The Boston University men’s hockey team looked down the barrel of what has become too common in the past two years — falling just short of a trophy.
It happened when the team made the Beanpot final last year but lost to Northeastern. And again when they fell to Boston College in the Hockey East Championship. Then, they were one overtime goal short of a National Championship game berth.
For as successful as the Terriers have been in the past two years, their trophy case has collected dust.
Down two goals with just under 16 minutes in the Friendship Four Championship last Sunday, the Terriers weren’t going to fall short again. With captain Shane Lachance’s goal in the final five minutes, BU took the Belpot trophy home across the pond.
Now, with a young, developing team struggling to find its groove, the Terriers hope the championship will carry them into a rhythm.
The first test for BU (8-5-1, 4-2-1 Hockey East) will be a home-and-home series with UMass (7-6-2, 1-4-2 HEA) in the final conference game before the two-week intercession.
Puck drop at Agganis is tonight at 6 p.m. The second game in Amherst is on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Shane Lachance stepping into the hero role
In the absence of Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson, the Terriers were missing “the guy” this season. There’s no question the team has talent, but no one has assumed the hero role — the player who can win take a game into their own hands and win it.
One player has begun to emerge: Shane Lachance.
The first sophomore captain in BU men’s hockey history has leaned into his role as leader. Head coach Jay Pandolfo even mentioned how the early season struggled weighed on him.
“He takes a lot of pride in that. Early on he was putting too much pressure on himself, especially when we were struggling as a group. He’s the type of guy that takes it to heart, and he wanted to perform better,” Pandolfo said. “So I thought he’s putting too much pressure, and it seems like now he’s just going out and playing, and you saw that with him the last few games.”
In the final game of the Maine series, the Black Bears dominated BU. However, the Terriers were able to keep it a one-goal game. In the waning seconds, Lachance buried the equalizer at the front of the net.
It was the same story in Belfast. Down two goals, the Terriers tied it up with five minutes remaining. Then, Lachance took it into his own hands to win in regulation.
The forward leads the team in points with a balanced seven goals and 10 assists. His strong netfront presence and leadership has begun to shape him into the player BU needs to find success in the second half.
“He understands what his identity is as a player. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not. He knows he’s going to be physical around the net. He’s going to get to the net,” Pandolfo said. “He’s a year older, he’s more comfortable. He understands what college hockey is all about. You saw that in the second half last year, and I think he’s building off that.”
Penalty kill turns it around
The BU penalty kill situation was dire. The Terriers ranked No. 60 out of 64 teams in college hockey in penalty kill percentage.
It seemed every game there was an untimely third period penalty that led to a back-breaking goal. The Terriers needed to clean it up.
Then, the Terriers killed 15 of 17 penalties in the last four games, including a 90% kill rate in the Friendship Four.
Pandolfo said not much has changed in the team’s structure, but they are executing better.
“It’s more the mindset that we’re going to be more aggressive,” Pandolfo said. “I feel like we’re blocking more shots. I feel like we’re getting our clears. So I think all those things together are making a difference for us.”
Pandolfo mentioned how the confidence plays a factor. Stringing together successful kills helped boost the unit’s play.
“You start giving up some goals shorthanded every time you take a penalty, you could feel that our guys were gripping the sticks too tight or overthinking things,” Pandolfo said. “Now we’re on a little bit more roll, and I think that’s helping us.”
Scouting the Minutemen
It is no secret the Minutemen have had their struggles against the Terriers. BU has not lost in the team’s last 10 match-ups against UMass dating back to the pre-Pandolfo era. The Terriers have only lost to UMass three times in Agganis Arena’s history. But the win on Saturday or Wednesday is far from a forgone conclusion.
While the team has only won one Hockey East game in regulation this season, it came against a formidable Providence team in a dominant 5-1 fashion. The Minutemen have won three of their last four, starting to build momentum of their own.
The UMass power play unit will be a big test for the new-look BU penalty kill. The Minutemen rank second in Hockey East, scoring at a 27.3% clip.
On the offense end, the Terriers need to mark junior forward Cole O’Hara, who is the second-highest scorer in the league. O’Hara owns seven goals and 14 assists, making him a dangerous weapon. Not far behind him is sophomore forward Aydar Suniev, who leads the team in goals with nine to accompany eight assists.
In net, the Minutemen will likely play sophomore Michael Hrabal, who has started every game except one this season. Hrabal owns a .913 save percentage, which ranks sixth in the league, and a 2.55 goals-against average.
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