By Tim Healey/DFP Staff
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The No. 12 Boston University men’s hockey team held its own against No. 5/6 University of North Dakota through the first two periods Friday night, but by the end of the final stanza UND separated itself to snag a 4-2 win.
A trio of tripping penalties, a lack of success on faceoffs and an energized North Dakota defensive effort led to a two-goal third period for the home team at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
“It seemed like we were always kind of battling back with penalty calls and things like that,” senior defenseman Sean Escobedo said of the team’s play in the third. “[UND was] just kind of playing a trap and throwing it back in our zone and we were having some difficulty breaking out. It was just a systems lapse. I don’t think we were tired, I think we were ready to go, just bad passes and a couple miscues.”
BU penalty killing units kept busy during the third thanks to tripping penalties called on Escobedo, freshman forward Matt Lane and freshman defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. Combined with two more minors called with three seconds left in the second period – Escobedo for roughing and sophomore defenseman Alexx Privitera for unsportsmanlike conduct – and UND’s power play got the bulk of its seven chances late in the game.
Juxtapositioned next to BU’s single power-play chance – the result of a five-minute major against UND captain Andrew MacWilliam – and the Terrier penalties especially hampered an otherwise impressive game.
The special teams differential helped lead to North Dakota’s 14-5 shot advantage in the frame, during which, BU head coach Jack Parker said, the team seemed to be on its heels a bit.
The UND power play broke through early in the third when UND forward Connor Gaarder netted his third goal of the game. North Dakota had a 5-on-3 advantage at the time after Escobedo followed Lane’s tripping penalty with one of his own.
“I might be a little biased, [but] I thought it was a pretty good play,” Escobedo said of the call. “But [the referee] said I took away a scoring opportunity for him so in that regard I guess it was a penalty.”
Parker similarly questioned the call, though he was hesitant to explicitly and publicly criticize the officiating.
“That was a tripping penalty? The referee thought it was a penalty,” Parker said, cracking a slight smile.
BU’s inability to maintain possession and make significant threats in UND’s zone started with faceoffs. It’s been a problem for BU for much of the young season, and the third period was a microcosm of the issue.
The Terriers lost 20 draws, winning only nine in the process to bring their game total to 26-45. Most notably, sophomore center Cason Hohmann went 2-6 in the third, junior forward Sahir Gill 0-4 and freshman forward Wes Myron 1-4.
When it came down to it, though, Parker credited UND’s strong, aggressive defense with keeping BU at bay.
“They played really well in their own zone but more importantly I thought they played really well through center ice,” Parker said. “We kind of fed into it a little bit by trying to make too many long passes that weren’t there.
“We didn’t generate much offense the second half of the game and I think that is a credit to how hard they played defensively and how hard they played through center ice.”
So let me get this straight you’re blaming the refs for the loss. UND owned you in most of the game and especially in the third period. Never ever ever do you blame the outcome on refs. That is weak. Otherwise I thought BU was a solid team and I fully expect to see them in the NCAA tournament.
BU will be a very good team come February or before. Very young as to experience and playing together. Third and fourth lines have to get better and Maguire has talent but receives very poor coaching. As a long time BU fan very happy today with what I have seen.