HANOVER, N.H. – An overtime penalty shot proved to be the difference in the opening round of the Ledyard National Bank Classic on Friday night, as the ninth-ranked Boston University men's ice hockey team dropped a 4-3 decision to St. Lawrence at Thompson Arena. Sophomore Jason Lawrence scored his first two goals of the season for the Terriers, who move to 6-4-5 on the year and will face either North Dakota or host Dartmouth in Saturday's consolation game at 4 p.m.

Sophomore Brock McBride recorded a hat trick for the Saints, recording all three of their goals in regulation before freshman Mike McKenzie converted a penalty shot 2:34 into overtime to help St. Lawrence improve to 9-8-1 on the year.

The penalty shot was awarded after BU was whistled for displacing the goal cage following a rebound along the right side. Senior John Curry made the last of his 19 saves on a point-blank attempt by McKenzie.

BU outshot SLU 30-23 and held the Saints to 1-of-8 on the power play while receiving just three power-play chances all game.

The Terriers scored once in period and held leads of 2-1 and 3-2 before the Saints mounted the comeback. McBride completed his hat trick on a power-play marker with 3:50 left in regulation to knot the score at 3-all.

Each team had a power-play chance in the first 10 minutes of regulation, but neither side was able to capitalize. However, shortly after the Saints had their man-up chance expire, they opened the scoring on a deflected shot from the right point. McBride picked up the goal at the 10:27 mark on assists from classmates Jared Ross. Kevin DeVergilo.

The Terriers took advantage of their second power-play opportunity with under two minutes left in the opening period to erase their early deficit. After sending a pass to sophomore Chris Higgins, Lawrence received the puck back and entered the left faceoff circle before wristing a shot past SLU netminder Alex Petizian at the 18:28 mark.

The Terriers also had a penalty shot, as junior Ryan Weston was hauled down on a shorthanded breakaway just over two minutes into the second. His attempt was stopped by Petizian, but BU broke the 1-1 deadlock soon after on a well-executed play in transition. Senior Tom Morrow sent a pass up the left side to classmate Kenny Roche, whose centering pass was sent home from the slot by junior Pete MacArthur at 4:15.

Five of the Saints’ eight power-play chances on the night came in the middle stanza, but BU’s penalty kill was up to the task each time – including a 5-on-3 that lasted 1:30 – to take a 2-1 lead into the final period.

McBride made it a 2-2 affair near the midpoint of the third with a tally just outside the crease before Lawrence answered 65 seconds later to give the Terriers the lead back with 9:57 left in regulation. Just inside the St. Lawrence zone, Higgins got a stick on an SLU pass, enabling Lawrence to fire away from the right side.

Weston nearly created the first two-goal advantage of the game, but his shot from the left side in transition glazed off the right pipe with 7:45 left in regulation.

A scramble off a faceoff resulted in the Saints’ third tally of the game, as McBride score on assists from senior Max Taylor and DeVergilo.