BOSTON, Mass. - Sophomore Colby Cohen scored the game-winning goal off a power play with 2:56 left in regulation to lift the top-seeded and top-ranked Boston University men's ice hockey team to 2-1 victory over No. 8-seed Maine in the first game of the Hockey East quarterfinals on Friday evening at Agganis Arena. The Terriers extend their unbeaten streak to 17 games (14-0-3) and improve to 28-5-4 on the year.
After Maine opened the scoring in the final minute of the opening period, BU tied the contest midway through the second before using Cohen's late heroics on a 5-on-3 advantage to take the series opener.
Cohen and fellow sophomore Kevin Shattenkirk each recorded a goal and an assist, while classmate Colin Wilson had the primary assist on both tallies.
Maine, which falls to 12-21-4, got a 23-save performance from freshman goaltender Scott Darling. Freshman Kieran Millan recorded 20 saves for the Terriers to improve to 22-1-3 on the season.
The Terriers came up empty on their first six power-play chances before using back-to-back penalties on the Black Bears late in the third to break the 1-1 deadlock. From the left circle, Cohen one-timed a shot on a pass from Wilson that snuck just inside the far post. With help from Shattenkirk, Wilson won a battle for the puck along the right boards before setting up the game-winner.
Maine got on the board first at the 19:37 mark of the first on its first power-play chance of the evening. Sophomore Tanner House, who was positioned above the right post, redirected an offering from senior Matt Duffy past Millan. Freshman Will O'Neill also assisted on the play.
The Terriers had scored in 11 straight periods before coming up empty in the first, but were able to muster an equalizer at 10:59 of the second. Wilson took a pass from Cohen and skated behind the net before sending a pass to the slot that was intended for Lawrence, whose stick was tied up. The puck made its way to the top of the slot, where Shattenkirk was there to wrist a shot that went high blocker side past Darling.
Maine, which recorded nine of its 21 shots in the final period, threatened to retake the lead throughout the third, but Millan and the BU defense held its ground. After Cohen's tally, Millan made a great save with 11.5 seconds left off a shot from the right circle by freshman Gustav Nyquist to preserve the win.
For the game, BU went 1-of-8 on the power play, while the visitors were 1-of-3 with the man advantage.
The two teams will continue their best-of-three series on Saturday (March 14) at 7:30 p.m. The lower-seeded team was victorious in all of the three other Hockey East series on Friday.