Terriers settle for OT tie with UMass

A late rally by UMass brought the Minutemen back from a 3-1 third-period deficit and, as a result, BU had to settle for a 3-3 tie, foiling their bid for a road win. Sophomore goalie Matt O’Connor was outstanding, stopping 46 shots, earning second star honors.

The turning point of the game came midway through the third period when an apparent goal by Evan Rodrigues was disallowed after a lengthy officials’ review. Had it stood, BU would have had a 4-1 lead. When play resumed, UMass’s Conor Sheary promptly scored from about forty feet out after BU failed to clear the puck on a play when Oksanen’s stick was slashed out of his hand. The Minutemen knotted the score a three apiece with 50 seconds left in regulation when Ray Pigozza deflected a slapshot between O’Connor’s pads.

BU got on the board first when Cason Hohmann (photo) snapped home a pass by Nick Roberto who had been set up by Dalton MacAfee. UMass scored the equalizer in the final minute of the first period on a power play after several sparkling O’Connor saves.

Terriers took the lead again in the middle period when Hohmann, leading a two-on-one rush, dropped a pass to Ahti Oksanen, who blasted his fifth goal of the year past goalie Steve Mastalerz. The lead was extended to 3-1 when Mike Moran circled the UMass net, then turned and fired a high shot from the left circle.  

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

● Boston Hockey Blog recap, O’Connor feature 
● Video highlights 
●HockeyEastOnline recap

Looking ahead 
2014 recruit Brandon Hickey assisted on a pair of power play goals for AJHL Spruce Grove in a 7-2 win against Sherwood Park. The 6-2, left-shot defenseman, who was ranked #63 among North Americans in the NHL Central Scouting midterms, has 4-14-18 scoring line in 39 games.

2015 recruit Maxim Letunov (photo), playing in his first USHL season with Youngstown—and future BU teammate J.J. Piccinich—talked with the Warren (OH) Tribune Chronicle about how he measures his improvement on the ice and his hopes to play in the NHL and represent his native Russia in Olympics. The 6-3, 155 lb. center from Moscow is third in scoring for the USHL Phantoms with 29 points and has 14 goals and was ranked #68 in the Central Scouting midterms. His Youngstown coach, Anthony Noreen points out:

"(Letunov) thinks the game on such an elite level that he makes guys around him better. Whoever you put on his line, they're going to be better that game because of the way he plays, because of the way he distributes the puck, and he's a guy who's got a very bright future here and beyond."

Looking back 
Colin Wilson, an All-American and Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2009, set up Shea Weber’s overtime game-winner with a slick drop pass in Nashville’s come-from-behind win against New Jersey. Wilson, whose two-year totals at BU are 29-61-90, has 24 points this season for the Predators.
● Recap and video

Former Terrier blueliner David Warsofsky assisted on two goals in the Providence Bruins’ 6-4 win against Hartford. Warsofsky, who now has 25 points—4 fewer than his AHL career best—made his NHL debut with Boston earlier this season, making him the sixth defenseman from BU’s 2009 national champions to reach the NHL.

Women’s Team 
Goals by senior Taylor Holze and sophomore Lillian Ribeirinha-Braga—her first NCAA score—lifted BU past host Connecticut last night. The win broke a four-game losing streak for the Terriers. Senior goalie Kerrin Sperry stopped 20 shots.
● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score 

● Post-game comments: Holze