#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
● Boston Hockey Blog: Pluses
& Minuses
►The Terriers will travel eight miles to Hamden for a meeting with
#2 Quinnipiac tonight.
CHECK BACK FOR MORE GAME DAY DETAILS
No comments:
Post a Comment