BOSTON, Mass. - The Boston University men's ice hockey team fell short against visiting New Hampshire in a Monday matinee at Agganis Arena, as the Wildcats earned a 3-1 win to complete a home-and-home sweep.
The Terriers move to 8-18-4 overall and 3-10-3 in Hockey East play while UNH improves to 18-15-1 and 9-8-0 in the league.
Sophomore Sean Maguire made 35 saves in goal for the Terriers, making a handful of impressive stops, including a penalty shot in the third.
Freshman Brendan Collier opened the scoring 7:40 into the contest with his first collegiate goal, but UNH got a natural hat trick from junior Matt Willows, who scored a goal in each period after scoring a pair in UNH's 4-3 win over BU in Durham on Friday.
Willows tied up the game less than five minutes after the Collier goal and then scored on a shorthanded breakaway at 11:49 of the second for the game-winner.
The first good chance at a hat trick for Willows came when UNH was awarded a penalty shot with 7:34 left in regulation. Maguire, however, denied him and kept it a one-goal contest.
With Maguire pulled for an extra attacker, Willows completed the feat with a goal on the empty net with 1:17 remaining.
Collier's goal came off a UNH faceoff win in its own zone, as the freshman went in on the forecheck before sophomore Mike Moran disrupted a pass along the right boards. The puck was for the taking in the right circle and Collier turned and fired, beating UNH neminder Casey DeSmith high glove side.
Senior Kevin Goumas earned a pair of assists for the Wildcats, including one on the equalizer, as his drop pass below the right circle allowed Willows to go in all alone and beat Maguire on his backhand at 12:37 of the first.
With the Wildcats killing off the game's first penalty midway through the second, Willows deflected a pass and raced to the puck before scoring on the breakaway to give UNH the lead for good.
UNH held a 38-18 shot advantage for the game. Each team had one power-play chance in the contest and neither produced a goal.
The Terriers will return to action next weekend when they visit No. 15 Notre Dame for a two-game series in South Bend. The opener on Friday (Feb. 21) will be broadcast live on NBCSN beginning at 7 p.m. UNH has a bye week and will next play on Friday, Feb. 28, at Merrimack.