Minutemen Massacred By Surging Eagles

If the real Minutemen were as bad as the University of Massachusetts men's hockey team was on Friday night, we would all be enjoying tea and crumpets while watching the BBC every day. The Boston College Eagles massacred the UMass Minutemen, 7-1, before a sellout crowd of 8,389 at the Mullins Center. The Eagles have now won three straight by a combined score of 18-3 heading into tonight's Beanpot title game showdown with Boston University at 8 p.m. in the TD Garden.

Joe Whitney scored twice for BC (15-8-2, 11-6-2 Hockey East), pulling the Eagles within three points of New Hampshire for first place in the league with a game in hand. They also defeated the Minutemen (16-11-0, 11-9-0), 3-1, in December and will wrap up their season series on Feb. 26 at Kelley Rink.

Brian Gibbons, who has now secured a point in 10 straight games, added four assists, while Cam Atkinson and Steven Whitney each scored a goal and had two assists. The line of Joe Whitney, Gibbons, and Atkinson totaled nine points on three goals and six assists. Over their last seven games, the three have combined for 38 points on 14 goals and 24 assists.

John Muse recorded 16 saves in two periods of action before he was relieved by Parker Milner, who conceded the lone Minutemen goal. Muse moved into a tie for fifth place on the school's all-time wins list with his 53rd victory in 99 career games.

The Eagles scored four times in the first period and three times in the second, decimating the UMass crowd in the process. Joe Whitney, who had the second two-goal game of his career, opened the scoring from the slot on a crisp pass from Gibbons at 4:52. Paul Carey extended the lead nine minutes later before Joe Whitney buried UMass at 14:38 on a rebound from a Gibbons strike. Jimmy Hayes capped the first period, scoring at 16:56 when he stole the puck at the UMass blue line and flipped in a backhanded shot for the lone unassisted goal of the game.

The Eagles abused Minuteman goaltender Paul Dainton so badly that he was yanked after the first 20 minutes for backup Dan Meyers. Meyers didn't fare much better than Dainton, though, conceding three goals in his first 20 minutes of action. Both goalies saved 12 shots, though Meyers did so over two periods as opposed to one for Dainton.
The Eagle defense repeatedly denied the Minutemen opportunities, despite committing seven penalties. BC held the UMass power play, which is ranked fourth in the nation, scoreless on six attempts.

Atkinson scored his team-leading 17th goal of the year, and the only power-play goal of the evening, with 0.2 left in the second period. Steven Whitney broke the game open when he got on the board at 14:39 before Chris Kreider scored his fourth goal in as many games just three minutes later.

James Marcou broke the shutout with his ninth goal and 41st point of the season at 14:23 in the third period. He came into the game leading the nation in points, but now ranks second after Cory Conacher of Canisius. Marcou's consolation goal was much too little much too late for the Minutemen.

Eagle captain Matt Price left the game in the first period with an apparent upper body injury. His status for the Beanpot game tonight is unknown. Tommy Cross returned from a sprained MCL he suffered three weeks ago to add some depth to the thin BC blue line. Fellow defenseman Patrick Wey, who broke his wrist six weeks ago, could return for Friday's game at UMass Lowell.