Boston College Men’s Hockey Falls 4-3 to Maine

Coming off their biggest weekend of the season, the Boston College men’s hockey team dropped a tough one to Maine, falling 4-3 in overtime. The Black Bears battled back from an early deficit and outplayed BC for much of this game, and the Eagles saw their three game winning streak come to an end.

After a slow start to the game, Mike Hardman got the Eagles on the board first with 4:38 in the period. Ben Finkelstein fired a low slap shot that Maine’s goalie Jeremy Swayman managed to get a pad on, but he kicked it into the slot and right onto the Hardman’s stick. With no defenders around and half a net to shoot at, the freshman made and buried his seventh goal of the season. Alex Newhook would double their lead just a few minutes later, with a powerplay goal from in close off a great feed from Matt Boldy. BC had chances to put a few more in late in the period as well, with both Logan Hutsko and Ron Greco being turned away on breakaways within about a minute of each other. After a sluggish 15 minutes or so from both teams, BC flat out dominated the last five minutes of the period and took a 2-0 lead into the break.

Maine got themselves back in the game just 27 seconds into the second, scoring a goal on an odd man rush after a bad pinch by BC at the offensive blue line. They tied it up about four minutes later, when another turnover at the attacking blue line lead to a 2-on-1 that Maine buried. After a David Cotton penalty late in the second, Maine took a 3-2 lead on a power play goal on a great passing play with 3:20 left to play in the period. It was an ugly period for BC, maybe their worst of the season, and they found themselves chasing a goal heading into the third as a result.

BC looked better to start the third and put some decent chances together on an early power play, but were unable to get anything past Swayman. With 10:28 left in the period, Zach Walker through an ugly hit in the offensive zone into the back of a Maine payer. Walker was given a five minute major and a game misconduct for the hit and BC went on a long penalty kill. The Eagles put together a pretty flawless kill, getting the better of the chances over the duration of the major. With time running out, BC was denied on one power play before going on the man advantage again with 1:48 to go. BC pulled Spencer Knight to get a six-on-four, and Logan Hutsko buried a wrist shot just five seconds after the faceoff to tie things up and send this game to overtime.

With 2:34 left in the overtime period, Maine put in the game winner, scoring on a pass from behind the net after a strong forecheck. Knight didn’t have much of a shot and didn’t react until too late, and the Eagles fell to the Black Bears.

BC just straight up did not play a good hockey game tonight and Maine probably deserved the win. They’ll have a chance to bounce right back and make up for tonight’s loss when the play Maine tomorrow night at 8.