Saturday, October 14, 2023

UPDATED Ambushed at The Whit: Terriers fall, 6-4

 

Tom Willander playing hockey for BU 

                          Photo credit Stu Horne

#1/2 Terriers dropped a 6-4 decision to a hard-checking and opportunistic New Hampshire squad at The Whittemore Center on Friday Night. After a high-scoring opening period with each team connecting for three goals, the Wildcats tallied twice early in the middle period and never relinquished the lead.

BU goal-scorers were Luke Tuch, Macklin Celebrini twice and Tom Willander.

A disappointed BU head coach Jay PandoIfo offered frank remarks: “Not a very good night. I think probably the biggest takeaway for me is I’m not doing a good enough job coaching because I don’t have our guys ready. I don’t have our guys playing the right way. So I’ll take responsibility, it’s not good enough.” 

He added, “It started again in the first period with our breakouts, we just weren’t executing. We have a plan on our breakouts and for whatever reason, we’re not sticking to that plan and it’s veteran guys that know what we’re supposed to do.” 

For UNH, it was their first win against the Terriers since Valentine’s Day in 2015 (although BU would avenge that loss in the Hockey East semifinals)

BU opened the scoring just three minutes into the game when Tuch redirected Willander’s hard wrist shot past Tyler Muszelik. Jack Harvey also assisted on the play.

UNH matched that tally at 8:40 when Cy LeClerc’s power-play shot from center point sailed past Matthieu Caron who was screened by a leaping Liam Devlin.

Just over a minute later, Quinn Hutson rang a shot from the left circle off iron, followed by a Ty Gallagher roughing penalty. The Wildcats made BU pay as Devlin, left alone outside the crease, shuffled the puck past Caron for a 2-1 lead.

At 14:46 BU knotted the score when a UNH miscue sprung Macklin Celebrini and Jeremy Wilmer on a two-on-none rush. Celebrini slid the puck to Wilmer who returned to the freshman for a shot high over a sliding Muszelik.

Two minutes later Aiden Celebrini raced deep into the offensive zone and dropped a pass to Willander who wired a one-timer home from the top of the right circle. Dylan Peterson had the second assist. It was BU’s last lead of the contest. Tuch retrieved the puck for Willander.

The Wildcats pulled even at 17:07 when Devlin controlled the puck behind the goal line and put it on the stick of Luke Reid activating from the blue line. His wrister beat Caron to the stick side. 3-3.

Two goals by Morgan Winters in the first six minutes of the second period proved pivotal. On the first, the UNH forecheck forced a turnover at the boards to the right of Caron. Robert Cronin backhanded a pass into the slot to set up Winters’ one-timer. Then, with the Terriers on a power play, Macklin Celebrini’s turnover at the red line sent Winters racing in alone for a shot that beat Caron through the five-hole.

BU got one back with six minutes left in the period. Lane Hutson raced up the left side and past the goal line. His centering attempt was blocked but he regained control, continue behind the cage and backhand a pass to Macklin Celebrini, charging in from the left point. His one-time rip from the left circle flew past Muszelik’s glove. 5-4 after two.

Early in the third with New Hampshire on a power play, Peterson had a shorthanded breakaway but was stoned by Muszelik. A Kristaps Skrastins goal three minutes into the final period restored the two-goal lead for the Wildcats.

With Caron pulled for an extra attack BU appeared to score on Tuch’s redirection of a Lane Hutson shot, but it was waived off for a stick above the shoulder.

New Hampshire outshot BU 35-24 with a 14-7 advantage in the middle period. The Wildcats won the special teams battle, scoring twice with a man-advantage and on Winters’ shorthanded goal, which proved to be the game-winner. BU was 0-for-3 on power plays, although Tuch's goal came right after a man-advantage was completed.

Jack Parker was the second intermission guest on BU All-Access. He told Bernie Corbett that the Terriers need to "play hard without the puck," and pointed out that UNH was ending plays in their defensive zone, while BU was not.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

● Coach Jay Pandolfo post-game comments

● Video highlights

● Boston Hockey Blog recap with Pandolfo comments

● HockeyEastOnline recap

Looking ahead

2024 recruit Jack Pridham  (#9) scored his team-leading fourth goal in six games as West Kelowna edged Prince George, 3-2  in overtime.  2025 recruit Cal Hughes had two good scoring chances in overtime.

Looking back

Clayton Keller assisted on a pair of goals to help the Coyotes defeat the Devils, 4-3, in a shootout.

 

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