Jeremy Wilmer joined Ryan Greene on the rush and found himself wide open in the slot before wristing home the overtime, game-winning goal in Boston University’s 4-3 defeat of Northeastern University Tuesday night at Agganis Arena.
The tally marked Wilmer’s second point of the evening – he picked up the primary assist on Sam Stevens’ first-period goal – and was a testament to the type of quiet difference maker he has been for the Terriers this season.
“I thought he was excellent tonight. I thought he was making plays almost every time he had the puck,” BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said of Wilmer postgame. “Very happy with his play. His overall game just keeps getting better. He’s much more detailed defensively.”
— Boston Hockey Blog (@BOShockeyblog) January 10, 2024
Stevens opened scoring for the Terriers (13-4-1, 8-1-1 Hockey East) at 15:07 of the first period off a nifty, down-low play from Wilmer. The sophomore winger swung the puck across the crease and over to Stevens who knocked it in for the 1-0 advantage and his third goal of the season.
“Coach Kim Brandvold is very good with skill development, so I think that’s definitely fed a lot into it,” Wilmer said postgame of his second-year evolution. “And I sort of know my identity as a player and I just try to stick to that.”
Lane Hutson – freshly back from winning gold with Team USA at World Juniors – doubled BU’s lead at the beginning of the middle frame on the power play. The sophomore defenseman wired it past Husky netminder Cameron Whitehead from the top of the right circle to make it 2-0 at 2:35.
“It was obviously exciting finding a way to win gold at World Juniors, but being here and being with this group, it’s like I never left,” Hutson said postgame.
Graduate forward Brett Edwards jump started the Huskies’ comeback in the latter half of the second. Edwards’ wrister off the rush just barely trickled by BU junior goaltender Mathieu Caron and cut Northeastern’s deficit to 2-1 at 11:36.
The Huskies (6-10-2, 1-9-0 HE) then found the equalizer at 12:38 thanks to a net-front tip in from captain and junior forward Justin Hyrckowian who gained inside positioning on freshman defenseman Tom Willander in the slot before netting the 2-2 tally.
“Little disappointed with the fact that we were in complete control of that hockey game in the second period and just some game management for our team let them back in it,” Pandolfo said.
“I thought in the neutral zone we were turning pucks over and it cost us, I think that was a big part of it. And it gave them life.”
Freshman forward Macklin Celebrini regained the lead for the Terriers in the third period with a right-side rocket on the power play. Hutson circled the puck around the zone before dropping it to Celebrini by the right face-off dot who ripped it into twine for the 3-2 score and his 11th goal of the season 6:43.
Northeastern came clawing back once again and Alex Campbell tied the game 3-3 at 7:48, beating Caron blocker-side while crashing the net and ultimately forcing overtime.
While Wilmer’s extra-hockey heroics at 1:18 secured BU’s victory over its crosstown rival, the tightly-contested matchup was a reminder of the parity in Hockey East this season and what it will take to win.
“There’s no easy games. There’s going to be tough competition every single night,” Pandolfo said. “UNH coming in here Saturday is going to be another tough contest. They dominated us last time we played, so we have to respond here.”
Saturday’s puck drop against the University of New Hampshire is set for 6 p.m. and the Boston Hockey Blog will have full, on-the-ground coverage so be sure to follow along on Twitter (X) @BOShockeyblog and Instagram @boston.hockey.blog.
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