BOSTON - With the score tied at one through 40 minutes of play, No. 19 Northeastern (5-3-0, 0-2-0) netted two goals in a span of four minutes only to see No. 8/7 Boston College pot the final three, including the game-winner 1:36 into overtime to earn the weekend sweep over the Huskies on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at Matthews Arena, 4-3.
Torin Snydeman, Mike Szmatula and Colton Saucerman all scored goals for the Huskies, while Clay Witt made 36 saves in goal in his second straight start. Boston College, which outshot NU 40-34, received goals from four different scorers, including Adam Gilmour's overtime winner. Brian Billett made 31 saves in goal for the Eagles, who went 0-of-2 on the power play. NU went 0-of-6 on the man advantage.
The Eagles came out hard in the first period, jumping out to a 6-0 edge in shots before the Huskies potted the game's first goal less than eight minutes into the contest. Boston College, however, would respond with a goal of its own three minutes later to send the teams into the dressing rooms tied at one.
Witt was tested from the opening draw, and came up with a strong save on Michael Matheson on a one-timer during a two-on-one with Johnny Gaudreau. Witt would come up with another big save on a high shot from Teddy Doherty at the point, getting a blocker on the puck to steer it into the corner.
Northeastern took a 1-0 lead 7:58 into the game when Snydeman netted his second goal of the season. Jake Schechter began the play for the Huskies by skating the puck up the left side from the NU defensive zone. Schechter then entered the Eagle end and tossed the puck towards goal, where Adam Reid got a stick on it before Snydeman redirected it through Billett for the score.
Boston College would bring it back to even with 9:02 left in the frame when Ryan Fitzgerald notched his third goal of the season, and second the weekend, hammering home a one-timer from Kevin Hayes as a BC penalty expired.
Following the Eagle goal, Northeastern went on the power play for the second time in the stanza, where Zach Aston-Reese had a couple chances to put the Huskies ahead. The first came when he nearly knocked home a rebound from a Dalen Hedges shot before having an opportunity on a similar play moments later off a long pass from Matt Benning.
Both goaltenders kept their teams in the game throughout the second period, with BC outshooting the Huskies 16-11. Each team was also awarded a power play during the middle frame, but neither squad could convert on the man advantage.
Each netminder was forced to make his biggest save of the night near the midway mark of the frame during back and forth action, with Witt denying a bid from Doherty from in close before Reid was sprung on a breakaway, but Billett was there to get in front of the shot to keep the game tied.
Witt came up with another big save on Fitzgerald later in the stanza, coming out to cut down the angle on a two-on-one to make the glove save. The Huskies had another chance of their own in the final moments of the period when Kevin Roy danced around a defender before hitting Josh Manson for a one-timer from the point. Billett saved the initial shot, as well as the rebound bid from Ryan Belonger.
Each team traded goals during a wild third period that saw the squads combine for four goals and 22 shots. Northeastern netted consecutive goals in a span of four minutes in the first seven minutes of the frame, the first coming from Szmatula. Roy began the play by forcing a turnover in the Eagle zone. Roy then fed the disk to Szmatula, who then snuck a low shot under the pad of Billett for his second of the season.
The Huskies would go up by two, their largest lead of the game, with 13:38 to play in regulation when Saucerman fired a low shot through traffic that got through Billett for his second of the year to make it 3-1 NU.
Boston College would strike back and cut the deficit to one less than two minutes later when Patrick Brown buried a one-timer during a shorthanded two-on-one with Matheson, beating Witt glove side for his second of the year.
Johnny Gaudreau would level the score at three with 7:09 left in the period when he skated in from a tough angle and tucked the puck inside the right post before Witt could come across to close the gap.
The score would remain the same until the 1:36 mark of overtime when Gilmour pounded home a rebound off an initial shot from Brown to give the Eagles the 4-3 road victory and weekend sweep.
The Huskies will be back in action next Saturday when Northeastern travels to No. 15/14 UMass Lowell for a 7 p.m. face-off at Tsongas Center.
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