GOAL BY GOAL: BC Men’s Hockey Takes 2-1 Win Over UMass

With 5th year senior Kevin Lohan out indefinitely after a couple punks from Philadelphia sucker punched him from behind on Friday night, the Eagles were down an experienced blueliner and really needed a good defensive effort against UMass.

Fortunately, Boston College got exactly that. It wasn’t one of the best or more explosive games BC’s ever played, but the Eagles put together a solid enough effort to come away with a 2-1 win over the Minutemen on Tuesday night at Kelley Rink.

Boston College Goal #1 (PPG): 12:17 of the 1st period
Jesper Mattila (Connor Moore, Christopher Brown)

BC 1, UMA 0

The BC first period was pretty strong, particularly toward the 2nd half of the frame. The Eagles held UMass shotless for almost the entire 2nd half of the period, and they got their goal to open the scoring as well.

It’s a power play goal for BC and it comes off some nice passing from the 2nd unit. Brown’s dish to Moore from along the boards is good to keep the play alive, and Moore draws plenty of Minutemen with him toward the near side. His quick pass back to Mattila at the point leaves quite a parting of the seas for Marrila to shoot through (you can really see it on the behind-the-net replay angle), and he fires off a real snipe through traffic for the goal.

Shoutout to Aapeli Räsänen for setting a nice screen out front and then getting out of the way of the shot. Good power play goal for the Eagles all around.

UMass Goal #1: 4:07 of the 2nd period
John Leonard (Brett Boeing, Mario Ferraro)

BC 1, UMA 1

But as good as the 1st period was for the Eagles, UMass showed up for the beginning of the 2nd. BC really struggled to start the period with UMass putting up something like the first 5 shots or so and BC not doing much at all.

The Minutemen were rewarded with the game tying goal. Shortly after BC put up a pretty decent penalty kill, UMass comes right down the ice the next shift. Bretty Boeing flies down the boards and gets himself a step on the BC defender and gets a shot on net. It’s from a tough angle, but Joe Woll can’t control that rebound and it bounces right out in front of the crease.

Leonard just has to flip a backhand past Woll for the goal, and the game is tied. Not undeserving for UMass, given their strong start to the period, but frustrating for the Eagles.

Boston College Goal #2 (GWG): 14:48 of the 2nd period
Logan Hutsko (Unassisted)

BC 2, UMA 1 — FINAL

Team goals are great, but sometimes you just need a big individual effort to give you that spark. Logan Hutsko brought that big time play late in the second period and it really turned things around for BC.

The Eagles had started to play a bit better prior to this goal, but this was just a beauty from Hutsko. UMass does sort of self-inflict this wound with a pretty bad turnover in the neutral zone; the recipient of the drop pass just isn’t there. But Logan Hutsko is, and he streaks in with David Cotton for the two on one.

Hutsko looks off the UMass defender who backs off anticipating the pass, and rifles the shot over the glove of Matt Murray to give BC the lead on the eventual game-winner.

BC locked down in the third period very well and controlled the game from there. No additional scoring, but it was a good defensive effort to put the game away.

The Eagles continue with a big pair of league games against UMass-Lowell this weekend. Lowell is right in the middle of the table, but is one of the toughest teams the Eagles have left in the regular season schedule. Getting at least a split will go a long way towards the Eagles quest for the regular season title.