By Tim Healey/DFP Staff
The Boston University men’s hockey team played its best game in weeks Friday night, but what it lost — Cason Hohmann — might be more significant than a single win.
The junior forward went down with a shoulder injury midway through the first period and did not return, putting a damper on the 3-1 win over No. 14/15 University of North Dakota at Agganis Arena.
BU coach David Quinn said Hohmann is out indefinitely and offered nothing in terms of a timetable or official diagnosis.
“He’s going to be out for a while, unfortunately. … We’ll have a better idea next week,” Quinn said, adding that Hohmann has been battling the shoulder issue much of the season. “We had talked going into this game how this may be a reoccurring problem with him. And sure enough, before the first period ends, he gets hit pretty good and the thing pops out and he’s done for the night.”
The Terriers (6-6, 2-3 Hockey East), however, adjusted on the fly and managed just fine. Freshman Nick Roberto replaced Hohmann as the first-line right wing, and freshman Tommy Kelley moved from the fourth line to the second to play with junior Evan Rodrigues and freshman Robbie Baillargeon.
Quinn said he liked what he saw from the youngsters, and Hohmann’s absence presents yet another chance for BU’s rookies to answer the door.
Opportunity is knocking.
“We’re so young up front, and you lose a guy who’s proven he can be a scorer at this level, it makes it difficult,” Quinn said. “But in the short period of time that he was gone for the two and a half periods, we responded well. Time will tell. It’s easier to do something for a short period of time.
“I actually mentioned to somebody during the week … Roberto, [Matt] Lane, [Danny] O’Regan sounds like a good line to me as well. Because of unfortunately what happened to Cason, all of a sudden there they are halfway through the first period. … It certainly looked good for the two and a half periods they played together.”
Part of the reason the Terriers kept North Dakota (4-6-1) at bay for the duration of the tilt was sophomore Matt O’Connor, who made 37 saves while allowing a single goal — off the stick of UND sophomore Rocco Grimaldi late in the third — for the second time in a week.
O’Connor impressed enough to earn his third straight start, which will come Saturday against North Dakota.
“Their goalie was hot,” Grimaldi said. “Give credit to that guy. He definitely stole a game there.”
Added O’Connor: “After that goal I’m still hungry for another game. Obviously I wanted a shutout. … Your skills just kind of stay higher up [when you start regularly]. I think obviously, Kieran Millan is a perfect example, being able to just maintain consistent play. Being in the net just allows you that time to just get used to and acclimated to the game situation. As much as you have a game situation in practice, it is never the same as the game”
Despite missing the final two-plus periods, Hohmann managed to leave his mark in the time that he was on the ice.
He earned the Terriers’ first goal at the 9:14 mark in the opening frame. Sophomore wing Lane fed Hohmann, who skated down the left side and shot from the dot, sneaking the puck between the nearside pipe and netminder Clarke Saunders’ stick.
“He shot the puck. Look what happened. He shot the puck and it ends up in the net,” Quinn said. “It was a great play by Matt [Lane]. He obviously read the situation, their deep pitches, he protects the puck a little bit, finds a hole, gets it by them and away we go two-on-one.”
Senior captain Garrett Noonan earned the secondary assist on Hohmann’s tally, then the primary one when O’Regan scored at 17:15. Noonan held the puck in the right circle, deked around one North Dakota player then lost the puck as he entered the slot. O’Regan was there, however, to finish the chance at the crease on the power play.
“Two power-play goals out of seven. … I’ll take that all day long,” Quinn said.
FIRE QUINN HIRE HAKSTOL.
Hakstol can obviously keep his players from getting injured as evidenced in last night’s game. Quinn has lost control of the shoulders of the team. What’s next? Their calves?