#13/14 Terriers fell to Boston College 3-1 Sunday afternoon at Conte Forum. The game-winner was a one-time blast by Eagle defenseman Drew Helleson that beat his recent U.S. Olympic teammate Drew Commesso at 14:40 of the third period, breaking a 1-1 deadlock. BC added an empty-net goal with five seconds left.
The loss ended BU’s eight-game winning streak and was the Terriers’ first defeat in regulation since the Cornell game in late November. It left BU tied for fifth in Hockey East with UConn and Providence. With two games left on the schedule—a pair at Maine—BU still has an opportunity to claim a bye in the first round of the playoffs. In the Pairwise rankings, the loss dropped BU to #16, just behind Northeastern and Lowell.
The eight-game winning streak was BU’s first since December & January of the 2016-17 season.
A pair of Terriers, Case McCarthy and Ethan Phillips both injured Saturday, were out of the lineup. Brian Carrabes moved up to right-wing on the first line with Matt Brown and Jay O’Brien. John Copeland was paired with Alex Vlasic and Thomas Jarman made his first appearance of the season after an early-season injury requiring surgery.
Terriers got on the board at six minutes into the opening period during a 4-on-3 power play. Brown’s close-in opportunity was defended but he managed to drop a pass to Wilmer Skoog charging into the right circle for a one-timer past Eric Dop for a 1-0 lead.
tw-align-centerSkoog's team-leading 12th goal of the year has us up 1-0! pic.twitter.com/5FUXjaY0H7
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) February 27, 2022
It was the only one of BU’s 43 shots to get past the former Bowling Green netminder, who later in the period foiled captain Logan Cockerill who had gotten behind the BC defense for one of 19 shots by BU in the period.
A two-on-one rush midway through the second period was nearly cashed in by the Terriers which Skoog passed to Robert Mastrosimone at the left post, but Dop turned it away.
Fifteen minutes into the second period, a turnover at the BU blueline set up Jack McBain for a blast from the left face off dot that beat Commesso to the glove side, going in off the goalpost.
Later in the period, BU had 30 seconds of 5-on-3, but couldn’t convert. And in the opening minute of the third period Max Kaufman had a shorthanded breakaway that Dop turned aside. With nine minutes remaining, Sam Stevens picked up a rebound in the slot but Dop made the save.
Another blueline turnover set the game-winner in motion with Helleson taking a cross-ice pass and one-timing it from the left faceoff dot past Commesso.
While he felt the Terriers had “plenty of chances to win the hockey game,” Coach Albie O’Connell said “you’ve got to tip your cap. They played really hard defensively. BC’s goalie played tremendous. He was the difference in the game and their big players made plays at the right time.”
● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score
● Post-game comments: O’Connell
● Boston Hockey Blog recap
Looking back
Jake Oettinger stopped 38 shots in the Dallas Stars 4-2 win against the Sabres, earning his eighth win in his last 10 decisions. He improved his record to 17-6-0.
