Following are the postgame transcripts from senior goaltender Kieran Millan, junior assistant captain Alex Chiasson and sophomore defenseman Garrett Noonan.
Kieran Millan
On seeing so many shots
I don’t know I guess it kept me in the game. They threw a lot of pucks on net and were really shooting for rebounds I think a lot. Obviously you don’t want to give up that many shots, but we were able to gut out a win tonight and we played really well the second half of the game and throughout overtime so that’s a good step in the right direction. Hopefully it can carry into next weekend.
On how he dealt with the turnaround in BU’s play
Obviously getting a lot of shots gets you into the game pretty early. I let in a couple of goals I’d like back. Going into the third period when we were down a goal, I just really re-focused and was just doing what I could not to let another goal in and give our team an opportunity to come back. They were able to do that and then when it gets to overtime, you just don’t want to be the scapegoat so for the most part, you just try to stop everything that comes to you. Give your team time to get their opportunities and score.
They obviously had a few good opportunities and I was able to make big saves, but at the same time, our defensemen were doing a good job and making me have the ability to challenge and come out and make those saves because I wasn’t worried about a backdoor pass or anything so it’s a team effort, keeping the puck out of the net for that long is nice, but for Alex [Chiasson] to score is nice. I think there are a lot of guys on our team that played really well in the second half of the game. If they continue to play like that, we’ll have a good chance of going far next weekend.
On his final game at Agganis Arena
Yeah it was almost a little emotional when we did the salute I guess. You don’t really think about it that much when you’re playing, but or even this entire year, I haven’t really thought about it, even at seniors night, but it really is coming to an end a little bit and it’s weird to think that I’ve spent four years here, well me and all the other seniors have spent four years here and all the things we’ve been through. Just being over, it’s kind of sad, but at the same time, we have a great opportunity ahead of us to win something big and then go out with a bang, so we’re focused on that, but it has been a pleasure to play here.
On where this game ranks in his BU career
It’s tough to out-do any of those games, when we won the Hockey East and national championship my freshman year. Aside from that season I think this was probably the biggest game for us as a team, us seniors and juniors have gone a few years here without winning anything, so I think we’re all committed to giving our best and doing what we can to making a final push and win something as a group because it’s our last opportunity and for a lot of us, it’s our last chance to play here.
On how many shots he thought he saw
I would have thought maybe a little less. They threw a lot of pucks on net from the blue line or whatnot trying to get rebounds, so when you make those saves, you don’t really think about them, they just kind of go by without really noticing because they’re not very difficult, but it’s hard to gauge how many shots you have in a game unless its up on the scoreboard because you don’t really keep track . You’re just trying to keep the puck out of the net, give your team an opportunity to win.
Alex Chiasson
On the game-winning goal
I don’t how really. I think Conno [senior captain Chris Connolly] passed it to [junior forward] Wade Megan there and then Wade kind of moved it a little in the middle and then came back on the outside and I think that D just kind of froze and then he just shot it and I think in the chest or in his pads. He bounced it in front. I thought he played great all weekend. That’s what we were trying to do, just get pucks on him and trying to get a rebound and you know I happened to be there. I think it went five-hole. It was probably the biggest goal of my career for sure.
On scoring a goal in overtime
I mean obviously I think when you look at overtime, goals are always early in the period or late, most of the time, so I thought that first one, I had pretty good wood on it too but kind of missed that and he made a great save. Obviously I thought that coming back in this game, we worked too hard to just let that go so, it didn’t matter if that was me or someone else. It was just a great team effort. I’m so happy for all the guys. I thought Kieran just kept us in the game the whole weekend, and without him, we wouldn’t be here for sure.
On what sparked the team’s comeback
I think it all started with [junior assistant captain Justin] Courtnall, the way he was playing. I thought he had a pretty big hit there in the second at one point. For some reason, the game just changed right there. We just happened to have more momentum. It feels like everyone got their legs back and everyone’s making better decisions. It’s funny how that happens, but that’s part of hockey and that’s why we play 60 minutes. Sometimes it doesn’t work your way for the first 20 or 40, but you just have to keep working. I just thought that Courts kept us in the game for sure.
On the strength of the sophomore class
Definitely, I mean, if you look at our defensemen, Garrett [Noonan] and Adam [Clendening], definitely you know the two are the best defensemen in Hockey East or college hockey. Their talent just speaks for itself. I think they’ve challenged themselves throughout this year of becoming better players but better leaders too. That’s what we needed I thought. These guys have done a great job, and then you look up front and you look at Matty [Nieto] or [Sahir Gill] Giller those guys are just, it’s funny. They’re so young but they act like they’ve been through a lot, so as a captain and for a lot of the older guys, it’s not like we have to worry about these guys to make sure they’re really playing. They know every game is huge and we can rely on them to be great players for us.
On the team’s resilience
I think with everything we’ve been through, I think it started after Christmas how we were so resilient. I think it starts with everyone believing in ourselves. It doesn’t matter if we’re down four goals or we’re down one, I just think there’s that fire in the whole team that we know we’re capable of coming back in every game and that’s something you can’t really explain as to how does that happen. I think it has to do with our team chemistry and how guys just believe in the whole team concept. I mean we were down 4-1 and I was on the bench and I honestly thought that we were going to come back for some reason. I think this team has just been through so much and so much adversity that we believe in ourselves and we take pride of doing the right thing on the ice, and it’s great that we get the outcome of tonight and we keep playing for the Hockey East championship.
On how the team needs to improve
Right definitely. It’s kind of hard playing three in three. I think that has something to do with it, but I guess going down the stretch now, we’re going to have to win games back to back on Friday and Saturday so we can’t afford going down 2-0 or 3-0. It’s going to have to start with the first period, the first 10 minutes. Stick to our system. It’s something we’re going to have to work on. I think it started last week against Northeastern and kind of creeped[sic] in a little this week but I think like I said before, we got a little work to do, but we got the best goaltender in the country probably so he makes[sic] a good job to take care of a little mistake here and there.
Garrett Noonan
On what it means to him to be tied for national lead in goals by a defenseman
It doesn’t mean that much. I don’t know. I’ve just been fortunate. I’m playing on the power play with such skilled people, with Adam [Clendening] up top and then Alex [Chiasson], Conno [Chris Connolly], Megs [Wade Megan] and Niets [Matt Nieto], they kind of do all the work and I just camp out and tap goals in, so I don’t know. I’ve been really lucky and really fortunate, so it’s been a good year but hopefully we keep going. That’s all that really matters.
On if he has a history of offensive success
Yeah, I think coming into BU, I wasn’t offensive at all. I never played power play or anything. I think Adam [Clendening] was that guy and he’s really been that guy still. He makes everything work. I just try to play good defense. That’s what I pride myself on. Obviously the goals are nice, but I don’t know, I just want to play good defense. I think that’s how our team is going to be successful, is if our D core plays well and hopefully I can do that.
On how he gets down to the goal unnoticed so frequently
I really don’t know. They probably look at me and say, ‘Why should I cover him,’ but, uh, I really don’t know. I think about that all the time. I don’t know why.
On if it’s a timing thing
No it’s not a timing thing. I just kind of just go down and … just go down. I really just, I don’t know, it’s just when I feel comfortable going down and the guys in my group play together with the puck and I just had some tap-ins.
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