By Scott McLaughlin/DFP Staff
For the first period of Friday night’s game against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, the No. 14 Boston University men’s hockey team looked just as sluggish as it did during Thursday’s practice, which coach Jack Parker called the worst of the season.
But the Terriers (13-7-7, 10-5-5 Hockey East) turned it on in the second with goals from sophomore defenseman Max Nicastro and freshman defenseman Garrett Noonan. Senior forward Joe Pereira added another in the third and junior goalie Kieran Millan saved 30 of the 31 shots he faced as BU came away with a 3-1 victory to sweep the season series against the River Hawks (4-21-2, 3-17-0 HE).
“Huge points in the league, obviously,” Parker said. “I was hoping we would get them and we did. Not only am I happy that we got them, I’m happy with the way we played.”
Although there were 19 combined shots in the first, the opening 20 minutes were anything but exciting. After watching BU play five straight up-tempo games, the first period of Friday night’s game appeared to unfold in slow motion. Neither team skated or passed particularly well and there were only two really quality scoring chances.
UML freshman forward Joseph Pendenza hit pipe on a rebound bid in the game’s opening minutes. A few minutes later, BU freshman forward Charlie Coyle took in a long outlet pass from freshman defenseman Adam Clendening and hit a charging sophomore forward Alex Chiasson with a nice centering feed, but freshman goalie Marc Boulanger (35 saves) made a beautiful kick save to keep the game scoreless.
“We were not executing with our passing game [in the first],” Parker said. “The pucks were bouncing. We were making sloppy passes. After we settled down in the second period, we really started moving the puck pretty well.”
The Terriers played much better in the middle frame and it paid off with the game’s first goal at the 10:52 mark. Pereira left the puck for junior forward Chris Connolly in the left circle and Connolly held for a second before finding a charging Nicastro in the slot. Nicastro buried the pass into the top shelf for his third goal of the season.
BU struck again four minutes later with a power-play tally. Junior forward Corey Trivino held the puck in the right circle and then threaded a pass through the slot right onto Noonan’s stick at the left doorstep for an easy tap-in. The goal was the second of Noonan’s career and the second of the night by a Terrier blue-liner.
Pereira gave BU some additional insurance 7:54 into the third with the Terriers’ second power-play tally of the night. He broke for the front of the net and tipped home a Clendening wrister from the point for his team-leading 12th goal of the season.
“It was nice to see us get two power-play goals,” Parker said. “One of them was a beauty that Noonan got from Corey Trivino. He made a fabulous pass. Corey played extremely well on that line. … He’s getting more power-play time again and doing a good job there. I thought he, particularly, had a great night for us.”
Through two periods, Millan had a relatively easy night, but he was challenged plenty in the third. Early in the period, freshman defenseman Chad Ruhwedel jumped into a shorthanded rush and appeared to have the whole right side of the net to shoot at after catching a quick pass, but Millan slid across the crease and somehow got his glove on it.
On BU’s next power play, the same one Pereira eventually scored on, junior forward Matt Ferreira forced a turnover at the blue line and skated in on a shorthanded breakaway, but Millan stoned him with the blocker.
The River Hawks finally got on the board with 1:34 left in the game when junior forward David Vallorani banged home a rebound on a 6-on-3 (UML pulled Boulanger in favor of an extra attacker). Although it made for an interesting finish, it ultimately didn’t do anything other than break up Millan’s bid for his first shutout of the season.
“It was clear to me that Millan just played phenomenal,” said UML coach Blaise MacDonald. “He was just spectacular tonight. The way he plays, you can see how that confidence can just transmit through the entire team.”
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