:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52232211/6651191.0.jpeg)
This was not one of BC’s brightest moments in the 2016-2017 hockey season.
After jumping out to a 2-0 lead and looking pretty sharp in the first period, things went totally downhill for the Eagles. In the end, after getting outshot in every period and 32-17 on the night, Notre Dame took the 3-2 win in South Bend, handing the Eagles theirs first conference loss of the season.
Boston College Goal #1 (PPG): 6:18 of the 1st period
David Cotton (Christopher Brown, Julius Mattila)
BC 1, ND 0
It all started out so well for BC. Somehow, the Eagles got not one but two power plays before sending their own player to the box, and it got them off on the right foot.
BC converted on its first power play of the night with a really nice one-timer goal from Brown and Cotton. After Julius Mattila won a battle along the boards that was gathered in by Brown, Cotton sneaks in behind Notre Dame’s Luke Ripley on the doorstep. Brown gets the puck right to Cotton’s stick, and he lifts the puck over ND’s Cal Peterson to put the Eagles up 1-0.
Boston College Goal #2 (PPG): 13:07 of the 1st period
Julius Mattila (Christopher Brown, Connor Moore)
BC 2, ND 0
BC converted on their second power play as well — this time courtest of a Notre Dame stick.
Julius Mattila spied Connor Moore creeping in the back door with all Irish eyes on Mattila’s side of the ice. Mattila sent a perfect pass over to Moore, but a Notre Dame defender sent it into his own net.
It didn’t really matter, though — Moore would have scored on the wide open net had it made its way through traffic.
That was it for the good feels for the Eagles, though. The Irish scored three times in the second period, once on the power play, once even strength, and once shorthanded, to take the lead and eventually the win. BC struggled to get the game under control, and Joe Woll absorbed a ton of pressure (and shots off the post) before succumbing to Notre Dame’s attack.
The Eagles couldn’t get anything going in the third period except for one tremendous opportunity from point blank range that Cal Peterson robbed with under a minute to play, but truthfully, BC didn’t deserve the win. After the opening 20 minutes, Notre Dame took control and BC ceased being the better team.
It was a big opportunity squandered for the Eagles going into the winter break, but there are reasons to shake it off. BC was without two of its top players due to injury — Austin Cangelosi (upper body) and Ryan Fitzgerald (ankle), which would have made a big difference. Also, while BC’s young players have done better than most could have hoped for in the first half, there are going to be moments when 13 freshmen are going to have a breakdown or two. That will get fixed with experience (and it doesn’t help when two of your seniors are off the ice).
BC will have some time to stew over the loss, as that’s the last game for the Eagles until the end of Christmas break. BC will play in a holiday tournament against Quinnipiac and either Robert Morris or Ferris State on December 29th and 30th, where they’ll look to get back on track.