Tucker blanks UNH, aided by two Curry goals

Graduate Transfer Sam Tucker's sparkling performance in net backboned a 3-0 shutout of New Hampshire at Agganis Arena, giving BU its first conference win of the season. The former Yale netminder stopped all 32 Wildcat shots, including 14 in a nail-biting third period. Captain Patrick Curry scored twice while freshman Robert Mastrosimone had the other tally.

Once again, the Terriers came out fast and aggressive, creating scoring chances. At 5:45, senior Patrick Harper set up freshman Alex Vlasic for a one-time that Curry redirected from the high slot, beating Mike Robinson high to the  side stick. Terriers outshot UNH 12-7 in the period and had an abbreviated power play, but were unable to add to the lead.

New Hampshire went on the power play early in the second, but Tucker turned away all four shots. Then, midway through the  period, freshman Case McCarthy's pass from the sideboards to the high slot was briefly controlled by a Wildcat defender, but in one motion Mastrosimone picked his pocket and whipped a shot home, again to the stick side. 

We're up 2-0 thanks to this goal from Mastro... #GoBU pic.twitter.com/lX5bZKN071

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) October 27, 2019

 An apparent UNH goal late in the second was disallowed after a review.

Harper had left the game late in the opening period with a leg injury, forcing BU, which also was missing Logan Cockerill and Cam Crotty, to juggle lines. In the final period, with the Terriers essentially skating three lines, the Wildcats maintained a huge territorial advantage. Tucker, aided by numerous shot blocks by his teammates, kept his cage clean, stopping a bunch of grade-A scoring chances. The best one came at the halfway mark of the period when he lunged across the goalmouth to punch away a labeled shot.

Pulling their goalie, the Wildcats increased the pressure, but with less than two minutes remaining, sophomore Matt Quercia found Curry at the UNH blueline for an empty-netter. Junior Kasper Kotkansalo also assisted.

Tucker's first shutout in Scarlet earned him first-star honors.

“Our goaltender was arguably the best player on the ice tonight,” said Coach Albie O'Connell, who also pointed to the resilience of his team in the final period. “We bent a little bit, but we didn’t break,"

BU's penalty kill, criticized by O'Connell last weekend, was perfect this weekend, defending two power plays last night and all five on Friday night.

With six goals, Curry now is tied for the Division 1 lead in that category.  He scored 10 goals last season. Harper is tied for fourth in points.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

● Video highlights and post-gamecomments from O’Connell, Tucker and Mastrosimone

● Boston Hockey Blog recap

● Boston Herald recap

►Prior to BU’s games with Lowell and New Hampshire, College Hockey News’ Joe Meloni looked at the factors critical to BU’s success this season.

●College Hockey News: Coach The Up—BU’s Success Ultimately Depends on Behind the Bench

Looking ahead

2020 recruit Wilmer Skoog assisted on a pair of goals and earned second-star honors as NAHL Maryland defeated Wilkes-Barre Scranton, 5-2. His 22 points (9G,13A) are tops on the Black Bears and second best in the NAHL.

2020 recruits Jay O’Brien and Cade Webber each recorded an assist in Penticton’s 4-3 overtime win against Chilliwack 

Looking back

3-0 was also the score of the Bruins’ win against St. Louis with Matt Grzelcyk assisting on a shorthanded goal.

 ● NHL.com recap and video highlights

Women’s Team

#10 Terriers completed a two-game weekend sweep, defeating Penn State, 5-1 in State College, PA. BU, which won Friday’s contest, 5-2, improved its record to 5-1-1. Freshman Julia Nearis led the offense with a pair of goals and sophomore Kaleigh Donnelly contributed a goal and assist.

With BU on a power play early in the first period, Nearis converted a pass to the slot by Donnelly.  Midway through the period, Deziray De Sousa doubled the lead when she redirected Courtney Correia’s shot from the right half-wall.

Penn State cut the lead in half at 3:23 of the second, but Nearis’s second goal at 11:35, assisted by Abby Cook and Sammy Davis, restored the two-goal margin.  BU added a pair of third period goals—from Donnelly and Cook to close out the Nittany Lions.

Sophomore Kate Stuart turned aside 21 Penn State shots to gain the win. Seven games into the season, Davis and Donnelly co-lead the Terriers in points with eight apiece.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score