It may be the most exciting play in sports: the penalty shot in hockey. John Muse had been hot as of late, stopping 35 shots Friday night against Boston University and had only let up three goals in his last three performances. He had already allowed one that night, and Chris Connolly was looking to give the No. 7 BU faithful something to cheer about.
"He slowed up a little, and he slid it past my pads to the right," Muse said.
It was a heartbreaking goal that put the Terriers up 2-0 and ended up as the difference in a fiercely contested 3-1 Hockey East battle.
The Terriers took an early lead when Corey Trivino scored his first goal of the season only two minutes into the game. The goal would prove huge in a game between two exceptional defensive teams.
No. 2 Boston College did muster some of its own scoring chances in the first period, but couldn't seem to cash in. This would become a recurring theme throughout the night for the Eagles, as they repeatedly had fans jumping out of their seats over near misses.
In the second period, the penalty box did its best impression of a BC Mod party, as players sat shoulder to shoulder throughout the period. Nick Petrecki turned bash brother when he leveled Jason Lawrence near center ice, only to serve him a vicious second helping near the boards. Then chaos ensued, as BC defenseman Anthony Aiello, who had 14 penalty minutes on the night, began sparring with BU's Brian Straitt.
Outside of Connolly's penalty shot, neither team could find a way to capitalize on the extracurricular activities, due to the intensity of each squad's penalty killing unit.
"The penalty killing by both teams was outstanding, and that really reflects back on the play of both [BU goaltender] Kiernan [Millan] and John [Muse]. They made some outstanding saves throughout the whole weekend," said BC head coach Jerry York. "I thought that our inability on the power play both nights hurt us. We need to cash in some power play opportunities."
The Boston University penalty kill found a lot of success by not allowing the Eagles to get many rebounds in front of the net. Defensemen Straitt and Matt Gilroy both had inspired efforts that helped keep the crease clear for Millan.
The crushing hits and near brawls finally snapped the Eagles fans out of their post-ACC championship loss hangover. As the second period gave way to the third, the Eagles finally found the momentum they were looking for.
Early in the period, it appeared as if Ben Smith had finally broken through after having a handful of golden scoring chances. The horn went off and the players started to celebrate, yet play resumed. The BC fans graciously voiced their displeasure, but it was to no avail, as the shot had ricocheted off the post before crossing the red line.
Matt Price got the home team on the board with assistance from freshmen Cam Atkinson and Barry Almeida. The goal left the Eagles with 14 minutes to tie up the game, but it proved to be not enough, as the Terrier defense was clicking on all cylinders.
The Eagles were throwing the gauntlet at BU, but the Terriers kept a death grip on their lead despite the constant action around their goal in the third period. With only a minute left and a loss to their rival staring them straight in the face, the Eagles decided to pull goalie John Muse.
The Eagles were able to create a scrum in front of the net as Jimmy Hayes and Ben Ferriero tried desperately to poke one past Millan. It seemed as if the Eagles would tie it up, but Ferriero's attempt squirted just wide of the goal, hitting off the side of the net.
Straitt dug out the puck near the blue line and sent an agonizingly slow shot toward the empty BC net. Fittingly, the puck crossed the red line just as time expired, giving the Terriers a hard-fought Hockey East victory.
"Tonight reaffirms the fact that these are two of the very best teams in the country," York said. "We're in the same league, and we're rivals, but these are two real good hockey teams. I think we've got the makings of a good club, but the winter will spell that out."
The winter is coming near, and that seems to be the time that York is able to move his teams into high gear. There is at least one more match-up with the Terriers that will provide an opportunity to see just how far these Eagles have come. n
between two exceptional defensive teams.
No. 2 Boston College did muster some of their its own scoring chances in the first period, but couldn't seem to cash in. This would become a recurring theme throughout the night for the Eagles, as they repeatedly had fans jumping out of their seats over near misses.
In the second period, the penalty box did its best impression of a BC Mod party, as players sat shoulder to shoulder throughout the period. Nick Petrecki turned bash brother when he leveled Jason Lawrence near center ice, only to serve him a vicious second helping near the boards. Then chaos ensued, as BC defenseman Anthony Aiello, who had 14 penalty minutes on the night, began sparring with BU's Brian Straitt.
Outside of Connolly's penalty shot, neither team could find a way to capitalize on the extracurricular activities, due to the intensity of each squad's penalty killing unit.
"The penalty killing by both teams was outstanding, and that really reflects back on the play of both [BU goaltender] Kiernan [Millan] and John [Muse]. They made some outstanding saves throughout the whole weekend," said BC head coach Jerry York. "I thought that our inability on the power play both nights hurt us. We need to cash in some power play opportunities."
The Boston University penalty kill found a lot of success by not allowing the Eagles to get many rebounds in front of the net. Defensemen Straitt and Matt Gilroy both had inspired efforts that helped keep the crease clear for Millan.
The crushing hits and near brawls finally snapped the Eagles fans out of their post-ACC championship loss hangover. As the second period gave way to the third, the Eagles finally found the momentum they were looking for.
Early in the period, it appeared as if Ben Smith had finally broken through after having a handful of golden scoring chances. The horn went off and, the players started to celebrate, yet play resumed. The BC fans graciously voiced their displeasure, but it was to no avail, as the shot had ricocheted off the post before crossing the red line.
Matt Price got the home team on the board with assistance from freshmen Cam Atkinson and Barry Almeida. The goal left the Eagles with 14 minutes to tie up the game, but it proved to be not enough, as the Terrier defense was clicking on all cylinders.
The Eagles were throwing the gauntlet at BU, but the Terriers kept a death grip on their lead despite the constant action around their goal in the third period.
With only a minute left and a loss to their rival staring them straight in the face, the Eagles decided to pull goalie John Muse.
The Eagles were able to create a scrum in front of the net as Jimmy Hayes and Ben Ferriero tried desperately to poke one past Millan. It seemed as if the Eagles would tie it up, but Ferriero's attempt squirted just wide of the goal, hitting off the side of the net.
Straitt dug out the puck near the blue line and sent an agonizingly slow shot toward the empty BC net. Fittingly, the puck crossed the red line just as time expired giving the Terriers a hard-fought Hockey East victory.
"Tonight reaffirms the fact that these are two of the very best teams in the country," York said. "We're in the same league, and we're rivals, but these are two real good hockey teams. I think we've got the makings of a good club, but the winter will spell that out."
The winter is coming near, and that seems to be the time that York is able to move his teams into high gear. There is at least one more match-up with the Terriers that will provide an opportunity to see just how far these Eagles have come.
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