Saturday, January 07, 2023

Terrier top Falcons, Will face Michigan Tech for tourney title

 

#6 Terriers rode a three-goal first period—with two tallies from senior Wilmer Skoog—to a 5-1 win against Air Force in the opening round of the Desert Hockey Classic at the new Mullet Arena in Tempe, Ariz. 

The win improves BU’s record to 13-5-0 with 10 wins in the last 11 games. It also sends the Terriers to Saturday’s tournament championship game where they’ll face #15/16 Michigan Tech, a 4-2 winner over host Arizona State. Former Terrier Robert Mastrosimone scored both goals for the Sun Devils.

Skoog, who led BU in goals last season with 15, had just one goal in his first 13 games this year. But in the last four games he has five tallies, including two multi-goal games. His linemate, freshman Jeremy Wilmer, assisted on both of Skoog’s goals as well as a second-period power-play score.

Junior Drew Commesso stopped all but one of the 33 shots he faced and came up with big saves late in the second period    and during a third-period flurry when the Falcons fired six shots in a four-minute span. He improved his record to 9-3-0 and lowered his GAA to 2.59.

BU got on the boad quickly, scoring at the 0:22 mark and appropriately it was scored by Jamie Armstrong, whose father Bill Armstrong, is GM of the Arizona Coyotes, who play their games at the Mullet Arena. Ty Gallagher brought the puck across the blue line and dished to Devin Kaplan along the right boards. The freshman wing skated into the right circle and found Armstrong in the slot for a wrist shot that beat AFA goalie Maszion Balboa, high to the blocker side.    

 


At 14:30 Skoog raced up the right side into Falcons’ zone. Cutting across the middle, he dropped the puck to Wilmer who quickly returned the puck to the Swedish center for a snapshot that cleanly beat Balboa for what proved to be the game-winner.


BU wasn’t done with the opening period. With half a minute remaining, a great individual effort by Wilmer was turned away but puck slid to Skoog behind the Air Force cage. Shaking off a hard check, he wheeled out to the top of the right circle, cut to his left and shot back right. His shot sailed past Balboa on his glove side. Brian Carrabes also assisted.


Seven minutes into the middle period, Clayton Cosentino put the Falcons on the board, putting a loose puck behind Commesso after a deflection.

Minutes later, Terriers got their first power-play opportunity and needed just 22 second to connect on a tic-tac-toe play. Lane Hutson, returned from earning a bronze medal at the WJCs in Halifax, passed from the left point to Wilmer in the right circle. A quick pass found Carrabes in the high slot “bumper” spot and his one-timer flew past Balboa to restore BU’s three-goal margin. It was the first goal of the season for Carrabes who filled in on the top line and power play for Jay O’Brien, who was out sick.

 

For first half of the final period, BU controlled play, created scoring chances and limited the Falcons to three shots. Then Air Force peppered Commesso over the next few minutes but the Blackhawks’ draft pick handled the barrage.

 

Kaplan’s third penalty with three minutes remaining, allowed the Falcons to pull their goalie for a 6-on-4 power play that BU weathered, yielding just one shot and scoring short-handed as Sam Stevens fired from deep in the Terrier end into the open net. It was Stevens’ third goal with Cade Webber picking up an assist.

"We came to accomplish our goal tonight and win the first game so we can play for a championship tomorrow," said head coach Jay Pandolfo. "We obviously started very well—got off to a quick lead. I thought we played well for the most part in the first period. Then I thought we got away from our game a little bit, started cheating the game as it went on, but at the end of the day we did what we had to do tonight."

Addressing Commesso's performance, he added, "Drew was excellent. He was really good. His puck handles were good as well. That’s what we expect out of him and he’s lived up to it. 

"[Skoog] has picked it up the last few games," Pandolfo point out. "He’s starting to grow his confidence. So that’s big for us." 

Falcons' Coach Frank Serratore noted that ."BU played at a speed limit that we haven't seen in a while. They are a vary, very talented team. But the way our guys battled, I think we earned some respect."

►Lane Hutson, who assisted on the overtime game-winner for Team USA in the bronze medal game at the WJCs, took two flights from Halifax to join his teammates in Arizona.


● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

● Post-game comments: Pandolfo

 

Looking ahead

2023 recruit Doug Grimes scored his seventh goal and added an assist—both on power plays—as Lincoln defeated Fargo, 5-0.

 

2023 recruit Jack Harvey scored his league-high 21st goal and 2023 or 2024 recruit Mack Celebrini recorded his 17th assist at Chicago defeated Muskegon, 4-3. 

2023 recruit Nick Roukounakis scored his fifth goal  as Tri-City edged Omaha, 2-1. 

2023 recruit Jack Gorton's 10th goal was the only tally for Victoria in the Grizzlies' 3-1 loss to Cowichan Valley.

2024 recruit Kamil Bednarik assisted on a pair of goals in the NTDP U17s’ 4-3 loss to Youngstown. He has an 11-10-21 line in 29 games. Post-game comments Brian Durocher, Julia Nearis

 

Women’s Team

Terriers dropped a 3-2 decision to Holy Cross in their first-ever appearance at Frozen Fenway. 

The Crusaders took a 1-0 first period lead. Midway through the second, BU tied the score on a Clara Yuhn goal, but Holy Cross responded quickly to make it 2-1. Late in the third, another Crusader tally gave them a 3-1 lead.  Clare O'Leary's score at 18:55 brought BU within one, but that was as close as they would get.   

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

● Post-game comments: Brian Durocher, Julia Nearis

● Boston Hockey Blog recap

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