In a game dominated by BU through two periods, BC gains a little
self-respect by playing a decent 3rd period. BU is a very good team,
fast, smooth, and tough (when necessary); they have a tendency to
disappear for a few minutes when they build up a lead, or get tired,
but they have more weapons than any team in HE (including Maine) and
will give anyone in the country a tough game. (Oddly enough, I think
Maine plays a much more consistent game and might be better off in the
playoffs -- time will tell.)
BU's Rich Brennan is still out with a knee injury, and Jay Pandolfo
plays despite a minor knee injury suffered in practice (too bad the
BU SI office didn't get the news before they printed their game release.)
BC misses frosh Jamie O'Leary, a major part of their power play, out
with the flu.
FIRST PERIOD -- Greg Taylor shines in goal for BC as BU outshoots the
Eagles 21-4, sparked by strong power plays. Big Mike Grier pokes in a
puck in the crease at the 4:58 mark, but the goal is not allowed as the
referee had blown his whistle already. It was a sign of things to come,
though, and Joubert gets the first PPG when he slides around BC's Peter
Masters, glides to the front of the net, and shoves it though Taylor's
legs. Bates gets the 2nd BU goal a minute later when he steps out from
behind the net and takes a sharp angled shot that beats Taylor low. The
third BU goal in 2 1/2 minutes results from a nice set of passes from
Joubert and Prendergast, and Lachance finishes it off with a low shot.
BC finally answers with a PPG at 11:41; Don Chase moves the puck sharply
into the zone, drops to Buckley, who finds Hymovitz free at the far side
of the net for a poke-in. Taylor makes a great glove save on a BU
shorthanded bid in the 15th minute after Wainwright coughs up the puck
at the BC blue line (an unfortunate frequent occurence with BC's defense
this year.) BC gets a 2nd PPG (in only their 4th shot of the period)
when Chase fires a sharp dart from the top left circle past Herlovsky.
SECOND PERIOD -- We dubbed this one the "interference" period, as 5 of the
game's 9 interference penalties were called. A lot of grabbing and pulling
behind the play kept the offensive production down despite the number
of power plays, as the shots on goal were only BU 8, BC 2. BU gets 3
goals (2 PPG) while dominating the period. Taylor stops another Joubert
breakaway at the 1:30 mark. O'Sullivan gets his 19th of the season with
a long screen shot at 9:19. After the goal Taylor gets a roughing penalty
out of frustration when he knocks down Mike Grier in front of the net.
Grier had been screening Taylor when the goal was scored. Though they
killed that penalty, the BC defense had trouble clearing the puck from
their own zone, and it eventually resulted in the 5th BU goal, a slap
shot from the point by Coleman (this may have also been a screen in front
of Taylor.) BU's 6th goal (PPG) results from a nice 1-2-3 combo to
Joubert, and he succeeds in poking in his own rebound. Shots at the
14:13 mark are roughly 29-5 in favor of BU for the game.
THIRD PERIOD -- BU relaxed with a 6-2 lead and BC played with more
intensity, resulting in a period "win" for BC, with 2 power play goals to
BU's empty net goal in the last minute. Play also started to get a little
chippy, sparked by an early Ashe high-sticking penalty when he caught
Bates in the face (accidentally). Haggerty made it 6-3 when he blasts a
PPG slapper from the point at 4:41. BC put the pressure on, and BU takes
more penalties. The 4th BC goal is also a PPG, at 12:13, when Toby Harris
snaps a far side screen shot. This sparks a sudden flurry from BC where
they almost get their 5th goal on several chances, forcing a BU timeout
at 14:15. The crowd was definitely in the game at this point, and BU
coach Jack Parker was not happy that his team let BC back in the game.
Play moved back and forth from this point, as BC's Don Chase took a
foolish extra penalty at the 14:26 mark to give up the momentum. Taylor
was pulled just 10 seconds or so when Mike Grier was freed to cruise in
and push in an empty-net goal to finish the scoring. Final shots on goal
totals were BU 38, BC 16.
As others have commented, it is a shame that Greg Taylor has such a porous
defense in front of him, as he kept BC in this game for a while. BU was
free to cruise in and shoot time after time, with BC both unwilling and
unable to challenge for the puck and clear it from their zone. BU is very
good at transition from defense to offense, and BC is very bad at that same
skill. The result is obvious. It is fun to watch BU when they are skating
well (and this is most of the time), I highly recommend that people try to
watch them when they get a chance.
A personal note: BC frosh Tim Lewis was announced as having an assist on
the last BC goal (a late added assist), which would have been his first
official point. The game summary sheet did not credit him with an assist,
however, so I think he is still scoreless. I feel bad for the kid as he
has played well when he has played, and was robbed of a goal up at UMass-
Lowell earlier in the season, and has hit 2 posts as well. Defensively
he has a long way to go, but at least there is some room for growth.
On attendance, as the sellout statement was questioned: BC had been
averaging just under 3000 "officially", but I would estimate that the
average actual at-game attendance was probably closer to 2200. BC reports
attendance as tickets sold, not bodies through the turnstile, and I think
most schools do it likewise. Though there were no-shows at this game,
mostly because it was on television, the crowd was large, with the stands
filled all the way to the top of Conte Forum. Many fans also stand on the
wide walkways at each end of the rink to get better views than they get at
their seats, which may not be obvious on television. Finally, BC sells a
lot of tickets for youth hockey groups, and the kids often are roaming the
arena rather than in their seats. My personal estimate of "actual"
attendance is in the 7300-7400 range rather than the 7884 reported. I
believe this was the first sellout for a BC home game in 3 or 4 years.
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Rick McAdoo [log in to unmask]
BC will return (eventually)! GO EAGLES!
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