Minutemen Snap BC's Unbeaten Streak At Six

Boasting a six-game winning streak and uncontested Hockey East supremacy, the Boston College men's hockey team marched into an upset-hungry Mullins Center looking to claim Massachusetts as its next conference victim.

Only a night removed from a dominant four-goal victory over Maine at Kelley Rink, the Eagles fell silent in a 4-2 loss against the UMass Minutemen on Saturday night. The defeat brought a disconcerting end to BC's  14-game Hockey East win streak that dates back to last season.

"I thought we gave a very good effort," head coach Jerry York said. "It's not a heck of a lot different from winning and losing sometimes, especially on the road."

Facing a determined UMass squad desperate for a conference win, York's Eagles came out of the gate with a quick power-play goal from forward Steven Whitney to open the first frame. The BC junior's sixth goal of the season appeared to be the start of yet another drubbing of a Hockey East opponent, but UMass forward Michael Pereira rudely answered less than two minutes later with a score of his own.

Following Pereira's game-tying score, the next period-and-a-half would see what seemed like an early offensive duel give way to a gutty grudge match on the ice. BC resiliently fought through a penalty-ridden second period that sent five different Eagles retreating to the penalty box. Solid play by both BC goalie Parker Milner and Minuteman goaltender Kevin Boyle effectively preserved an unchanged 1-1 tie.

However, BC's early-season momentum was stunted amid an uncontrollable UMass offensive explosion in the third frame, sending the Eagles to an unexpected crash landing. The attack was catalyzed by a go-ahead goal off the stick of forward Steven Guzzo that gave UMass a lead it never relinquished. Freshman defenseman Oleg Yevenko followed suit with his first goal of the season, forcing Milner and the rest of the BC squad into a corner of desperation.

"We had survived a lot of our penalties in the second period, so we felt pretty good about that," York said. "We just couldn't quite get the equalizer."

Though forward Chris Kreider scored to spark a potential BC comeback, an empty-net goal from UMass's T.J. Syner in the final minute ultimately sealed the Minutemen's first conference victory of the season and the team's first against a No. 1 opponent in almost four years.

As for the Eagles, their first conference loss of the year did yield some positives. York's club continued its characteristic power-play execution, netting two goals against the shorthanded lines of Massachusetts. On the other side of the puck, the Eagles demonstrated sound play throughout their perseverant stand during the second frame, even when constrained on the ice for half of the period. York understands that building on these strengths and bringing BC's cohesive, championship-caliber style of play into every match-up will be vital in the midst of fierce conference competition.

"We're not going to let our previous outcome affect [us]," he said. "We try to maintain a pretty firm hold over how we prepare and get ready for next week."

With five of their next 10 games coming against Hockey East rivals, the Eagles' ability to recapture the conference-winning consistency they're accustomed to will greatly influence the standings as the team enters the heart of its season. Though an unwanted upset means one less notch in BC's win column, the Eagles are willing to roll with the punches and catapult themselves back into the direction of another title.