BOSTON - Freshman Danny O'Regan scored a game-tying goal with 6:39 left in regulation to help the No. 10/11 Boston University men's ice hockey earn a 3-3 draw with Providence on Saturday evening at Agganis Arena.
Each team scored a goal in all three periods before an overtime period in which in the Terriers controlled play but were unable to record a winner.
The Terriers (13-9-1, 10-6-1 Hockey East) opened the scoring late in the first but had to erase deficits of 2-1 and 3-2 to secure what would be BU's first tie in nearly 15 months.
The Friars (10-10-4, 8-6-3 HE) broke a 2-2 tie with a goal by Shane Luke just 39 seconds into the third period. O'Regan's equalizer - a wraparound at the left post - was initially waved off due to a crease violation, but after a video replay, the officials reversed the call.
O'Regan and junior linemate Matt Nieto each recorded a goal and an assist with Nieto's tally coming on a 5-on-3 power play midway through the second.
Freshman Matt O'Connor posted 26 saves in his first collegiate tie while fellow rookie Jon Gilles made 28 stops on the other end.
Senior Ben Rosen got BU on the board first when he tapped home a rebound outside the right post on a rush at 17:34 of the first. Freshman Matt Lane took the initial shot from the left circle before the puck bounced off Gilies and found it's way to Rosen, who got just enough of his stick on it to hit it off Gillies' glove and in. Freshman Sam Kurker picked up the secondary assist on the play.
The visitors wasted little time in responding, however, as they capitalized on a BU penalty with a blast from senior Myles Harvey from the point that went off O'Connor's left pad an in just 74 seconds after Rosen's goal.
PC took its first lead of the night at 4:27 of the second after a bad turnover by BU in its own zone. Freshman Steven McParland pounced on the loose puck and stuffed it in before O'Connor could cover it up at the left crease.
Back-to-back PC penalties gave the Terriers a 5-on-3 advantage for over a minute later in the middle stanza. Right before the first penalty expired, Nieto took a pass from freshman Matt Grzelcyk and converted a precision one-timer from the foot of the right circle to make it a 2-2 contest.
The Friars came out firing to start the third and regained the lead just 39 seconds into the period when sophomore Shane Luke slotted home a shot from the left circle after taking in a pass classmate Ross Mauermann.
The game-tying tally by O'Regan came after senior Sean Escobedo spun around the right circle and fired the puck at Gillies. O'Regan picked up the rebound and curled around the net before putting the puck between Gillies' legs for his ninth goal of the season.
The Terriers committed two penalties late in regulation but were saved by strong effort from their penalty kill. For the game, the Friars went 1-of-5 on the power play and the Terriers scored on one of their four chances with the man advantage.
O'Regan nearly set up a winner in the closing seconds of overtime when his drop pass found the stick of Nieto in the slot. Nieto's attempt was stuffed by Gillies, however, and the final horn sounded, resulting in BU's first draw since Oct. 28, 2011, against Massachusetts.
The Terriers will return to action on Friday (Feb. 1) when they visit the Minutemen for a 7 p.m. contest. Providence will visit Maine on Friday.