CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Boston College bounced back from its recent skid in a big way, skating past No. 18 New Hampshire in a 6-2 triumph on Friday night in the final game at Kelley Rink of 2013.
The Eagles used six different goal scorers, all even strength, and sturdy goaltending from junior Brian Billett to leapfrog the Wildcats in the Hockey East standings for second place. Despite being outshot, 41-21, BC used an explosive second period to power past UNH to up its mark to 9-4-2.
Rookie Austin Cangelosi turned in his third three-point performance of his career with a goal and two assists while junior Destry Straight and freshman defenseman Steven Santini both recorded their first multi-point games of the season, each with a goal and an assist. Sophomore defenseman Teddy Doherty netted his first goal of the season and added an assist while junior Johnny Gaudreau snapped a two-game goal scoring drought with a goal and an assist performance to extend his point streak to 10 games (10-9-19).
Senior Kevin Hayes scored his ninth goal of the season and has charted at least one point in nine of his last 10 outings.
The Eagles were limited to just four shots in both the first and third periods, but Billett anchored the defense with a season-high 39 saves. BC's penalty killing unit continued to smother, stopping all four UNH chances. The Eagles have not allowed a power play goal in three games.
After killing off a Gaudreau penalty midway through the second period, Boston College's offense exploded for four unanswered goals in the frame.
Doherty trigged the BC onslaught by breaking up a Wildcats' charge in the neutral zone. The puck found its way to Gaudreau's stick and Cangelosi snuck behind the play to the front of the net. Gaudreau threw it towards the goal mouth and Cangelosi tipped if over UNH goaltender Casey DeSmith at 15:04 for a 3-1 lead.
Doherty kept his foot on the pedal and scored just over a minute later at 16:26 for the 4-1 Eagles' edge. First-year forwards Chris Calnan and Adam Gilmour worked together to dig the puck out from behind New Hampshire's net. Gilmour jutted out to the wing and flung the puck at DeSmith. Doherty kept his eyes up and gloved the carom down to the other side of the net and managed to sneak a quick pop shot in on the far post.
Eighteen seconds later, Hayes made it a 5-1 BC lead. On the following draw, freshman Ian McCoshen blocked a shot and the puck shot out to Santini in BC's slot. Santini flung it off the boards up to Hayes in the neutral zone. With a Wildcat in his face, Hayes lasered a wrist shot over DeSmith's blocker at 16:44, forcing Jeff Wyer to take over in net.
Gaudreau set the precedent early with the first strike of the game 1:07 after the opening draw.
Boston College pounced early on a turnover in its own end. UNH tried to get the puck deep into the near corner, but Bill Arnold was in position to intercept the pass. Gaudreau was already in motion up the left side of the ice as Arnold needled the puck through a pair of Wildcats right on the tape at the blue line. Gaudreau stayed onside and finished off the breakaway with a patented juke to the back of the net 1:07 into the game for a 1-0 BC lead.
The second period opened with a bang, each team down a skater after Trevor van Riemsdyk and Gaudreau were called for matching penalties at 18:31 of the first frame.
The Wildcats won the opening draw and convened behind their net. Eric Knodel quarterbacked the play, dishing up to Justin Agosta in the neutral zone. Agosta slid it over to Jeff Silengo in stride and beat Billett from the top of the circles 18 seconds into the second period to tie it up, 1-1.
On the ensuing play, the Eagles recaptured the lead in transition with Santini capping it off.
Cangelosi gathered a loose puck deep in BC's end and raced it the other way. With heavy pressure, Cangelosi dropped the puck off for Straight on the left dot. Straight hurled the disc at the net and Santini was in proper position to polish off the rebound at 1:06 of the second period.
The forward line of Straight, Ryan Fitzgerald and Cangelosi crafted the Eagles' sixth goal at 4:59 of the third period.
Cangelosi plugged up a New Hampshire play in BC's end and raced it up the right side of the ice. Fitzgerald carved through the middle and nearly redirected Cangelosi's perfect pass, but Wyer got the last part of his pad on the initial attempt. The disc hovered in the crease and Straight streaked in and banged home the loose puck for a 6-1 buffer.
The Wildcats scored at 6:41 to cut into BC's five-goal lead thanks to a long-range shot from van Riemsdyk. Nick Sorkin poked the puck out of the far corner to Knodel on the blue line. Knodel deferred to van Riemsdyk for the open wrist shot to make it a 6-2 contest.
Boston College and New Hampshire closes out the first half of the season tomorrow night in Durham, N.H. The Eagles and Wildcats will faceoff at the Whittemore Center at 7 p.m. Tomorrow night's contest will be broadcast live on WBIN and Fox College Sports.
Game Notes
- Johnny Gaudreau stretched his point streak out to 10 games, having accounted for 19 points (10-9-19) during the tear. Curbing a two-game goal scoring drought tonight, Gaudreau is tied for 45th all-time goal scored with 55. Gaudreau is tied with Steven Whitney, who scored 55 goals in 160 games played. Gaudreau was only played in 94 games. Gaudreau is also now in a five-way tie for 50th all-time in career points at The Heights. The Carneys Point, N.J., native has racked up 122 points (55-67-122). Gaudreau is the fastest Eagle in modern program history. Warren Lewis registered 122 points (65-57-122) in 54 games played from 1946 to 1950.
- Steven Santini and Destry Straight each registered their first multi-point games of the season, each with a goal and assist. For Santini, it marked the first of his career while Straight has turned the trick two other times (Jan. 11, 2013 and March 3, 2012).- Brain Billett stopped a season-high 39 shots in his sixth win of the season, falling just one stop shot of a career-best set at Boston University on Dec. 3, 2011.
- The last time we scored six goals in the New Hampshire series was on Nov. 15, 2008, when BC defeated the Wildcats, 8-6, at Kelley Rink.
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