Saturday, January 27, 2024

3rd period rally comes up short as Terriers fall to BC

Luke Tuch skating next to a BC player 

                             Photo credit Matt Woolverton

#1 Terriers saw their seven-game winning streak snapped by #2 Boston College, 4-1. At Conte Forum. The Eagles scored twice in the middle period and, after Jack Hughes cut the lead in half in the third period, added two late empty net scores. 

Goalie Mathieu Caron played another strong game turning aside 28 of 30 shots, keeping the game in reach with seven saves on penalty kills.

"I thought as a whole, we were okay. They’re a very good team and they don’t give you a lot chances to score, and you have to manage the puck against them,” said Head Coach Jay Pandolfo after the game. "They’re very good in transition…I thought we shot ourselves in the foot a little bit that way. That was part of our game plan was to make sure we don’t give up chances like that."

Regarding the sellout crowd and high-level clash of teams, he explained, "I thought the freshmen handled it very well. I thought some of our guys who have been here for a little bit didn’t handle it as well. Some of our guys struggled with a lot of turnovers –– guys that are typically pretty good with the puck.That’s something that we have to figure out tomorrow: Who’s ready to go and who’s not."

 

The contest was fast paced from the get-go and the shots came quickly. The evenly played period ended with 13 shots for both teams, but no goals.

Three minutes into the middle period a Cade Webber blast beat BC’s Jacob Fowler but rang off iron. Moments later, the Eagles’ Mike Posma fired a shot that Caron defended but Posma recovered the puck it was moved out to the blue then to Ryan Leonard at the right boards. The freshman closed to the circle and wristed a shot that found the net on the glove side.

Terriers created several grade A chances on the rush; two of the best, shots by Luke Tuch and Quinn Hutson, resulted in more iron, but no scores.

With three minutes left in the period, BC scored on the rush, creating a two-on-one that Gabe Perreault finished from the right circle for a 2-0 lead. Second period shots were 12 to 8 BC.

Terriers’ efforts to cut into the lead in the third period were stymied by the Eagles’ tight checking and preventing BU from attacking with numbers. After pair of goal-saving blocks by Webber, BU finally broke through at 13:23. Off an offensive zone face off, Aiden Celebrini passed to Dylan Peterson at the bottom of the left circle. His centering attempt went off Ryan Greene to Hughes from quick wrister from the dot that went in off the goalpost to Fowler’s stick side.

BU pulled Caron for an extra attacker with 2:11 remaining but was unable to get a quality chance. BC cleared the puck to center ice where Cutter Gauthier beat the BU defense to the puck and fired an empty-net goal. Andre Gasseau followed with a second ENG for the 4-1 final.

BC outshot the Terriers 32-27. After the Eagles dominated face offs in the opening period, BU finished with a 27-23 edge on draws.

● GoTerriers.com recap and box score

● Highlights

● Post-game comments Pandolfo

● Boston Hockey Blog recap

Looking ahead

2024 recruit Michael Chambre stopped 29 of 32 shots as Sioux Falls was edged by Dubuque, 3-2.  2025 recruit John McNeilis collected his 16th assist for the Stampede, extending his points streak to eight games.

2025 recruit Callum Hughes scored his 16th goal and added an assist in West Kelowna's 8-3 win over Merritt. 2024 recruit Jack Pridham assisted on Hughes'   goal.

Looking back

Evan Rodrigues scored his eighth goal, a power-play tally, in Florida’s 3-2 shootout win over Pittsburgh. Rodrigues has 28 points in 48 games for the Panthers.

Women’s Team

Terriers dropped the front end of its home-and-home series Holy Cross, 2-1, at Walter Brown Arena. Junior Ani Fitzgerald’s long-distance blast five minutes into the opening period gave BU an early lead. Midway through the second period, the Crusaders tied the score and at the sixteen minute mark, they took the lead on a power-play goal.

BU outshot the visitors, 10-4, in the final period, but was unable to produce an equalizer. Freshman Mari Pieterson stopped 20 shots for BU.

● GoTerriers.com recap and box score

● Highlights

● Post-game comments Coach Tara Watchorn

● Boston Hockey Blog recap

 

 

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