GOAL BY GOAL: BC Men’s Hockey Comes Up Short In 4-2 Loss To Minnesota

After Tuesday’s satisfying win over UConn, things got a lot more difficult in a hurry for the Eagles.

On Sunday afternoon, Minnesota rolled into town. BC was unable to keep up its winning ways, falling behind early and ultimately dropping a 4-2 decision to the Golden Gophers.

The Gophers scored just 34 seconds into the game on a fairly innocuous looking chance from Minnesota’s Brent Gates Jr. Gates took a one-timer shot from below the faceoff dot that snuck its way through Joe Woll to put the Gophers up 1-0.

The game would stay tied into the first intermission, but BC found its footing in the second.

Boston College Goal #1: 2:10 of the 2nd period
Colin White (David Cotton, Matty Gaudreau)

BC 1, UM 1

BC didn’t play its best hockey in the first period and had to earn a greasy goal to get things going. Gaudreau takes the initial shot into traffic and the puck pinballs around a bit before Colin White found the puck on his stick at the side of the net.

White threw the puck in off Minnesota goaltender Eric Schierhorn, and BC had the game tied.

Boston College Goal #2 (SHG): 4:34 of the 2nd period
Matty Gaudreau (Colin White, Connor Moore)

BC 2, UM 1

Just a couple minutes later, BC found itself in the lead on a shorthanded goal from Matty Gaudreau.

Gaudreau and Colin White come in on a two on one, with White burning the Gopher defenseman trying to pinch at the blue line. The other defenseman turns and gives White his full attention, trying to cut off the pass before it happens, but White is ready. He guides the puck right around the defender — a really nice move — and Matty Gaudreau scores on the backhand.

But that was the clear high point of the game for the Eagles, as things fell apart pretty comprehensively from there. Not only did the Gophers score late in the second period to tie the game, and then twice in the third to win, but Ryan Fitzgerald left the game shortly after Gaudreau’s tally with a pretty concerning looking ankle injury. Fitzgerald was unable to put any weight on the ankle, and went straight to the locker room.

So, BC may have lost both the battle and the war in this game. There’s no word yet on Fitzgerald’s status, but with only a few games left until break, the optimistic BC fan is probably hoping Fitzgerald can come back for the second half.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Eagles as BC will head down the road to Northeastern on Tuesday night. The Huskies just took down the same Gopher team that gave the Eagles trouble, so this will be a tough game for the Eagles in a barn that has given them trouble over the years.