(Box from BC game summary sheet)
Friday, January 3, 2003 at Kelley Rink (Conte Forum), Chestnut Hill, MA
UMA 3, BC 2 HOCKEY EAST GAME
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UMASS-AMHERST (HE) 0 2 1 - 3 (11-7-1 overall, 5-5-0 HE)
BOSTON COLLEGE (HE) 1 1 0 - 2 (10-5-3 overall, 6-3-1 HE)
Shots on Goal Pen - Min Power Play
UMA 7-14- 8 -- 29 6 - 12 2 - 5
BC 6- 9- 8 -- 23 6 - 12 0 - 5
UMA- Gabe Winer 5- 8- 8 - 21 saves/2 goals (60:00)
BC - Matti Kaltiainen 7-12- 7 - 26 saves/3 goals (59:18)
Referee - Tim Benedetto
Assistants - Tom Quinn, Chris Aughe
Attendance - 5874
1st Period
BC1 Dave Spina 8 (Ryan Murphy) SHG 17:50
Penalties
UMA - Michael Mullen (tripping) 3:04
UMA - Mike Warner (charging) 4:12
BC - Andrew Alberts (hitting after whistle) 4:12
BC - Ryan Murphy (hooking) 5:09
BC - Tony Voce (holding) 17:31
2nd Period
BC2 Anthony D'Arpino 2 (Justin Dziama, Ned Havern) 5:13
UMA1 Thomas Pock 7 (Matt Anderson, Stephen Werner) 12:50
UMA2 Greg Mauldin 10 (Matt Anderson, Stephen Werner) PPG 16:02
Penalties
UMA - Matt Walsh (charging) 9:54
BC - J.D. Forrest (holding) 15:12
3rd Period
UMA3 Chris Capraro 3 (Mike Warner, Tim Turner) PPG 15:45 GWG
Penalties
BC - Chris Collins (high-sticking) 0:14
UMA - Thomas Pock (high-sticking) 0:41
BC - Andrew Alberts (charging) 13:52
UMA - Sean Regan (charging) 15:48
UMA - Thomas Pock (holding) 19:54
3 Stars - 1. UMA- Chris Capraro (1G)
2. BC - Anthony D'Arpino (1G)
3. UMA- Matt Anderson (2A)
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
F Chris Capraro, Mike Warner, Tim Turner
Greg Mauldin, Matt Anderson, Stephen Werner
PETER ALDEN, TIM VITEK, MICHAEL MULLEN
Peter Trovato, Matt Walsh, Josh Hanson
D SEAN REGAN, NICK KUIPER
Thomas Pock, Marvin Degon
Dustin Demaniuk, Jeff Lang
G GABE WINER, Tim Warner, Michael Waidlich
Boston College:
F CHRIS COLLINS, BEN EAVES, STEPHEN GIONTA
Tony Voce, Ty Hennes, Dave Spina
Ryan Murphy, Ned Havern, A.J. Walker
Anthony D'Arpino, Justin Dziama
D ANDREW ALBERTS, J.D. FORREST
John Adams, Peter Harrold
Brett Peterson, Bill Cass
Ben Lovejoy
G MATTI KALTIAINEN, Tim Kelleher, Robbie Miller
COMMENTS
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The University of Massachusetts continued its surprising rise in Hockey East
with a hard-fought, physical come-from-behind win over Boston College Friday
night, 3-2. Chris Capraro's power-play goal late in the third period
provided the winning margin for the Minutemen, who are now 9-3-1 in their
last 13 games. BC, already missing forwards due to injury and the World
Junior Championships, lost captain Ben Eaves to a groin injury in the 2nd
period and had several other players off the ice at various points with
difficulties following hard hits or collisions. UMass carried play from the
mid-point of the game onward and was able to fight back from a 2-0 deficit
to move to .500 in the league. They skated only one senior on the night
and are beginning to show confidence in their skating and abilities,
backstopped by strong goaltending by frosh Gabe Winer.
The first period gave signs of how the game would go with physical play and
tough defensive work by both teams early on. A flurry of early penalties
seemed to indicate a tightly-called game by the referee, but through much
of the remainder of the game there were lots of hard hits and questionable
holding and stick work but few penalties called. UMass had the better of
the physical play, larger than BC and able to slow down the quick forwards
for the Eagles. Neither team had any significant chances through most of
the period, with most shots from outside or at bad angles, and the goalies
were able to handle those. Ben Eaves first went off injured around the
15-minute mark, and though he played some late in the first period, he was
effectively out for the rest of the game. This meant the Eagles were
playing without 3 of their top 5 forwards, particularly their best
playmaking centers (with Ryan Shannon at the World Juniors) and this made
their offense much less effective. That said, it was 2 of the sophomores
who scored the first goal, a shorthanded one for BC. Ryan Murphy stole
the puck inside the BC zone and skated to neutral ice. His pass forward
was too long and the UMass defense was able to get to it first, but the
attempted clear bounced off the charging Dave Spina and he was able to
skate in alone on Winer. He held it until inside the right circle and
then fired a sharp wrister high to the far side for the first score.
The second period started similar to the first, with physical play and
big hits. It was the third line for BC (one of their most effective on
the night) which scored the 2nd goal. Cycling down low by Ned Havern and
Justin Dziama got the puck to the boards at the left side, where Dziama
sent a sharp pass to an unmarked Anthony D'Arpino between the circles. His
one-timer zipped by Winer to make the score 2-0 for the Eagles. After the
goal, however, it was UMass that seemed to get energy, picking up their
pressure and getting some offense. Tim Vitek spun to the net for a stuff
attempt but was stoned, Capraro fed Mike Warner for a slap shot from the
slot, and Kaltiainen was forced to make 2 big saves in close after BC was
unable to clear a bouncing puck. Following some physical play Matt Walsh
took a 30-foot charge into Steve Gionta for a penalty, giving BC a chance
to relieve some of the pressure. Chris Collins went off after being run
head-first into the end boards with some temporary wooziness, and Ned
Havern was sprung for clean break-in on Winer. He had the goalie off-
balance but Winer flashed his catching glove to rob the Eagle forward.
The gave the Minutemen energy again and it paid off a few minutes later.
A BC forward was pulled off the puck on a rush and UMass went the other way
on a 3-on-2 counter. Nick Anderson drove deep down the right side and sent
a pass to the slot, where Thomas Pock one-timed a low shot past Kaltiainen.
UMass continued pressure on offense and were forechecking aggressively
against BC, and forced the Eagles to take a penalty. After good puck
movement by the Minutemen, they got it back to the right point to Anderson,
where he sent a cross-ice pass to Greg Mauldin in the left circle. He
controlled it, then fired a hard wrist shot high into the net before
Kaltiainen could come across to cover the open side. Both teams scrambled
for shots late in the period but it ended with a 2-2 deadlock.
BC got a low shot early in the third on a 4-on-4 but it trickled wide after
the save. Ned Havern got crunched on the boards and went off dinged. Play
was pretty physical, with UMass taking advantage of the fact that little was
being called, using their size advantage to disrupt the BC offense. The
Eagles pushed forward hard looking for the lead, having their most effective
offense since early in the game. Tony Voce was set up in front by Collins,
only to shoot his quick shot into the goalie's glove. Several shots were
whistled wide, and Voce circled the net to wrap to the front only to see
his shot saved again. UMass had their own chance when a defenseman fell
down for BC, but the save was made. BC pressured again, with Collins
stealing the puck in close but Winer was equal to the task. BC was working
deep in the UMass zone when Andrew Alberts pinched down from the point and
took a charging penalty. UMass went almost the whole power play with good
possession and shots. Mauldin fired from a low angle, Pock forced a big
leg pad save on a slapper, then hit the post on a subsequent outside shot.
BC finally got the puck out and were up ice trying to forecheck when they
got caught out of position. The Minutemen quickly countered and had a
2-on-1 break. Mike Warner carried the puck into the zone down the right
side, held, and then passed across to Capraro down the left. He hammered
a shot 18 inches off the ice into the open left side for the eventual
game-winner.
Sean Regan took a very dumb penalty right off the ensuing faceoff, charging
into the faceoff area and clouting Ty Hennes of the Eagles, giving BC a
late power play opportunity. Most of the power play was quiet, with BC
having a hard time getting the puck forward, but eventually they did get it
in and set up a 1-timer in the slot. Winer got a piece of the puck but it
trickled through his pads slid toward the goal, stopping partway across (but
not all the way across) the goal line. After that the Eagles could not get
clear of the UMass checking for any shots and time ran out for a well-
deserved UMass win.
Most people would consider this a big upset, given the BC history and early
season success, but UMass was the stronger team in this game overall,
skating
better and executing on power plays much better than the Eagles. BC was
not very effective on faceoffs with their best centers missing, and UMass
was able to frustrate the forwards with physical play. Early in the season
BC jumped on UMass early, taking advantage of speed and weak goaltending to
build a big lead and coasting to a 6-0 win in Amherst. But it was that game
that got Coach Cahoon to replace Tim Warner in goal with Gabe Winer, and he
has played well for the Minutemen. Combine that with better skating,
aggressive play, and some confidence, and it is clear that better times are
coming for UMass. They have only 2 seniors on the roster, Tim Turner and
Kelly Sickavish (who has been out several games with illness.) The young
team is playing like they believe in themselves, unaware or uncaring about
UMass's previous lack of success. Now they have to learn to play
consistently and take advantage of their abilities. (As I write this UMass
is playing Providence at Amherst and are behind PC 1-0 after 1 period.)
After Sunday's game with Providence they have a home-and-home next week
with Merrimack.
Boston College has definitely hit a bad stretch after so much early season
success. Part of that is injury, part is other teams learning how to play
against the BC speed (and lack of size.) BC still is in second place in
Hockey East but is only 2-5-2 in the last 9 games. (To be sure, that has
been against some tough competition -- UNH, Maine twice, Dartmouth, Harvard,
Minnesota included.) BC is still a relatively young team and is having to
learn to overcome the injuries and travails of a tough Hockey East schedule.
But current trends are not promising. The Eaves' brothers are out with
injury, several other forwards are not performing to their capability, the
defensemen are not very skilled offensively (which particularly hurts the
power play), and the less-skilled players are not comfortable when they
have been pressed into more critical positions. Overall the defense and
goaltending have been adequate, it has been the reduction in offense that
has hurt the team. They scored 45 goals in the first 9 games (5 GPG) and
only 26 in the last 9 games (2.89 GPG.) There is still plenty of talent
there but right now they need to reach down and learn to play a bit
differently to regain their scoring touch. Given the difficulty across the
entire Hockey East schedule, that will be hard to achieve.
We shouldn't be too down on the Eagles, though. By some relatively
objective measures, they have played one of the top 2 toughest schedules in
the country, they are still in 2nd place in the league, and the ranking
systems still have them in the top 10. If they can turn around and play
well next week in a home-and-home against UMass-Lowell (still winless in
league play) then they will have a strong position leading into the second
half of Hockey East play.
Rick McAdoo
"Volunteer reporter"
A content BC fan. GO EAGLES!
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