Sunday, February 14, 2021

O'Brien powers BU to sweep of Vermont UPDATED


Sophomore Jay O’Brien’s hat trick and another strong performance in goal by freshman Vinny Duplessis powered #13 Terriers to a 5-1 against Vermont at Gutterson Field House. BU also received goals from junior Matt Quercia and sophomore Wilmer Skoog, while graduate transfer Max Kaufman, facing his former team, had a pair of helpers.

The win gave the Terriers, who improved to 8-2-0, a weekend sweep and enabled  BU to remain second in the Pairwise rankings. Despite the win, BU is now in second place in the conference’s Hockey EastPower Index, just behind BC.

Shut out by Duplessis on Friday, the Catamounts got on the board just two-and-a-half minutes into the game when Dovar Tinling jammed the puck home on a backdoor play. BU’s top line answered quickly. Kaufman, covering the right point, banked the puck to Captain Logan Cockerill at the outside of the right circle. He fired a pass across the goalmouth where O’Brien redirected it past Tyler Harmon.

BU, which had a big territorial and shots (13-3) advantage in the opening period, took the lead at 15:18 when O’Brien pilfered the puck at center ice, skated to the right circle and surprised Harmon with a hard wrist shot that went in off the goalie’s shoulder.

The Terriers weren’t done. With a minute remaining, Cade Webber moved the puck to Jamie Armstrong entering the UVM zone. He sent a cross-ice pass that Quercia took in stride and ripped home from the high slot. It was his first tally of the season and gave BU a 3-1 lead.

Just a minute into the second period, Duplessis came up big to stop a UVM 2-on-1 break. Then, with eight minutes left in the period, Robert Mastrosimone and Luke Tuch combined to steal the puck at the Vermont blue line. Skating along the boards, Tuch slid the puck to Skoog at the bottom of the left circle for a wrist shot that beat Harmon.

Early in the third period, O’Brien completed his hat trick. Kaufman freed the puck from a scrum along the left boards, pushing it to the circle. The right-shot center’s wrist shot from the faceoff dot went through Harmon’s five hole, stopping short of the goal line, but O’Brien followed up and nudged it home for a 5-1 BU advantage.

The Terriers clamped down on the Catamounts allowing few grade A chances, with Duplessis stopping all 17 shots he faced after the opening goal.

"Really like the way we came out tonight in the first period and set the tone," said Head Coach Albie O'Connell. "Our guys were resilient. We did a better job (than Friday) of attacking and shooting the puck. In all three zones we played really well."

Discussing O'Brien, who transferred to BU from Providence with a year in the BCHL in between, O'Connell called him "a highly talented guy," adding, "he’s got great offensive instincts and made a great play on Vlasic’s goal last night. He was a major factor in our sweeping this week."

O’Brien, whose three goals came on five shots, also had a good night at the faceoff dot, winning eight of 12 draws. He's now second in team scoring with a 6-4-10 line in ten games.

Through three starts, Duplessis, who had 16 saves, is now 3-0-0 with a 0.67 goals-against average and a .974 save percentage. BU had a season-high 37 saves with 15 in the final period.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

● Post-game comments: O’Connell

● Video highlights

● Boston Hockey Blog recap

● WTBU Sports recap

Looking ahead

2021 recruit Brian Carrabes scored a goal and an assist in Sioux City’s 4-3 loss to Sioux Falls. The North Andover native leads the Musketeers in scoring with a 10-12-22 line.

2022 recruit Ryan Greene scored his 6th goal in Green Bay’s 5-3 win against Muskegon. 2021 recruit Quinn Hutson had an assist for the Lumberjacks.

Looking back

Brady Tkachuk's third-period goal was the game-winner in Ottawa's 2-1 win against Winnipeg.

Bobo Carpenter scored his second goal and AJ Greer picked up an assist for Bridgeport in a 5-3 loss to the Providence Bruins.

Patrick Harper and Brandon Hickey are skating for the AHL Chicago Wolves, who have just launched their season. The roster includes BC rival David Cotton and the team is coached by Ryan Warsofsky, old brother of ex-Terrier David Warsofsky who is now playing for the AHL Toronto Marlies.

Women’s Team


Terriers rebounded from Friday’s loss to defeat Vermont, 4-1, at Walter Brown Arena, earning a split in the weekend series.

Vermont took an early first-period lead on a Theresa Schafzahl goal. Just a minute and a half into the second period, MacKenna Parker notched her third goal from Jesse Compher and Tamara Giaquinto. BU took its first lead of the weekend on Compher’s fourth goal from Catherine Foulem and Nadia Mattivi.

Ten seconds into the third, Nara Elia extended the lead to 3-1, assisted by Parker, and in the final minute, Compher hit the empty net, assisted by Mattivi.

Kate Stuart stopped 27 shots for her second win of the season.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

● Video highlights.

● Post-game comments Coach Watchorn, Compher

 

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