The last time these two teams met, Boston University (6-0-3, 4-0-3 HE) beat Merrimack College (2-2-3, 1-2-2 HE) in three games to win the Hockey East Quarterfinals. Last night, the physical Warriors squad responded to sophomore forward Ross Gaudet’s second-period tally with a score of their own to force a 1-1 tie with the Terriers in front of 5,172 fans at Agganis Arena.
“I thought both teams played hard,” BU bench boss Jack Parker said in his post game comments. “But, in general, I didn’t think it was a well-executed game by either team…it appeared in my case that we were, the old John Wooden line: ‘be quick but not in a hurry’ – we seemed to be in a hurry tonight…it seemed like we were rushing things.”
In a contest marred by 22 penalties (12 infractions were called against BU, while 10 MC players were whistled), neither team could find a sustained “flow” in any of the game’s four periods.
The Warriors and the Terriers – who are ranked atop two national polls for the first time since the 2008-09 season – exchanged scoring opportunities (many of which came on the power play) in the first period. Sophomore forward Wade Megan’s tip-in chance was denied by MC’s junior netminder Joe Cannata, Terrier senior co-captain Joe Pereira couldn’t find the back of the net on a one-timer opportunity on a BU power play, and BU’s junior goaltender Kieran Millan put in good work between the pipes during the game’s opening period to keep the score knotted at zero after one.
The second period, which featured five penalties (3 against the Terriers, 2 against the Warriors), saw the contest’s only scoring action. With 8:04 one by, freshman standout – and this month’s Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month – Sahir Gill found Gaudet in front of the net for the go-ahead goal.
“It was a good stretch pass by [Adam Clendening] as I was coming through the middle,” Gaudet said after the game. “I tipped it up to Gill – we got deep, Gill won the scrum in the corner and made a good pass to me when I was cutting to the net, I shot it, Cannata made a save, and it bounced [in] off [of] my shoulder.”
BU’s goal celebration didn’t last very long, however, with MC’s freshman forward Mike Collins burying his first collegiate goal only one minute, nine seconds later. Freshmen Shawn Bates and Rhett Bly were credited with assists on the Collins wrister.
The two teams exchanged power play opportunities again in the third, but neither team could send home a game-winner. Millan made some fine saves (and got some help from his active defensemen) in the final minute of the frame to send the contest into overtime, where BU – who held a 3-0 shot advantage – failed to capitalize on several more scoring opportunities.
Both teams played well in net (Millan recorded 35 saves – including 13 on the power play – while Cannata stopped 32 shots), defensively and on the power play.
“For the most part, I think out defensemen and forwards did a good job of tying up sticks and keeping traffic to a minimum,” Millan, who benefited from the heads-up play of sophomore defenseman Max Nicastro in the final ten seconds of the third period, said in his post game remarks. “36 shots…it wasn’t that tough of a game [in net], we played pretty well defensively,” he added, noting that getting lucky is “part
of [being a goalie].”
Even though physical play resulted in 17 total power play opportunities (10 for BU and 7 for MC), both teams’ power play units posted 0-fers for the night. BU has now killed 32 consecutive power plays.
The Terriers expect the same style of slow, physical play from their opponents tomorrow night; but, they said, they hope to be a little more effective in staying out of the penalty box.
“I expect a little more intensity tomorrow night, especially in their rink – it’s a tough place to play at,” Gaudet said. “There’ll probably be a good crowd there to get them going even more, so we’ll definitely be expecting a little more for them.”
BU and MC will wrap up their home-and-home series with a 7 p.m. game at Lawler Arena on Saturday.
NOTES:
According to the Merrimack Warriors’ web site, last night’s tie marks the first time that MC has earned a point against a top-ranked team since the HE quarterfinals in March, 1998 (a contest against BU)…BU and MC have gone to overtime five times (including last night) – all five games have ended in a tie.
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