Friday, November 4, 2016

BU-NU Efforts Go For Knot

It was a classic back and forth battle between the two teams picked to finish one, two in the Hockey East standings that saw BU and Northeastern combine to score five goals in the third period. The most dramatic of course was NU forward Zach Aston-Reese’s game-tying tally with 55 seconds left in regulation.

Patrick Curry celebrates after scoring his first goal as a
Terrier.
(Photo by Matt Dresens)
NU goalie Ryan Ruck had been pulled for an extra attacker with 1:30 left in the third period. NU threw everything they had at BU, and the Terriers struggled to get the puck out of the defensive zone. Eventually, the puck made its way to the point where Ryan Shea let a low shot go. Aston-Reese was able to get just enough of a tip on the shot to redirect it past BU goalie Jake Oettinger to tie the game.

BU was sitting pretty with less than 5:00 to go, when Clayton Keller ripped home his second goal of the game on the power play from the mid slot to give the Terriers a 4-3 lead.

Coach Quinn noted, “we were up 4-3 with three minutes to go and we give up that goal with less than a minute to go. We just weren’t disciplined enough."

It was BU’s inability to put NU away and immaturity allowed NU to come back time and time again. Three separate times in the third period BU had a one goal lead and could not close out the Huskies. Each time NU had an answer

Quinn added, “our number one weakness is immaturity and that cost us tonight. We have to have a better understanding of certain situations.”

The Huskies opened the scoring back in the first period on the first of two power play goals on the night. Garret Cockerill snapped off a quick wrister that beat Oettinger blocker-side high for his second goal of the year on a five on three man advantage.
Tonight was Clayton Keller's first multi-
goal game in a Terrier uniform. Here, he
scores a shorthanded goal in the first.
(Photo by Matt Dresens) 

Seconds later, on the remaining five on four power play, Clayton Keller scored an absolute highlight reel goal. He caused a turnover at the side of the NU net and was able to corral the puck before out waiting for Ruck, who was flopping to get back in position. Keller tucked in his first of two on the far side for BU’s fifth shorthanded goal of the year. The goal came just 17 seconds after Cockerill’s strike.

BU got their first lead minutes before the end of the opening frame on Patrick Curry’s first collegiate goal. Following a large scrum in front of the net, the puck came loose to the point where Brandon Hickey was able to find the stick of Curry for a redirection past Ruck.

Adam Gaudette scored a very similar goal to Cockerill’s from the first period to tie it 2-2, 2:22 into the third.

Jordan Greenway then regained the one goal lead halfway through the frame. Dante Fabbro sent in a shot for the point that Greenway was just able to get a piece of to redirect it past Ruck. Following the goal, Greenway celebrated just a little too much as he went over to the NU bench and started taunting the Huskies. He picked up a 10-minute misconduct and missed the remainder of the game.

Needless to say, Quinn was not too pleased, saying “we lost one of our best players tonight because he wanted to celebrate. I know that's the generation we live in, but that’s not what BU hockey is about.”

Less than five minutes later, Dylan Sikura once again tied the game. It was the only NU goal all night that came at even strength.

In overtime, Kieffer Bellows took a two minute slashing penalty that led to an NU shooting gallery. The Huskies teed-off on Oettinger, throwing six shots his way in the overtime period. BU did not record a shot in extra time and the game ended in a 4-4 draw.

Oettinger may not have had his best stuff tonight, but in overtime he was solid. “He’s a heck of a goalie. I’m sure he would liked to have two of those goals back, but he’s a guy we have a lot of trust in and a lot of confidence in,” said Quinn.

The two teams will do it all over again tomorrow night down at Agganis. Game time, 7pm

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