With just over 10 minutes remaining in the third frame of No. 3 Boston College men’s hockey’s matchup with No. 8 Michigan State, Colby Ambrosio threaded a lead pass to graduate transfer Jacob Bengtsson. Bengtsson gathered the puck in transition and flicked it past the mitt of Michigan State goalkeeper Trey Augustine to give BC a 5–3 lead.
After going up 2–0 in the first period but handing out three unanswered goals to Michigan State, BC needed a spark. Bengtsson’s goal not only added to the Eagles’ spark as the third unanswered goal for BC after Michigan State went up 3–2—it dismantled any chances the Spartans still had in the game.
Just over three minutes later, the Eagles set up their power-play formation and Cutter Gauthier sent a screaming one-timer into the back of the net. BC took a game-crushing, three-goal lead over its top-10 opponent, icing the game.
“Another good game against another good opponent,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “It’s great to have tests like this early in the season. Love the way we started. And, you know, we had a very good third period. We were able to generate some offense and finish plays, so it was an exciting game and I’m sure tomorrow will be no different.”
The Spartans (5–2–0) could not overcome the onslaught of BC (5–1–0) goals and dropped the first of a two-game series at Conte Forum. The Eagles, who claimed the chippy 6–4 victory, saw goals from five different skaters, including a two-goal performance from Oskar Jellvik. Jellvik already has more goals through five games of the 2023–24 season than he had all of last year.
“He looks quicker, much, much stronger, able to protect pucks better,” Brown said of Jellvik. “And he put in a lot of hard work this summer. You can see he looks different physically, and then you can just see the power in his skating, in his close quarters.”
BC’s first power-play opportunity came at the 14:51 mark in the first period after the referees hit Michigan State’s Daniel Russell with an interference penalty. But the Spartans held BC to just two shots while on the advantage and escaped the power play unscathed.
Michigan State’s penalty kill did not seem to shake the Eagles, though. Thirty-six seconds after the completion of the penalty, Ambrosio raced past the Spartans’ defense and sent a smooth lead pass to Jellvik, who found the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
BC kept its foot on the gas, and just over two minutes later, it struck again. Will Smith shot a rocket toward the goal, but Augustine rejected it. Gabe Perreault retrieved the rebound and fired the puck at the goal where linemate Ryan Leonard was waiting. Leonard knocked the puck in for his first collegiate goal of the season and crashed into the boards behind the net in celebration. With just over 10 minutes left in the period, the Eagles took a commanding 2–0 lead over the visitors.
“It’s really nice to see Ryan score because he’s created great chances every game,” Brown said. “And you knew it was coming. Every game his line has been able to generate chances where he’s been the guy shooting, so we knew it was gonna come.”
But the Eagles’ momentum stopped there, and with 7:57 remaining in the first frame, Michigan State launched its response. Short-handed, the Spartans’ Karsen Dorwart took matters into his own hands and evaded two BC defenders before slotting a goal through Jacob Fowler’s five hole to make it a one-goal game.
After the Eagles received a penalty for too many men on the ice, which put the Spartans on a five-on-four advantage, Dorwart tallied his second goal of the affair and knotted the game at two goals apiece with under two minutes left in the first frame. The penalty marked the third time that BC had been called for too many men on the ice in just five games.
“We just have to be tighter on that, sharper,” Brown said. “A little better communication, a little, a little more awareness, the guy going on has to be aware where his player is and where the puck is. Sometimes you have to hold an extra second.”
The second period started at a 2–2 tie and stayed in a back-and-forth frenzy until Michigan State took the lead with 12:32 remaining on a chip shot that got past Fowler to give the Spartans their first lead of the contest.
The Eagles fired right back, though, and just over a minute later, Jellvik potted his second goal of the contest to tie it at 3–3.
The competitiveness of the top-10 matchup became apparent in the second frame, as scrums consistently broke out.
“It’s gonna get heated, because both teams want to win,” Jellvik said. “So, I just feel like it’s awesome how we protect each other and stand up for each other as teammates.”
With 1:50 to go in the period, Smith took the lead back for BC as he netted a spinning goal directly into the right side of the net for his fourth of the season.
Bengtsson potted his goal midway through the third, and Gauthier delivered the final blow to put the Eagles up 6–3. The Spartans scored their final goal with just under a minute to play. On the defensive end, Fowler recorded 21 saves on a .840 save percentage.
“I thought Jacob made some incredible saves in the second when the score was tight,” Brown said. “And those were huge. If you don’t get those, then they’re feeling 10 feet tall and we’re probably, you know, chasing the game.”
