GOAL BY GOAL: BC Men’s Hockey Takes Chaotic 8-5 Win Over Wisconsin

It seems like the men’s hockey team must have been read Joe’s article before the game this morning.

After struggling to get anything going on offense in the early part of the season, BC men’s hockey exploded for 8 goals against Wisconsin for an 8-5 win to split the weekend series, and the season opening road trip.

I’m a pretty good person, but I’m not good enough to GIF all 13 goals from this game. Y’all are going to have to settle for BC’s 6 non-empty net goals in this one.

Boston College Goal #1: 0:10 of the 1st period
David Cotton (Chris Brown, Casey Fitzgerald)

BC 1, UW 0

BC set the tone early with a goal immediately off the opening faceoff, just 10 seconds into the game. David Cotton took the loose puck in the neutral zone and just fired on Wisconsin goaltender Matt Jurusik to get the ball rolling.

Jurusik just missed on this. It was a really soft goal, and the way things would turn out, he really didn’t need to do BC any favors in this game.

Boston College Goal #2: 11:53 of the 1st period
Chris Brown (David Cotton, Austin Cangelosi)

BC 2, UW 0

Really nice puck movement from BC here, but Chris Brown made the whole thing happen.

Brown forced a turnover all on his own at the very start of the play, and immediately skated to the front of the net. Cangelosi and Cotton make a couple really nice passes, and Brown is right there for a backhand to put BC up by 2.

Then things got crazy.

BC started taking penalties, as they are wont to do, and it bit them in the ass again. After an impressive kill on a 5 on 3, they poked the bear one too many times with a 5+Game hitting from behind penalty on Ron Greco that the Badgers converted on with just 23 seconds left in the period.

The major power play continued on into second period, and while BC did kill off the rest, momentum carried the Badgers to their second goal, and suddenly, in a game the Eagles were pretty much dominating, the game was tied at two.

But, BC hopped right back on the wagon.

Boston College Goal #3: 7:10 of the 2nd period
Matty Gaudreau (Chris Calnan, Connor Moore)

BC 3, UW 2

BC is rocking an exceptionally putrid 0 for 23 streak on the power play to start the season, and while you might get excited by the “PP” time on the scoreboard to start this GIF, don’t worry, it will expire before BC actually scores.

Matty Gaudreau gets in on the scoring action. Connor Moore takes the initial shot from the blue line which appears to actually break a Wisconsin stick on the way through traffic.

The puck might not even have gotten all the way in to Jurusik, but he makes a valiant effort to corral the puck. Gaudreau is there first, though, to deposit the puck behind him for the goal to retake the lead for the Eagles.

Boston College Goal #4: 12:21 of the 2nd period
Chris Brown (Connor Moore)

BC 4, UW 2

Chris Brown with the filthy mitts on this goal!

It’s a Wisconsin turnover in their own end forced by Moore, and it’s all Brown on the finish. He gets to come in unopposed on Jurusik, and.. really, just enjoy.

He would get one-upped later in the game, but that’s a beauty.

Boston College Goal #5: 14:39 of the 2nd period
Julius Mattila (Matty Gaudreau, Chris Calnan)

BC 5, UW 2

The goals just keep on coming for BC.

Julius Mattila had a great shot here for the goal, but how about Matty Gaudreau behind the net with the excellent backhand pass out of the puck battle along the boards?

Very nice.

Boston College Goal #6 (GWG, HT): 14:59 of the 2nd period
Chris Brown (David Cotton, Jesper Mattila)

BC 6, UW 2

This is the kind of hockey you love to see from your team.

Another great win on a puck battle along the boards, and this time Chris Brown comes out with the puck. He waits, and waits, and waits until he has a shooting lane he likes, and just fires a laser over the shoulder of Jurusik for the hat trick.

That’s a great shot — short and quick, so much so that Jurusik can’t react in time.

At this point, with BC up by four goals and only 5 minutes left in the 2nd period, you think the Eagles can kind of coast the rest of the way. But we never seem to make things easy for ourselves, do we?

Just a few minutes later, Wisconsin got one back on one of the best goals you’ll ever see:

That’s Cameron Hughes with his first of the year, and while I did not watch SportsCenter last night, I have to assume that made the top 10. Good Lord.

The third period got way too close for comfort, with the Badgers getting another back 5 minutes in, and yet another back 10 minutes in to get the score to 6-5, which made the last several minutes utter torture. But a pair of empty net goals from Ryan Fitzgerald and Colin White (the first goal of the year for both of them) finally put the game out of reach and gave the Eagles the win.

That puts the Eagles at 2-2-0 after the tough four game road trip, with wins against Wisconsin and #3 Denver. Amazingly, Colin White and Ryan Fitzgerald still have no non-empty net goals, BC is still 0-fer on the power play, and 35th in the country on the penalty kill.

Those are all things that will regress toward the mean, so BC has to be pretty content with taking a split on the road to open the year, all things

The Eagles have 9 of their first 11 games on the road... yikes. They’ll get a brief repreive as BC will finally head to Conte Forum for their home opener on Friday against Colorado College, before hitting the road Saturday for a game against Holy Cross in Worcester.