BC Men's Hockey Holds Off Providence, Women's Hockey Advances

BC men's and women's hockey each had a big contest at 7pm on Friday night and neither game would disappoint.

Let's kick it off with the BC men -- the Eagles went down to Providence looking for a big win coming off a tough loss to UMass-Lowell on Tuesday and really seemed to find their legs. BC would take down the Friars 3-2.

It's amazing what a couple power plays can do for your momentum. BC started off the scoring in the second period after a 5 minute major on PC's John Gilmour. Quick strikes from Pat Mullane and Michael Matheson put the Eagles up 2-0 before even three minutes ticked off the major penalty.

Unfortunately Matheson would give one right back after a bad turnover in the neutral zone gave the Friars a breakaway and a shorthanded tally to get back within one.

Steve Whitney would score later in the period to put BC back up by a score of 3-1, but with a two goal lead the game didn't quite feel in hand, despite an excellent second period by the Eagles.

An early third period penalty on BC and ensuing Providence power play goal by Nick Saracino really tightened things up. But 3-2 the game would stay, despite 3 more BC penalties, including one with two seconds left in the game to give the Friars one more shot.

Fortunately, BC would hold off the Providence for the victory.

A bit of a concern was right at the end of the game when Patrick Wey appeared to take a skate to the leg... no word yet on whether it's anything serious, but we'll try to update the post if we hear more.

The win lifts the Eagles in the Pairwise, and after UNH tied UMass and Merrimack got trounced by UMass-Lowell, into just a two-team tie atop the Hockey East standings with the Riverhawks (who are, seriously, playing ridiculous hockey right now).

BC and Providence play again Saturday at 4pm, on NESN.

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With the men's team's huge victory over Providence, you wouldn't expect the #3 BC women to somehow steal the headlines, with what seemed like a predetermined outcome against the 5-24-4 Maine Black Bears. BC would win 2-1 in overtime to advance to the Hockey East semifinals... but oh, what a storyline.

Maine took a 1-0 lead early in the 2nd period, much to everyone's astonishment, and took the lead into the third period. But then the Eagles decided to go all NHL on everyone and put together one of the most incredible periods of hockey in BC history -- both men's and women's.

In what must certainly be a team record -- it's so ridiculous I won't even bother to look it up -- the Eagles outshot the Black Bears an astonishing 35-3 in the third period alone. That's more shots than the men's team had in their entire game against Providence.

The 35 shots gave the Eagles a total of 72 in regulation -- almost certainly shattering another record -- and yet by the time the third period had ended the Eagles were just able to put one home on a scrum in front of the net late in the third period off the stick of Melissa Bizzari.

The Eagles would come out firing in overtime and would take the win 2-1 on another trickler from Haley Skarupa, and sighs of relief echoed throughout Conte Forum.

BC would end up outshooting Maine 74-18, which is, for lack of a better expression, just completely ridiculous.

Maine's Brittany Ott (no relation to Brave Steve) put together what must be one of the greatest goaltending performances in the history of Hockey East, giving up just two goals -- one in regulation -- on 74 shots.

EDIT: Ott got one-upped on the same night! by the goalie for Lindenwood, who stopped 90 of 92 shots tonight in 3OT, which *is* an NCAA record.

BC will await the results of the other quarterfinal games later this weekend and advances to the Hockey East semifinals next week in Hyannis.