Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Flashback ’70-’71 BU & Harvard all tied up; Women fall to UNH

NOTE: Due to a positive Covid-19 test, the BU Men's Hockey Team paused all activities last week, including a scheduled game against Connecticut. We'll post updates when they become available from official sources.

Flashback '70-'71: Dec. 9. BU 4 Harvard 4

After four one-sided wins to open the season, BU faced its first strong challenge, taking on Harvard at Watson Rink. The Crimson had home ice, but the venue was familiar to the Terriers who were practicing at Watson because construction at Walter Brown Arena had not been completed in time. The game matched not only two of the best teams in the ECAC, but also two centers—BU’s Steve Stirling and Harvard’s Joe Cavanagh—who would earn first-team All-American honors in 1970-71.

The teams would trade goals all night with Cavanagh opening the scoring with a goal matched nine seconds later by Don “Toot” Cahoon, assisted by Stirling and Mike LaGarde. Late in the period, Cavanagh set up linemate Bob McManama for a 2-1 Harvard lead.

Six minutes into the middle period, LaGarde emerged from the penalty box to break up a Harvard play and send Stirling in alone. He beat goalie Bruce Durno in tight to knot the score. Peter Thornton gave BU its first lead of the game midway through the period, intercepting a pass and scoring unassisted. Harvard responded at 16:48 on Dave Hynes power play goal.

Just half a minute into the third period—with the Terriers shorthanded again—John Danby dropped a pass for Bob Gryp and the big winger blast a 35-foot shot past Durno for a 4-3 lead. However, Harvard continued on the power play and just before it expired, Dan DeMichele batted home a McManama rebound for the equalizer.

BU’s Tim Regan turned aside 23 shots while Durno stopped 26.

Peter Thornton’s takeaway: “That unassisted goal was a highlight because playing early in 1970, I broke my jaw and did not play again until the 71-72 season. That goal was against Bruce Durno, a great goalie who now is a top judge in Toronto.”

A hard-skating and aggressive right wing, Thornton’s injury limited him to 15 games in 1970-71 and a 5-7-12 scoring line. He returned the next season and played in all 31 games (8G,11A) and scored a goal in the 4-1 win against Cornell in the ECAC title game. Thornton, a native of Scarboro, Ont., played a season of minor hockey with Bob Brown, also from Scarboro, and helped recruit the future All-American to BU.

Looking ahead

2022 recruit Devin Kaplan score a goal and an assist, while Lane Hutson had two helpers in the NTDP U17s’ blowout of Janesville, 10-1. Kaplan had scored twice the previous night.

USA Hockey box score

Women’s Team

#8 Terriers dropped a 4-3 decision to New Hampshire on Saturday, resulting in a split of the two-game series. BU held a 2-0 lead after one period on goals by freshman Clare O’Leary and senior captain Jesse Compher. But the Wildcats scored three times in the middle period to grab the lead. Sophomore Julia Nearis’ power-play goal early in the third tied the score, but UNH needed just 30 seconds to respond with the game-winner. Junior Kate Stuart had 26 saves for BU.

GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

Video highlights

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