BU played well with just 11 forwards before fatigue began to set in

By Sam Dykstra/DFP Staff

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Before the puck had even dropped on the consolation game of the Shillelagh Tournament, the No. 10/11 Boston University men’s hockey team was already short-handed.

Freshman phenom Charlie Coyle didn’t travel with the team to the Chicago area because he’s off leading Team USA in points in the World Juniors Championship over in Buffalo. Junior winger Andrew Glass didn’t make the trip either after he was suspended indefinitely for missing team meetings. Sophomore forward and team-leading scorer Alex Chiasson had planned to play, but a bad bruise on his left knee left nearly unable to walk early Sunday morning.

So instead of playing with their three regulars, the Terriers were forced to play with just 11 forwards – BU coach Jack Parker chose to dress a seventh defenseman, Patrick MacGregor who didn’t see any ice time, instead of a 12th forward – in Sunday’s 3-3 tie with tournament host No. 12 University of Notre Dame.

The Terriers, however, appeared to have overcome their immediate disadvantage through the game’s first two frames.

Just a day after Parker had criticized his team for taking “fall-away jumpers” in its dreadful 6-1 loss to Brown University, BU was almost immediately aided by attacking the net hard. Senior forward Joe Pereira got in the thick of things and tipped in a Sean Escobedo attempt from the left point for the first goal of the game. Ten minutes later, freshman blue-liner Adam Clendening swooped in to clean up a mess in front of the crease and ended up winging a shot from the right circle that found the back of the net. To cap it off, junior captain Chris Connolly used a screen by Pereira to give BU a 3-1 lead in the second.

In fact, it was the first line of Pereira, Connolly and junior center Corey Trivino that had the greatest impact offensively for BU despite being three of the six forwards to see consistent and constant ice time. While the team’s back four forwards were in flux between rest and some playing time, the trio notched at least two points each, with Trivino leading the way with three assists. In fact, it was sophomore center Ben Rosen, who had to four different linemates to work with, who had the worst plus-minus rating on the team at minus-two.

Still after two, the Terriers had seemed as fresh as anyone could expect a team that was rolling just three lines to be. They were even aided by a glass-shattering hit by sophomore forward Justin Courtnall on Notre Dame forward Ryan Guentzel that forced a 17-minute intermission of sorts right square in the middle of the second period.

“I’m kinda happy there wasn’t too many power plays or penalties because that would’ve really worn us out,” Parker said. “But in general, I was pleased with our compete level.”

“I know they’re short-handed right now, and I give them a lot of credit for rebounding the way they did from last night,” admitted Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson.

But by the third, fatigue had finally seemed to set in.

The Fighting Irish, who had been forced to the periphery of the BU zone for the most part in the first two periods, began slowly to knock more and more on Kieran Millan’s door. Finally, they were able to take advantage of a two-on-one break while the tired Terriers streaked up from behind to close the gap to just one.

Even when the Terriers got their first power play of the night with only 3:55 left in the third, it was the Fighting Irish who had the fresh legs. Forward Ryan Guentzel started a breakout for a three-on-two, with the remaining three BU forwards trailing behind, and found an open Sam Calabrese on the left. From there, Calabrese, a defenseman, roofed the equalizer that sealed the Notre Dame comeback. It was the Terriers’ own disability to come back that hurt them on that key play, according to Parker.

“We still weren’t in bad shape. We had our two defensemen playing their two forwards,” Parker said. “But then, the guy who turned over the puck did not get back involved in the play, and the other guy beat him up the ice for a three-on-two. He was the guy who got the puck and put in the tying goal.”

In that third period, Notre Dame outshot BU 20-7 and had 10 Grade-A opportunities, both period highs for the night.

The Terriers now head back to Boston, where Chiasson will receive tests to see just how severe his knee injury truly is. Also, win, lose or draw, the Terriers are expected to have Coyle back by at least Thursday as the WJC comes to a close Wednesday night. That means they could very well be back to even strength come Sunday when they play University of Vermont up in Burlington.