Thursday, April 11, 2024

Terriers fall, 2-1 in OT, despite Caron heroics

 (photo: Rich Gagnon)

Just like a year ago, a standout BU season ended in the Frozen Four semifinals as a Tristan Broz goal 11:09 into overtime gave the #3 Denver a 2-1 win and berth in Saturday’s championship game.

BU ends its second campaign under head coach Jay Pandolfo with a 28-9-2 record.

           Extended video highlights and recaps are linked below.

“Tonight, the margin of error in these one-and-dones is very slim. We made some mistakes that cost us,” Pandolfo said. “There’s no tomorrow for us.”

Failing to build on a first-period lead and losing the momentum midway through the second period proved fatal to the Terriers’ chances.

“I thought we shot ourselves in the foot a little bit by not continuing to play behind them,” Pandolfo added. “It's been a little bit of an issue the whole year for our group, in the second period, not finding ways to put teams away. I would have liked to see us bear down and get a two-goal lead, but it didn't happen."

#2 BU nearly jumped to a lead in the game’s opening minute when Shane Lachance sent Macklin Celebrini in alone on goalie Matt Davis, who made the save. Terriers did take a 1-0 first period lead on Luke Tuch’s shorthanded goal in the final seconds of the first of four penalties the Terriers would kill off.Firing in stride, the senior wing’s perfectly placed shot hit the top left corner of the net. Devin Kaplan assisted on the goal.


That lead stood up until Lane Hutson's defensive zone turnover led to Tristan Lemyre’s tying goal with 4:39 left in the second period.

Mathieu Caron, in one of his best games of the season, made several five-bell saves that kept the score knotted at 1-1. Late in the second period, he made a lunging glove save on an Aiden Thompson shot that appeared labeled.

Midway through the third period, he made, perhaps, and even better glove save to rob Jack Devine who was alone just outside the crease.

Neither team was able to take the lead in the third period. BU’s best chances came in the final four minutes, following a TV timeout. Jack Harvey’s shot from the right circle rang off iron to Davis’s glove side and a follow-up by Celebrini sailed just wide to the same side.

BU had several grade A chances in overtime—including Nick Zabaneh’s shot from the slot and Lane Hutson’s twisting move from the point to the crease—but Davis, who yielded just one goal for third consecutive game—turned them aside.

BU outshot Denver 34-27 with seven Pioneer shots coming on its four power plays. BU never got a chance to unleash its power play despite several obvious DU infractions that left the BU bench and coaches howling.

"You guys watched the game,” Pandolfo told the media following the game. “Were there penalties out there or not? We didn't get on the power play at all, they got on it four times. But that's not the reason we lost the game. We have to find ways to put teams away 5-on-5, and we didn't do that."

He added, "Really disappointing. I really feel for our seniors. They've done a tremendous job the last two years of, I feel like, re-establishing the culture at BU and what it means to play and be a Terrier. I want to thank those guys."

● GoTerriers.com recap and box score

● Post-game press conference

● Extended video highlights

● Photo gallery

● Boston Hockey Blog Terriers fall, 2-1, in overtime

● College Hockey News recap

● USCHO recap, video analysis, 5 Numbers to know from DU’s victory      

● USCHO BU laments not adding on after scoring first goal

Part 2

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1 comment:

Skolzman said...

Very disappointing. They were so dominant through 11/2 periods but couldn’t get the second goal. Hutson’s too-cute giveaway that led to the tying goal turned everything around and the Terriers lost the jump in their step. Despite seven shots on goal, Macklin was bottled up by DU. Caron made incredible saves to keep it tight, but both Denver goals were stoppable. Cover the damn five hole. Officiating was a joke (no power plays in last two games?) but as Coach P said, they needed to assert themselves in the second period. DU’s goalie wasn’t flashy but very solid and didn’t give up a cheap goal.

Probably all for the best — don’t think the Terriers would have beaten BC in the championship game anyway.

11:45 AM

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