This game was really controlled by Yale in many ways but BC was able to score on their opportunities and survive after letting Yale get back into the game after an early BC lead. Freshman Mike Correia got the start in goal for BC, allowing Greg Taylor to continue recovering from his concussion that he received up at Maine earlier in the week. However, Correia got crashed into about 4 times and eventually left the game in the second period for medical attention. BC coach Jerry York visibly asked Taylor if he was able to play, he nodded yes, so Taylor worked the rest of the game in the BC net. First period: BC got off to a quick lead with opportunistic play, good shooting, and some very good goaltending by Correia as BC kept taking penalties. Hymovitz's 4-on-4 goal seemed to give the team some lift. At 9:18, a strange penalty call of too many men was made on BC -- Buckley had left the penalty box at the end of serving Correia's penalty, then got called much later for too many men. We speculated that he may have returned to play from the penalty box, then realized another skater had joined play for him (the bench thought Buckley was going to go to the bench??), then finally left the ice. It was only later that the referees called the penalty. Sorry for the confused report, but it didn't seem very clear. Shortly after that penalty expired, Don Chase got the first of his hat trick by spinning clear off the boards and sniping the far side of the net, BC 3-0. Yale fought back with the help of two power play goals. Correia couldn't hold the first one, letting a sharp slapper off his glove, then stopped the next one only to have the puck drop to the ice behind him and accidentally kicked it in the goal as he backed up. Second period: BC started with a bench minor called on Jerry York, but survived that. Don Chase then completed his hat trick with 2 goals in 15 seconds, the last one a steal and 1-on-1 with Sullivan, the Yale goaltender. The lead wasn't safe, though, as Yale's Weidenbach skated circles around the BC team and scored shorthanded to make it 5-3, BC. Yale took some penalties in this period, but actually played BC about even during the penalty killing; BC was slower and definitely less organized. BC had a full 2-minute 5-on-3 and took over a minute just to get the puck into the Yale zone, then got only a couple of weak shots. Yale definitely had control of the play during this period. As usual, though, BC did not give up too many shots to the opposition, and Yale could only get one more goal, a nice finish by Weidenbach after Sorem did all the setup work. BC 5-4 entering the third period. Third period: Yale equalized early and carried the play to BC for the first few minutes. The top line of Cipolla, Kozic, and Cumming were able to keep pressure on the Eagles, but only Cipolla was able to score. Play became a little defensive and shifted back and forth, with BC eventually playing a more even game. Hard work by the BC top line finally paid off when frosh Jamie O'Leary was able to push the puck to the middle in a scramble, and co-captain Ryan Haggerty knocked it home to give BC the eventual game-winner. Yale worked hard trying to get that one back, and play was more physical and up-and-down the ice. BC managed to regain control and played better during a late power play, then finally cleared the puck for Canavan on a break. Canavan was able to push the puck to the front of the Yale net though sprawled on the ice, and Hymovitz collected the final empty net goal to end it at 7-5, BC. BC again gave away too much of the play and relied on goaltending too much, but won due to good offensive finishing; 6 goals in 18 shots on net. Yale seemed to have 2 good lines and were able to make much better passes, but did not seem strong defensively or in net. I'm sure the Elis will go home feeling they should have dominated this game and picked up 2 points, especially after fighting back to tie it early in the 3rd. BC, on the other hand, is happy to have finally won a home game against a non-league opponent (only 1-6 in non-HE games coming into tonight). BC coach Jerry York was much more emotional on the bench tonight (in contrast to the sparse, quiet crowd.) IMO, he needs to get some fire under his team. Individually there is much talent on the roster, but no spark or drive from the team. On any given night only 5 or 6 players have a good game, and some are in the fog. Tonight was the first game this season that Don Chase showed some of the goalscoring art that he showed last year, almost doubling his goal total from 4 to 7. Greg and Brian Callahan still plug along, but Greg seems disconcerted by his switching between defense and wing (he played defense tonight due to the absence of Ken Hemenway), and Brian plays 2 strong shifts a night and coasts the rest of the way. Most of the forwards still haven't discovered the joys of backchecking and defensive play, and the young defense and goaltending can't make up for that. Greg Taylor is a good young goalie, and I fear he will spend his years at BC suffering from a lack of effort in front of him. BC is also not a particularly big or strong team, and they have to work hard to overcome their lack of puck skills and strength. Some nights they do, and some they don't. As a fan, it is difficult to appreciate, and the crowds (or lack of them) shows that. The students were still gone tonight, and as a non-league game, attendance was very light. While the avg. attendance this season is 2969, it wasn't many years ago that the average was in the mid-4000's. An average of 3000 in a building that seats well over 7000 just doesn't lend itself to noise and excitement. BC fans have never been known for their fanaticism, of course, but I miss the rowdier days when the team was winning and the fans were excited. Oh, well, at least parking is a lot easier now .... --------------- ---------------------- Rick McAdoo [log in to unmask] BC will return! GO EAGLES!