By Annie Maroon/DFP Staff
BURLINGTON, Vt. — Just about every group represented on the Boston University men’s hockey roster – freshmen, seniors, Canadians, Americans, Finns – contributed on offense as BU beat the University of Vermont 6-2 on Friday. Most notable, though, was the fact that all six defensemen registered at least a point, and three scored goals.
For junior blueliner Patrick MacGregor, it was his first point of the season, an assist on freshman center Wes Myron’s goal late in the second period. For freshman Matt Grzelcyk, it was his eighth assist of the year – the second-most on the team after sophomore center Cason Hohmann – when he set up junior wing Sahir Gill for his first goal of the year.
Junior Garrett Noonan earned the second star of the game for his two assists, and freshman Ahti Oksanen, sophomore Alexx Privitera and senior Sean Escobedo each put the puck behind one of the two goalies Vermont used in the game.
BU coach Jack Parker said it’s no surprise to see his defensemen’s names all over the scoresheet, given that four of tonight’s starters are inclined to jump into the play on offense.
“The only pair that is really an offensive-minded pair, both of them, is the two freshmen,” Parker said. “The other two have an offensive defenseman and a defensive defenseman. We have talent [on defense] and we thought that would be the strength of our team before the season started. We didn’t know how good Oksanen and Grzelcyk would be, and they are real good. So we are very, very pleased with that.”
Two offensively oriented freshman defensemen could make for a nerve-wracking pair, but on Friday, Oksanen and Grzelcyk were at their best, showing their strengths – Oksanen’s powerful shot and Grzelcyk’s vision – without compromising on defense.
“Both of them are pretty poised out there, and they seem to work well with each other, good puck movement,” Escobedo said. “They seem at ease. Nothing really caught them by surprise.”
However, Escobedo’s goal – BU’s sixth – may have stood out the most, especially in the context of his whole career.
On the Terriers’ last regular-season road trip last year, Escobedo scored his first two goals of the season here at Gutterson Fieldhouse. He already had one this year coming into Friday’s game, but rang up his second in memorable style when he spun around a defenseman in the slot and shot the puck through Vermont goalie Billy Faust’s five-hole.
“I’m going to have to live with that, because he’s going to have it on the highlight film and show me why he should be playing more offensive,” Parker said of his outspoken senior defenseman. “It was quite a move, there’s no question about that.”
“Yeah, he’s not going to,” Escobedo said, grinning, when asked whether Parker would forget about the goal. “I’m going to make sure he remembers it for a long time.”
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