Friday, April 07, 2023

Penalties derail Terriers in Frozen Four semifinal

                     Image

                      Photo credit Matt Dewkett

Four third-period goals—including two empty-netters—propelled top-ranked Minnesota past the #5 Terriers, 6-2, in the first semifinal of the Frozen Four in Tampa’s Amalie Arena. The Gopher connected on three of seven power play opportunities, accounting for their first three tallies, the last of which came early in the final period. BU goals were scored by seniors Sam Stevens and Jay O’Brien (the 8th tally for each), while senior captain Dom Fensore had the primary assist on each goal.

BU finishes its season with a 29-11-0 mark, claiming their most wins in a non-championship winning season since 1995-96 when they finished 30-7-3. That team was captained by current head coach Jay Pandolfo. With the win, Minnesota takes a 13-12-2 lead in the overall series between the schools.

“Penalties cost us,” Pandolfo said. “You can’t give that team seven power plays. It’s just not winning hockey for us and we have to learn from it.”

“In the second we adjusted a little bit,” he added “We started doing things that we know could be successful and we started controlling the game. I think they might have only had two shots in the first 10-15 minutes of that second period.”

The Gophers came out fast and immediately put BU on its heels. It took several sparkling saves by Drew Commesso and one shot that clanged iron and then skittered through the crease to keep the game scoreless.

Despite facing a territorial disadvantage, BU got on the board first, scoring just past the midway point of the opening period. Fensore took a pass from Jamie Armstrong at the blueline, maneuvered to center point and unleashed a low shot that went off goalie Justen Close’s pad. Sam Stevens, had headed to the net, beating a defenseman to the rebound and popped the puck home from the right post.

BU had killed a power play early in the period, but the next two man-advantages for Gophers resulted in goals just 58 seconds apart. Mike Koster’s shot from the left circle beat Commesso to the glove side.  Then a slick behind the back pass by Aaron Huglen set up Rhett Pitlick for a half-empty net to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead. The Gophers had a substantial shot edge, 13-7.

In the second period, BU “found its game” and more than leveled the ice, running up a 9 to 1 shot advantage through the first 12 or 13 minutes. The Terriers tied the score at two apiece on a power play at 8:06. Matt Brown set up Fensore at center point for a wrist shot that O’Brien redirected past Close’s glove while Wilmer Skoog was providing a screen at the crease. Skoog, who suffered a hand injury in the win over Cornell in the regional final, dressed as the 13th forward and saw limited ice time, primarily on power plays.

A key turning point come late in the period when BU took three penalties in a 2:05 span. The Terriers killed off a 5-on-3 just as the period ended but the third penalty, a charging call on Cade Webber as the period ended meant the Gopher would have another 5-on-3 to begin the final period.

 BU successfully killed the second two-man-advantage but during the ensuing 5-on-4 power play, Luke Mittelstadt ripped a shot past Commesso for the eventual game-winner.

Mittelstadt scored again less than two minutes later, extending the Gopher margin to 4-2. BU would have 14 shots in the period as it tried to cut into the lead, but Minnesota kept most of them outside the grade A areas.

With about four minutes remaining, Commesso was pulled for an extra attacker but Logan Cooley, one of Minnesota’s two Hobey Baker Award finalists, found the empty net for a 5-2 lead, then repeated it for the 6-2 final.

For the game, Minnesota outshot BU 34-3. Terriers had a 42-3- advantage at the face off dot.

In the regional tournament, BU had beaten the high-octane WMU Broncos at their own game and then out-defensed defensive-minded Cornell. But in the Frozen Four, the Gophers’ speed and skill game rendered the Terriers own speed game largely ineffectual. That and the seven power plays—several showing a lack of discipline—spelled doom for BU.

With 10 seniors and one grad student departing, however, the Terriers can look back at a season of accomplishments. They were the only Frozen Four team that won its conference regular-season and tournament titles. They were the only Regional Tournament winner that wasn’t a #1 seed.

“We had some goals that we set out at the beginning of the year, winning a national championship is one of it,” said O’Brien after the game. “So I wouldn’t say we accomplished all of our goals but we definitely accomplished a few big ones and I think it’s just a special group.”

A gracious Minnesota Coach Bob Motzko pointed out "I can tell you this, I didn’t win the league my first year of the playoffs, or the region, or get to a Frozen Four. So what a year that Jay's had. And everything that we read, we talked to a lot of people, just a ton of respect for him, just a class act. He played with (former Minnesota D) Paul Martin (now on the Gophers' staff). Paul said he's a terrific person. So obviously BU's in pretty good hands with Jay.” 

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score

● Highlights

● Post-game Press Conference (BU portion begins at 28:00)

● Boston Hockey Blog recap

● USCHO Penalties Prove Costly in BU Frozen Four Loss, Photo Gallery

● College Hockey News: One to Grow On ; Mittelstadt Goals Carry Minnesota to Title Game

 

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Site Meter