BOSTON, Mass. - The eighth-ranked Boston University men's ice hockey team picked up its eighth win of the season on Tuesday evening, securing a 3-2 decision over visiting Holy Cross at Agganis Arena. Sophomore Colin Wilson scored the eventual game-winner and added an assist for the Terriers, who improve to 8-4-0 on the year.
BU never trailed in the game, as it broke a scoreless tie early in the second with back-to-back goals from senior Brandon Yip and junior Zach Cohen before giving one back and entering the third with a 2-1 lead.
Wilson helped the Terriers regain a two-goal advantage with a power-play tally at 9:25 of the third only to see the Crusaders muster a shorthanded goal 23 seconds later. BU held off the visitors down the stretch, including a last-minute penalty kill, to snap its two-game losing skid.
The Crusaders got a 25-save performance from sophomore goaltender Adam Roy and moved to 3-8-1 on the year. Freshman Grant Rollheiser recorded 19 saves in goal for the Terriers. BU scored on half of its four power-play chances while keeping Holy Cross scoreless on all six of its opportunities with the man advantage.
Neither team was able to get on the board in the first period, but the visitors wasted a great opportunity in the early stages.
The Crusaders dumped the puck along the right boards and Rollheiser went behind the goal but elected not to stop it. The rookie netminder was slow to return to the crease as the puck made its way to Holy Cross freshman Jay Silvia in the left corner. Silvia spotted junior Ryan Driscoll positioned right above the left post and following a quick pass, Rollheiser lunged to get just enough a piece of Driscoll's redirect attempt to keep the puck from crossing the goal line.
A slashing penalty on Holy Cross sophomore Matt Celin in the closing seconds of the first led to the first goal, as Yip opened the scoring at 1:57 of the middle period with just one second left in Celin's penalty.
Yip one-timed a pass from the top of the left circle following a pass from senior Matt Gilroy, as Roy got a piece of the shot only to watch it trickle behind him. Freshman Chris Connolly earned the secondary assist after knocking the puck to Gilroy at the right point from the right boards.
Under five minutes later, BU doubled its lead when Cohen executed a wrap-around following a give-and-go with sophomore Kevin Shattenkirk.
From center-ice, Wilson found Cohen skating along the left side right before he reached the blue line. After dropping the puck off to Shattenkirk, Cohen kept his momentum and quickly received a return pass before skating around the back of the net and tucking the puck inside the right post at 6:32.
The Crusaders got a goal back at 15:10 when sophomore Jordan Cyr followed up a rebound. After Cyr's initial shot from the slot was stopped by Rollheiser, the puck dropped in front of the crease, where junior Brodie Sheahan stabbed at it before it could be covered up by the netminder. As Rollheiser tried to gain his balance, Cyr spotted the puck just above the left post and jammed it home.
After taking its 2-1 lead into the second intermission, BU found itself on the penalty kill at the 7:30 mark of the third after a penalty on junior Eric Gryba. Just over a minute later, however, the Terriers drew two penalties within four seconds of each other and were suddenly given a man advantage of their own.
Following a blocked shot from the stick of Gilroy, senior Chris Higgins gathered the puck and sent it up to freshman David Warsofsky, who was in the middle of the slot. Warsofsky spotted Wilson all alone at the bottom of the right circle and the sophomore beat Roy at 9:25 for the Terriers' second power-play goal of the night.
Gryba's penalty expired just seconds after the goal, giving the Terriers another chance with the man advantage. However, the Crusaders turned the tables with a shorthanded goal to get back within a goal at 3-2.
Just as the Terriers were setting up their offense, Holy Cross intercepted the puck and sent it down the ice. Cyr raced to the puck before Rollheiser could get to it and was followed into the zone by sophomore Everett Sheen, who took a pass from Cyr on the inside portion of the left circle and converted at 9:48.
BU allowed the Crusaders to have two power-plays in the final nine minutes of play, including one with just 46 seconds left in regulation that turned into a 6-on-4 advantage with an empty net, but the Terriers held on for the win.
The Terriers will return to action after Thanksgiving when they play host to St. Lawrence on Saturday (Nov. 29) for a 7 p.m. contest.