Back-to-back shutouts; BU dispatches the Bobcats

What a difference a week makes. #8 Terriers continued to play gritty, defensively-sound hockey as they blanked #4 Quinnipiac, 3-0, to complete a weekend sweep. BU received goals from three sophomores: Jordan Greenway in the first; Bobo Carpenter in the second; and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson in the final minutes of the third. Freshman Jake Oettinger kept his cage clean again with 22 saves, registering BU’s first back-to-back shutouts since March 2013 when Sean Maguire turned the trick.

The other storyline of the contest was penalties—16 of them on the Terriers, all of which were killed. After successfully defending an early 5-on-3 for the Bobcats, BU got on the board when JFK gained the offensive zone and found Greenway cutting across the slot, then backhanding a shot past QU’s Andrew Shortridge.

The parade of Terriers to the penalty box continued in the second period when BU was whistled seven times (really!). Just as one penalty expired at the eight minute mark, freshman Patrick Harper broke in one a 2-on-1 with Carpenter, held the puck until the defenseman committed and slid it to Bobo who had a half-open net and made no mistake.

BU began the final frame facing another 5-on-3 disadvantage but easily blunted the Bobcats’ attack.  In the game’s final minute, with BU killing the last of the 16 penalties and Shortridge pulled for an extra attacker, Greenway sent the puck to the QU end where JFK pickpocketed a defender and flipped the disk into the empty net.

Commenting on the gritty, but somewhat ugly win, Coach David Quinn said:

"I can’t tell you how proud I am of our team. I know people are going to talk about the penalties, as they should, but we didn’t feel very good about ourselves after we left Denver … Boy were we a lot harder to play against this weekend than we were at any point in the season. We showed a lot of guts, we showed a lot of character, we showed a lot of stupidity, and we just really gutted this one out."

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score  
● Video Highlights 
● Post-game comments (video): Quinn, Greenway/Hickey 
● Daily Free Press: recap 
● Daily Free Press: Greenway continues hot start 
● USCHO recap

Fresh off the weekend sweep, the Terriers are out in Mansfield, Mass., supporting the 2016 Autism Speaks Walk. (Instagram)

Looking ahead

With a strong power move, 2017 recruit Brady Tkachuk scored a shorthanded goal in the NTDP U18s 2-1 win over #2-ranked Minnesota Duluth.  The St. Louis native is the U18s co-leader in scoring with a 3-5-8 line in 11 games.

● USA Hockey recap

● NCHC Video Highlights

2017 recruit Ty Amonte scored his sixth goal of the season as Penticton doubled up West Kelowna, 6-3. Amonte, who put up 70 points in his senior season at Thayer Academy, is tied for the Vees’ scoring lead with 17 points (6G, 11A).

● Penticton Vees recap

● BCHL box score

2018 recruit Matthew Quercia scored a second-period goal for Sioux Falls, but the Stampede dropped a 4-2 decision to Green Bay.

CHECK BACK FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE