By Arielle Aronson/DFP Staff
AMHERST — The No. 14 Boston University men’s ice hockey team rebounded from a first round Beanpot loss with a 4-3 overtime victory over the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on Friday night. This is the first time BU has won an overtime game this season.
Freshman defenseman Garrett Noonan potted the winning tally for the Terriers (14-8-7, 11-5-5 HE) at 3:16 in the overtime period. Noonan caught a pass in the slot from sophomore forward Alex Chiasson that he slipped through Dainton’s five-hole.
“It was just a great play by Chiasson, and luckily he found me,” Noonan said. “I was pretty wide open. He got it there, and fortunately it went in for me.”
The goal was Noonan’s third of the season and his second in his last three games.
“He is a very, very, very, very underrated player,” BU coach Jack Parker said. “He’s arguably one of our best defensemen all year long.”
BU struck first just 1:09 into the game when freshman forward Matt Nieto circled out from behind the net and centered for junior forward Corey Trivino, who was waiting alone at the bottom of the right circle. Trivino roofed it past Dainton for the score.
The Minuteman answered just 13 seconds later when junior goaltender Kieran Millan attempted to snuff out an attempt along the right post but came off the post with just enough time for senior forward Marc Concannon to flip the puck across the crease to freshman forward Branden Garcel, who tapped it into an empty left side of the net.
The action quieted down until the end of the first, when Nieto got a pass to Chiasson, who slid the puck through Dainton’s five-hole to put BU ahead 2-1 at the end of the first period.
Despite scoring to close out the first period, the Terriers stumbled their way through the second period.
UMass took advantage of BU’s poor play quickly. Freshman forward Michael Pereira found fellow freshman Conor Sheary directly in front of Millan. Sheary easily flipped the puck over Millan for the score.
The Minuteman grabbed the lead for the first time only a few minutes later. Junior assistant captain T.J. Syner raced in along the right side and then tossed the puck to fellow junior assistant captain Danny Hobbs, who fired a puck over Millan’s shoulder while crossing in front of the goaltender to give UMass a 3-2 lead.
“I thought it was one of the worst periods we’ve ever played this year in the second period,” Parker said. “If you look at the shot chart from the second period, it is embarrassing. We didn’t compete.”
But BU was able to gather some momentum by managing to tie the game at 11:39 in the second period. Sophomore forward Wade Megan batted at sophomore defenseman Ryan Ruikka’s rebound, sending the puck past Dainton with just enough power on it for the puck to trickle over the line.
“Psychologically it was a huge goal too because now at least we’re going into the third tied,” Parker said. “We’ve been pretty good at up or tied if we’re going into the third that way.”
BU played better in the third period and out-shot UMass by a 13-3 margin, but it was unable to break through Dainton and the Minutemen defense.
Toward the end of the period, the Terriers had multiple chances to win it in regulation, as the Terriers had two power plays and 39 seconds of a 5-on-3 within the last five minutes, but they failed to cash in on their opportunities.
It was the second consecutive game for BU in which it failed to take advantage of power plays late in regulation, as BU also did not score on two penalties within the last five minutes of the Beanpot opener against Boston College.
“Our power play isn’t effective,” Parker said. “We had a few chances tonight but nowhere near the puck possession and the pressure we have to have on the power play.”
Notes: Junior assistant captain David Warsofsky was a healthy scratch on Friday night. It was the first time that Parker has benched a captain since he benched former Terrier Brian McGuirk in 2007-08. Parker said Warsofsky will be back in the lineup for Monday’s matchup against Harvard . . . Senior co-captain Joe Pereira twisted his ankle during Friday’s game. He at one point tested his skating ability during a media timeout for a trainer before declaring himself fit to play. Parker noted that Pereira played the game “on one and a half legs.” His status for Monday’s game is unknown.
Nice story…do you know why Warso was benched?
Parker’s explanation: “We wanted him to play a little bit harder. We talked to him about it. He’ll be back in the lineup Monday and I’m sure he’ll play the way we want him to play. When he’s playing up to his capability, he’s the best defenseman in this league, and we need him to be the best defenseman in this league.”
LOL – Warso the best defenseman in the league?
Since when does Warso play defense?
Worsofsky is a forward who lines up several feet behind the forwards. He is NOT a defenseman and has no real defensive ability. He should learn what a d man actually does… and what he is doing is NOT defensive..do the Bruins really know about this?
If Garrett Noonan is one of our best defensemen then our defensemen are TERRIBLE!
Hey Anonymous poster/10 a.m.–
Do you spend your time trolling here because the Bruins turned down your offer to be a talent evaluator?
I can only imagine how many BU fans read your comment and thought “Yet another BC a–hole.”
Noonan has a pretty solid freshman year. He would be seeing ice time on any team in HE the way he has played so far this year.
Garrett Noonan would only get time on teams with poor defensemen…like BU.
Noonan is better than Clendening.
Is that what you mean when you say he “has a pretty solid freshman year”?
I’m surprised that it hasn’t come out: the real reason that Warsofsky was a healthy scratch.
At the pregame meal he drank his milk from a glass.
Parker had no more glass. Everyone else drank from cups.
So Andrew Glass – the enemy from within – struck again.
The last post might have been the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. Noonan has 2g 7a along with a +2 rating with 37 blocked shots while Clendening(+6) has 2 goals and 15a along with 35 blocked shots. I think they are both are holding their own. Go back to Newton and go to church or something.
Wow, Clendening has 35 blocked shots?
Did the Cross OT goal in the Beanpot count as one of the 35?
From Parker apologist to Warso apologist to Clendening apologist.
What’s next?
from 1971 to 1972 to 1978 to 1995 to 2009
what’s next?
So…did Clendening get credit for “blocking” the Cross shot in OT at the Beanpot?
Clendening would have served the team better if he just whiffed on the block attempt like he usually does.
If Andrew Glass were on the PK in OT in the Beanpot, BC would not have scored and we would be in the Beanpot finals tomorrow.
Thanks for screwing it up Jack…time for you to retire.
If Jack Parker coached the BU women’s team, could he have gotten them into the Beanpot final?
Kudos to Clendening for “blocking” the BC shot into the net for the OT winning.
Clendening, you are USELESS!
Why can’t BU get players like Michael Pereira?
Did his older brother warn him to stay away from BU?
Is there nothing better to do in Newton than pretend to be BU students posting on here with idiotic comments? The answer: yes because there is nothing do in Newton
Andrew Glass on the PK? Really? I’m not saying our PK was great, but Glass on his best day should never have been on a PK unit. He wouldn’t be on Lowell’s PK unit.