By Kevin Dillon/DFP Staff
DURHAM, NH — It looked like it would be a blowout at the beginning, as the Boston University men’s hockey team fell behind the University of New Hampshire 3-0 in the first 18 minutes of play. The outcome was predictable, but the Terriers made it tough on UNH, pulling within one before finally falling 4-3 at the Whittemore Center Friday night.
It was the Terriers’ (8-17-4, 3-9-3 Hockey East) sixth consecutive game without a win – a streak it will be looking to break when it takes the Wildcats (17-15-1, 9-8 Hockey East) on at Agganis Arena Saturday night.
“I thought they were a little bit more ready at the drop of the puck,” said BU coach David Quinn. “I love the fact that we kept playing after that, and we had chances after that… It’s frustrating because I think we’ve been playing a lot better lately, other than the consolation game in the Beanpot, then we just don’t seem to get rewarded for it.”
Friday night also marked the first time the Terriers outshot an opponent since Dec. 14, 2013 against Bentley University. BU outshot UNH 40-27 in Friday night’s contest.
“We’re being more purposeful,” Quinn said. “We’re managing the puck a little better. There has obviously it was a huge problem for us for the first 25 games, but that’s changed a little bit and I don’t really care what happened in December and early January.”
The Terriers got a power play early on, but it was the Wildcats who capitalized on it when right winger Jeff Silengo poked the puck free from senior defenseman Garrett Noonan and beat sophomore defenseman Ahti Oksanen with his speed. When he rang a backhander off the post on the breakaway, left winger Dan Correale finished off the rebound and gave UNH a 1-0 lead on a shorthanded goal. It was the ninth shorthanded goal BU has allowed this season, which is the most allowed in Hockey East.
It was not long before UNH got a power play of its own, and the Wildcats capitalized on that one too. After some crisp passing through the offensive zone, senior Kevin Goumas snapped a pass over to captain Eric Knodel, who wristed one over sophomore goalie Matt O’Connor’s shoulder for his seventh goal of the season.
When junior Matt Willows picked up a goal of his own off of a juicy rebound in the slot, it looked as if the rout was on in favor of UNH.
Things took a turn in the Terriers’ favor in the final minute of the first period though, when UNH took back-to-back penalties to set up a 5-on-3. With the open space in the offensive zone, freshman forward Robbie Baillargeon wristed a shot on goal and junior forward Evan Rodrigues finished off the rebound with 7.7 seconds remaining in the frame. It was Rodrigues’ fourth goal of the season, and second in as many games.
The second period looked to be all Terriers early on, as BU outshot UNH 6-1 to start the period and outchanced the Wildcats heavily. That offensive pressure finally turned into a goal 8:53 into the frame when Rodrigues hit sophomore winger Danny O’Regan in stride on the rush and he tucked the puck around Wildcats goalie Casey DeSmith with a deke. It was O’Regan’s ninth goal of the season and Rodrigues’ second consecutive multi-point night.
BU was not within a goal for very long though. Less than three minutes after O’Regan’s goal, Willows burst out of his own defensive zone with the puck, flew by Oksanen and beat O’Connor glove side for his second goal of the night. It was Willows’ 15th goal on the season.
With a little more than 10 minutes remaining in regulation, UNH took another two penalties in quick succession, giving BU its second 5-on-3 advantage of the night. This time, it was Baillargeon who capitalized, snapping a wrist shot over DeSmith’s left shoulder and pulling the Terriers within one. The goal gave each player on the first line a goal in the contest.
O’Regan had a chance to tie the game with 3:27 remaining after a back-door feed from Baillargeon, but DeSmith made the save of the night, diving to his left and snagging the shot with his glove. DeSmith finished the night with 36 saves.
“Rico [Baillargeon] causes a turnover, made a nice play to me back door and I kind of just one-touched it in and the next thing I knew the kid kind of just robbed me,” O’Regan said.
It was a tough night for Noonan, who went minus-3 on the game. That ties the worst plus-minus Noonan has had in a single game this season, a total he set on Nov. 8, 2013 against Boston College and then matched in the game against Bentley.
“We play indoors,” Quinn said.
Rico is Rodrigues not Baillargeon
I thought the guys called him Chico, not Rico.
When is the JP ceremony – before, intermission, or after the game?
It’s during the first intermission.