By Jake Seiner/DFP Staff
Sophomore Alex Chiasson netted the game-winner with 3:27 to play, and the No. 7 Boston University men’s hockey team escaped with a 5-4 win over Northeastern University at Agganis Arena Wednesday night.
Chiasson rifled home the power-play goal from below the right faceoff circle, one-timing a pass from freshman Charlie Coyle.
Chiasson added two assists in the game for a three-point night, which was matched by Coyle’s goal and two helpers.
Junior Kieran Millan made 37 saves in the winning effort.
Wednesday’s contest began much like last Friday’s 9-5 loss to Boston College –– with a quick pair of goals for the road team.
NU freshman Brodie Reid kicked off the scoring, taking advantage of a plethora of space around the right hashes to one-time a pass from junior Mike McLaughlin by Millan.
Just over a minute later, sophomore Garrett Vermeersch etched his name on the score sheet. Vermeersch’s tally came from an even more dangerous area than Reid’s, as the sophomore smoked a one-timer in from three feet below the left hash. Seniors Randy Guzior and Steve Silva picked up the assists.
Vermeersch’s tally was NU’s 11th shot on goal in the game, and at the time, BU had generated just one shot on net.
But unlike last Friday night, when BU let a 2-0 BC lead turn into a 3-0 first intermission advantage, the Terriers struck twice before the zambonis took the ice.
Coyle started the charge, turning a give-and-go with classmate Garrett Noonan into BU’s first ally. Coyle started the play charging from the right wing and dropped a pass to Noonan, who was trailing.
Noonan faked a slapper from the slot and slid the puck to Coyle along the right goal line. NU sophomore goalie Chris Rawlings was thrown off the scent by the fake, and was nowhere near the puck as Coyle slid it into the net.
Then, with 3:35 left in the first, sophomore Ryan Santana netted the equalizer –– his first collegiate goal. The speedy winger wristed a shot off Rawlings’ pads, flew by an NU defender and found his own rebound with enough time to deke to the right and beat Rawlings for the goal.
BU continued to roll in the second. Junior Corey Trivino undressed Rawlings for BU’s third goal, turning a centering pass from freshman Sahir Gill into a forehand-to-backhand finish.
Forty-seven seconds later, freshman Matt Nieto netted his fifth goal of the year by tipping home a pass from Chiasson.
For Nieto –– who fought off a Cody Ferreiro hooking penalty to net the tally –– the goal was his third in three games and fourth in five.
Shortly after Nieto’s tally, NU coach Greg Cronin replaced Rawlings with freshman Clay Witt.
NU snapped BU’s four-goal streak with a momentum-crushing finish to the second period. NU reeled off the final 11 shots on goal in the frame, and a tally from freshman Braden Pimm cut the BU lead to 4-3 heading to the fourth.
Less than five minutes into the fourth, senior Wade MacLeod netted the equalizer with NU on a 5-on-3 advantage. The winger beat Millan top shelf from just under the right faceoff dot.
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