Saturday, December 12, 2015

Elis edge BU 3-2; Face #2 Quinnipiac tonight



#11/12 Terriers began their weekend in Connecticut by dropping a 3-2 decision to #15 Yale at Ingalls Rink.  The score was the reverse of the team’s last meeting last March in the NCAA regionals, when BU won in overtime on a Danny O’Regan goal.

BU nearly took a lead at the end of an evenly played first period when Ryan Cloonan fed O’Regan on a two-on-one rush, but  this time Yale’s Alex Lyon kept the game scoreless.  Seven minutes into the middle period, BU took a lead when Jordan Greenway (photo) controlled the puck behind the Elis’ net and found Ahti Oksanen in the slot for a one-timer.

Following that score, however, Yale’s forechecking and increased offensive pressure changed the momentum as they outshot BU 18-10 for the period. A key turning point came with less than three minutes left when Yale won an offensive zone draw and put a shot from the blueline on goal. Connor LaCouvee made the initial save, but an unmarked Ryan Hitchcock buried the rebound.  

Less than a minute later, Cloonan took a major boarding penalty—“ a stupid penalty,” according to Coach David Quinn—which also resulted in a game misconduct. Yale quickly converted when passes deep in the BU end freed John Hayden for a one-timer from the circle to LaCouvee’s left.

The Terriers killed off the rest of the major penalty allowing just three more shots, regaining the momentum. Then, six and a half minutes into the final period, a 3-on-2 Yale rush, not played well by the BU defense, allowed Hayden to go in alone and beat LaCouvee for a two-goal lead.  A familiar script saw BU seeking to rally in the third. BU outshot their hosts, 10-3, and finally connected on a power play with 2:42 remaining when Charlie McAvoy’s cross-ice pass set up Bobo Carpenter for a one-timer from the circle to Lyon’s left. That, however, was the extent of the Terrier rally.

Indicating that “mental mistakes” had sunk the Terriers, Quinn noted that on Yale’s first goal “A simple faceoff play, where we just don’t cover anybody, and [that’s] hockey 101.”  

Junior defenseman Doyle Somerby:

“Coach reiterated all week that they’re not going to beat themselves, and unfortunately their first goal and that power-play goal wasn’t great plays on our part. You can’t let them get a lead like that because it’s tough to score goals against them. Unfortunately it came back to bite us.”

► LaCouvee turned aside 28 of 31 shots. Greenway, who continues to impress, earned third-star honors.
► Among the former Terriers in the crowd were All-Americans Chris Drury and Mike Pomichter and former associate head coach Steve Greeley.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score
● Post-game comments: Quinn
● Daily Free Press recap; analysis
● Boston Hockey Blog: Pluses & Minuses

The Terriers will travel eight miles to Hamden for a meeting with #2 Quinnipiac tonight.
BU Sports Radio Network webcast
Quinnipiac live stream
Boston Hockey Blog live in-game blog
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