, BU flexed its scoring muscles to thump first-place Merrimack, 5-2. Junior Matt Nieto (photo) earned first-star honors with a pair of goals, an assist and a +4 for the evening. Freshman goalie Matt O’Connor stopped 32 shots and kept the Warriors at bay for nearly 50 minutes.

Playing at home for only the second time this month, BU’s victory ended a winless skein at Agganis Arena that had reached five games. Terriers score three times in the opening period. Evan Rodrigues carried the puck from his own end before scoring on backhanders. Wade Megan wristed home a centering pass from Garrett Noonan. Then Cason Hohmann was credit with finishing after a Matt Grzelcyk blast was stopped.

In the second period, Danny O’Regan led a 2-on-1 rush, then dropped the puck to a lunging Nieto for the fourth goal. Seven minutes later, blueliner Sean Escobedo, who had a +3 evening, sprung Nieto on a breakaway that he finished with shot high to the goalie’s glove side for a 5-0 lead.

O’Connor lost his shutout on a Jordan Heywood power play goal nine minutes into the third period and Heywood scored again to close out the scoring.

Coach Jack Parker, who noted several “huge saves” by O’Connor in the second period, said, “I think the puck jumped in the net for us. We made some nice plays, got some goals, took the pressure off.”

BU remains in sixth place, but is just two points behind four schools that are tied for first place. The Terriers have a pair of home games against Vermont this weekend and close out the season with a home-and-home against Northeastern.

● GoTerriers.com recap, comprehensive box score

● Video highlights
● Post-game comments: Parker, Rodrigues/NIeto

● Boston Hockey Blog recap, Three Up/Three Down and Michael Cummo slide show
● Daily Free Press feature on Nieto

● College Hockey News’ Takeaway

● WTBU Sports recap

● USCHO recap
● SB Nation: Breaking down the Hockey East playoff race

Looking back

David van der Gulik scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in Lake Erie’s 3-1 win over Milwaukee.  With his second multi-goal game against the Admirals this month, the former BU standout has a 16-16-32 line in 48 games.