Weekend Look back: Ups and Downs

Player of the Week:
Ahti Oksanen
Two goals including the overtime game
winner vs Denver on Saturday.
(Photo by Matt Dresens)

This weekend was a bit of a roller coaster to say the least for BU. The Denver game was about a full season of emotion wrapped up into 60 minutes. Ryan Cloonan's goal less than two minutes into the game was exactly what BU needed. It was a complete 180 from what happened the night before at Merrimack when the Warriors scored on the game's first shot.

After Brandon Hickey's absolutely ridiculous backhand goal that made it 3-1, it looked like BU would run away with the game. But Denver had other ideas. The Pios scored twice in the third period, once short handed to tie the game 4-4 in the closing minutes.

BU was absolutely dominated in the third period and, at one point, they were out shot 12-3.

All was saved, though when Ahit Oksanen scored his second goal of the game just 21 seconds into overtime.

Getting On The Board
John McCloud, Robbie Baillargeon, and Ahti Oksanen all scored their first goals of the year this weekend. It was really about time Oksanen broke-out. He had been been by far the most snakebitten player on the team and he was just missing a number of chances.

Baillargeon needs to get going, too. He and AJ Greer can be a force if they can get in gear. Speaking of getting in gear, Jordan Greenway, although he didn't score, played his best weekend of the year. The second round draft pick showed why he was picked that high starting on Friday night at Merrimack. He had a shift in the first period that seemed to light a fire under him. He was knocked off the puck originally, but fought hard to get it back and even got a shot on goal during the play. Later in the period, he made a spectacular pass through two defenders to spring Matt Lane in on goal. It was his first collegiate point. Greenway also picked up a point on Cloonan's goal in the Denver game.

Clean Up The Middle Please
This weekend, the neutral zone was an absolute horror show for the Terriers. There were several turnovers either between the blue lines or just into the attacking zone that lead to odd-man rushes the other way.

Starting on Friday, JFK tried to make a drop pass at the MC blue line and it was picked off and turned into a 2 on 2 the other way. That led to the third Merrimack goal, right after BU had been controlling the play. It was an absolutely back breaking turnover. It wasn't the only one, though. Saturday, Brian Diffley attempted to step up and keep the play in the DU zone. It didn't work. Matt Marcinew chipped it right by him and then stripped the puck from Karlsson at the red line before passing to Will Butcher, who scored to make it 1-1 on a 2 on 1. 

Brandon Fortunato also had a horrendous turnover, but this one was deep in his own zone. The play was quickly turned into a chance, then a rebound, and then a goal.
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At The Polls
BU dropped to 11th in the national poll after falling on Tuesday at UConn and splitting the weekend's games.

North Dakota was again your number one ranked team. Providence jumped up one slot from 3rd to 2nd. Boston College moved up to 3rd from 4th. Lowell made the jump from 7th to 4th and 6-0-0 Qunnipiac rounded out the top 5.

Around Hockey EastTuesday: UConn surged past BU 5-2 at home.

Thursday: Vermont snuck past Northeastern 3-2 at Matthews

Friday: UMass took down Maine 5-4 in overtime... Boston College topped Denver 4-3 at home... Providence ran over Colgate 7-2 in Hamilton... Lowell was upended by Minnesota Duluth 2-1 in Duluth... BU fell to Merrimack 4-3 at Lawler.

Saturday: Notre Dame doubled up UConn 2-1 in Hartford... New Hampshire beat Merrimack 4-2 in North Andover... Northeastern and Vermont skated to a 3-3 tie in Burlington... Princeton took out Maine 3-1... Providence completed the sweep of Colgate with a 4-3 win... Yale handed UMass third first loss, 6-1... Lowell rebounded for a 6-3 win at Duluth... BU dropped Denver 5-4 in overtime.

Sunday: Notre Dame steamrolled UConn 8-2 in Brooklyn.