BU Gets Caught In a Hayes

Tonight, BC's Kevin Hayes was the difference in a close, hard-fough battle between Boston College and BU. Hayes posted two points, including a goal in the second period, not to mention he was named first star of the game.

Sean Escobedo (21) slides to break up a two on one. Kevin
 Hayes (12) would later score from behind the net on a bank
shot.
(Photo by Matt Dresens)

Hayes had a hand in BC's first goal, just 43 seconds into the game. Hayes picked up a loose puck off a faceoff in the BU end behind the net. From there, he tried a wrap a round stuff. In the process, he lost the puck, but fortunately for the Eagles it found the tape of Destry Straight, who shoveled it past Matt O'Connor on the far side of the net.

Both teams had several other chances later in the first, but no one was able to capitalize.

BC started the second period with 1:38 of five in three. BU was able to kill off this man advantage, and all of BC's other six power playes. BU's pp did not fare much better, going one for seven.

Midway through the second, Aggains Arena was rocking and may have been the loudest I have ever heard the place. It was as if the two teams were playing at Walter Brown once again. That was mainly due to a BU power play and sustained pressure that all but resulted in a goal.

Kevin Hayes really shut the place up at 11:01 though, as he scored a really fluky goal on a two on one. BU defenseman Sean Escobedo made a smart play to break up a cross ice pass to Mike Sit by sliding in between the two BC forwards. Hayes then regained the puck behind the goal-line and banked it off O'Connor's right skate and into the goal.

If there has been one one flaw on O'Connor this year, it would be that type of play: the bank off the foot. It happened in the North Dakota series last weekend, too.

Less than a minute a half later, BC all but put the game away, as Pat Mullane made a nifty saucer pass over a BU defenseman's stick and on to the blade of Johnny Gaudreau, who found him self staring at a soccer net. He easily slid the puck past O'Connor who was well out of position on a goal that he had no shot at. A very highly skilled play by BC.

BU would finally get on the board with less than five minutes left. Cason Hohmann found Matt Grzelcyk at the top of the far circle. From there, Grzelcyk took two steps before shooting the puck intentionally wide looking for a tip. The shot hit a defender in front of the net and wound up back on Grzelcyk's stick at the bottom of the circle. He then beat Parker Milner five hole for hist first collegiate goal.

Grzelcyk had a chance earlier in the second period to put one home, but did not get all of the shot and sent the puck wide.

After the goal, BU pulled O'Connor for the extra attacker even though they were on the power play. Bill Arnold took full advantage of launching a puck the length of the ice and not getting called for icing, as he flung a back hander from his own end right smack dab in the middle of the vacant BU net.

BU was not done though, as they still had a power play. Matt Nieto and Ahti Oksanen set up Alexx Privitera at the center point with some slick passing. Privitera walked in a few feat before wristing one past Milner with 1:17 left.

BC hung on for the win 4-2, their eighth straight this year.

Matt O'Connor made some huge saves in the game and again looked very sharp in the BU goal.