‘They really care:’ Together, captains Ryan Greene and Shane Lachance produce another signature moment

BELFAST, Northern Ireland — When they were needed most, Ryan Greene and Shane Lachance delivered.

The co-captains willed the Boston University men’s hockey team to its Friendship Four title in a 4-3 win against Notre Dame at The SSE Arena in Belfast.

Trailing 3-2 with less than five minutes left in regulation, the captains came through. Lachance rifled a pass to a streaking Greene at net front, who beat Fighting Irish junior netminder Owen Say to even the scoreline at 15:18.

Twenty seconds later, Lachance gave the No. 13 Terriers (8-5-1, 4-2-1 Hockey East) a 4-3 lead at 15:38. The sophomore whacked home a loose puck after an offensive zone face-off. 

When asked what makes the other so good in key moments postgame, Lachance said, “Just leaning on each other and leaning on the experience that we have.”

Greene echoed a similar sentiment but added, “Having him out there on the ice with me is awesome.”

Head coach Jay Pandolfo knew who he wanted out there when his team needed a goal. Greene and Lachance didn’t start Saturday’s game on the same line but came together with assistant captain junior Quinn Hutson late in the third period. The three have trotted out as BU’s top offensive line in several contests thus far this season.

That line won the Terriers the game.

“They care,” Pandolfo said postgame, “They really care. And you saw that in the third period. They were gonna find a way to win that hockey game, and they did.”

He added, “You need that from your leadership group, especially when we’ve had our struggles.”

Leadership or lack thereof has been a major theme thus far this season. Given the makeup of this young team — with its first sophomore captain ever and lack of four-year players — it’s fair to question where the voices in the locker room and on the ice would come from.

On several occasions this season, Pandolfo has criticized his veteran players, and throughout the first 13 games, they’ve left much to be desired.

The third period was a prime example of what their head coach was looking for. But it started in the second intermission.

“We’re not going to be denied,” Pandolfo said on what was discussed in the locker room after the first 40 minutes of play, with the Fighting Irish (6-10-0, 1-7-1 B1G) leading, 3-1.

“We knew what we had to do,” Greene said.

He pointed to getting behind the Notre Dame defense, picking up the pace and “digging deep,” and that they did.

Lachance took a slashing penalty at 9:08 of the third, another untimely penalty with BU trailing by one with the Belpot on the line — an area in which the Terriers have struggled mightily.

But this time, unlike in previous outings in clutch situations, they killed the penalty.

Pandolfo admitted that he wasn’t a fan of the call against his Lachance — who was visibly upset with the call himself, raising his arms over his head in frustration.

“Our guys were going to kill that off for Shane, there’s no question about it,” Pandolfo said.

After exiting the box, Lachance drew a boarding penalty, sending his team to the man advantage in what was a veteran move. He was shaken up on the play, but he trotted back onto the ice with the top power play unit.

While the Fighting Irish killed off the penalty, it was clear BU was pressing on the gas, which Greene said they needed to do heading into the third period.

And then Greene, by way of Lachance, tied the game.

“You could feel it on the bench. We felt it before we went out for the third period that we were going to have a great third,” Pandolfo said.

Greene, once he returned to the bench after knotting the score, made one thing clear to the rest of the team — “Boys, we’re not gonna let this go to overtime.”

His co-captain did the rest.

In the biggest game of the season — 3,000 miles away from home — the two captains seized their moment.

“These guys led the way,” Pandolfo said. “Can’t say enough about our leadership group tonight. They weren’t going to be denied. You could see it.”