Saturday, November 23, 2024

Terriers rally past Merrimack behind Svoboda, Eiserman and Copponi

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After being largely outplayed for two periods by Merrimack, #13/16 Terrier erupted for four unanswered goals in the third period to come away with a 6-3 win at Agganis Arena. 

Freshmen Brandon Svoboda and Cole Eiserman, and senior Matt Copponi each scored a pair of goals. Copponi also recorded an assist while Shane Lachance and Jack Hughes each had two helpers. Mathieu Caron, who kept the Terriers in striking distance with some sparkling saves, stopped 36 shots and picked up his second assist.

Happy with the victory and conference points but not at all with his team's performance, Coach Jay Pandolfo said, “Not sure what I need to do to get this team going from the start. The first two periods: uncompetitive, lost probably 85% of the 50/50 battles, don’t play the right way, don’t manage the puck, do everything you can to try to lose. That’s what it looked like to me.”

He continued, "We’ve seen this pretty much every Friday night that we’ve played. But I’ve got to look at the positives, that we are capable. The third period we were definitely better and found a way to score some goals. Got to the net a little bit more and won some pucks."

BU got on the board in the opening minutes on Svodboda’s strong individual effort. He pushed the puck past a defender into the offensive zone, then stripped the defender, skated through the circle and beat goalie Max Lundgren with a sharp-angle shot for his third goal of the season.

The Warriors responded less than a minute later when Ivan Zivlak’s shot from 40 feet sailed past a screened Caron, tying the score at one apiece.

Midway through the period the puck was knocked loose from a scrambling Caron’s glove and into the net, but after a review, it was determined the whistle had blown before the puck was freed.

Minutes later Merrimack got one that did count. With three BU defenders overloaded below the goal line, the puck came to Michael Citara all alone in front and he fired it past Caron’s glove for a 2-1 lead.

First period shot were 15 to 8, Merrimack.

BU struck early in the second period and it was Svoboda again. Kamil Bednarik sent him racing up the right side with Eiserman to his left. He deked past a defender and ripped a shot from the right circle through Lundgren’s five-hole for a 2-2 tie.

Merrimack went back in front at 12:13. Caron made an initial stop on a shot from the corner, but the puck was jarred free and Caden Cranston swooped in to flick it past Caron.

With under five minutes left in the period, Caron stopped David Sacco’s wrap-around attempt, then got a skate on another attempt, before Eiserman swept the puck to the corner.  Shots after two periods favored the visitors, 30-17.

Early in the third period BU drew even on an Eiserman goal. From the neutral zone, Jack Harvey used an indirect pass to connect with the freshman from Newburyport as he sped into the Merrimack zone. His wrist shot from the right dot beat Lundgren to the stick side for his eighth goal. Ryan Greene also had an assist.

At the seven-minute mark, Merrimack threatened again with Harrison Roy alone in front of the goal, but Caron snatched his shot, keeping the game tied.

BU took its second lead of the game at 11:52 on the rush. Hughes dished the puck to Copponi who circled the net and slid a backhand pass to a trailing Eiserman in the high slot. He wired a shot past Lundgren’s glove for his ninth goal and 4-3 lead.

Then, with Merrimack on a power play, Lachance grabbed a loose puck along the boards in the defensive zone and raced ahead with Copponi 2-on-1. The co-captain waited until the lone defender committed, then slid the puck to the former Warrior who one-timed it for his third goal, extending the lead to 5-3. Gavin McCarthy had the second assist.

Neither BU nor Copponi was done for the night. With two minutes remaining, Lachance pushed the puck into the offensive zone where Hughes recovered it for another 2-on-1. He held the puck, then sent it through the defender’s legs to Copponi on the doorstep for a flip past Lundgren’s blocker.

Merrimack outshot the Terriers, 39-30. At the face off dot, BU was better than last Saturday, winning 27 of 59 draws—not quite 50%, Terriers blocked 19 shots with Brehdan Engum, Bednarik and Copponi each blocking three.

Eiserman leads all Division 1 rookies with nine goals and a .75 goals per game.

 

● GoTerriers.com recap and box score

● Highlights/ Post-game Pandolfo, Eiserman and Copponi

● Boston Hockey Blog Cole Eiserman saved the day, but unease continues for BU men’s hockey in 6-3 win over Merrimack

 

► Flo Hockey’s Chris Peters projects the likely Team USA roster for the World Junior Championships in Ottawa beginning the day after Christmas. He rates  Eiserman and Cole Hutson as likely to make the squad and Svoboda as "on the bubble." But his final line-up projection included all three Terrier freshmen, and Svoboda, who won USHL Clark Cup Championships the past two seasons, certainly took a big step tonight in making that a reality.

● FloHockey.tv Team USA World Junior Roster Projection

 

Looking ahead

►2025 recruit Callum Hughes, who recently joined, the Erie Otters, scored his first OHL goal—and earned the second star-- in a 6-3 win over the Soo Greyhounds. The Otters officially announced Hughes signing earlier in the day with an announcement that quoted the speedy, left-shot forward from Basking Ridge, N.J.

“I’m a 200-foot player that is very skilled offensively, but I take pride in the defensive zone first. I won’t leave the zone early. I can really use my speed to my advantage” said Hughes, “I’m pretty fast and I can use my shot as well. I also have a high IQ. I think those are things that separate me from other players.”    

► 2026 recruit Haoxi Simon Wang recorded his 14th assist in King Rebellion’s 4-2 win over the Caledon Admirals.

►2026 recruit Caleb Malhotra scored the tying goal late in the third period and then assisted on the overtime game-winner as Chilliwack rallied for a 4-3 win over Surrey. It was Malhotra's third goal. The 16-year-old left-shot center has 12 points in 20 games for the Chiefs.

►2025 recruit Aidan Souligny recorded his fourth assist in Blackfalds's 4-2 loss to Brooks. The 6'2" left-shot defenseman was recently acquired by the Bulldogs from Prince George.

 

Looking back

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