Freshman defenseman Colton Huard posted a goal and an assist for the Wildcats
New Hampshire Sweeps Weekend Series With 5-2 Win at Boston College
Freshman defenseman Colton Huard posted a goal and an assist for the Wildcats

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Freshman defenseman Colton Huard (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) posted one goal and one assist for two points, while senior forward Eric Esposito (West Haven, Conn.) scored the game-winner as the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team defeated No. 20 Boston College, 5-2, on Saturday evening at Conte Forum. The Wildcats sweep the two-game home-and-home series as UNH won 3-2 at the Whittemore Center on Friday night.

The Wildcats have won four straight games and improve to 11-10-1 (5-7-1 Hockey East), while the Eagles fall to 10-8-3 (5-6-2 Hockey East).

UNH has outscored its opposition 20-6 over the last four contests.


UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will return to action on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21-22, when they take on UConn at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. Friday is on College SportsLive at 7 p.m. and the contest on Saturday is on NESN+ at 4 p.m. After a bye week, UNH will then play at Merrimack on Friday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. and then return to the Whitt versus UConn on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. for Heroes Night presented by Eastern Propane & Oil.

Score: New Hampshire 5, #20 Boston College 2
Records: UNH (11-10-1, 5-7-1 HEA), BC (10-8-3, 5-6-2 HEA)
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass. (Conte Forum)
Date: Saturday, January 15, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m.


HOW IT HAPPENED:

- At 17:58 of the first period, the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead when junior forward Chase Stevenson (West Kelowna, British Columbia) tipped a shot by senior captain defenseman Will MacKinnon (Plymouth, Mich.) to the back of the net for his first goal of the season. Senior forward Joseph Cipollone (Purchase, N.Y.) also posted an assist on the goal.

- Then with just 10 seconds remaining in the first period, Huard blasted a one-timer from the left faceoff circle to the lower stick aside of the net on the power play to give the Wildcats a 2-0 advantage. Junior defenseman Kalle Eriksson (Leksand, Sweden) and senior forward Jackson Pierson (Zionsville, Ind.) each tallied an assist on the score. The goal was Huard's fourth of his rookie year.

- UNH increased the lead to 3-0 at 4:59 of the second period as Esposito knocked in a rebound off a shot by senior forward Tyler Ward (Kamloops, British Columbia). The goal was Esposito's third of the season.

- At 1:41 of the third period, freshman forward Robert Cronin (Plymouth, Mass.) deflected a shot by Ward to the back of the goal for his fourth goal of the season to make it a 4-0 contest. Huard also had an assist on the goal.

- Colby Ambrosio put BC on the board at 8:39 when he scored on a rebound to cut the deficit to 4-1.

- Then at 13:30 Trevor Kuntar found the back of the net as BC trailed 4-2.

- With just 2.1 seconds left, Pierson scored an empty-net goal for the 5-2 final. MacKinnon and senior forward Filip Engarås (Stockholm, Sweden) each tallied an assist on the goal.


INSIDE THE NUMBERS

- Senior goalie Mike Robinson (Bedford, N.H.) made 31 saves and improves to 9-6-0 this season, while Eric Dop posted seven saves and allowed three goals for BC and Henry Wilder posted 11 saves and allowed one goals

- Boston College outshot UNH by a 33-23 margin.

- The Wildcats went 1-4 on the power play and the Eagles finished 0-4.


BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

- Huard now has a four-game point streak with three goals and five assists for eight points during that span.

- Esposito now has two game-winning goals this season and four for his career.

- Cipollone has three assists for three points over the last two games.

- The last time the Wildcats won four straight games was from Jan. 3-Jan. 17, 2019.

- The last time UNH swept a two-game weekend Hockey East series was when the Wildcats swept No. 20 UMass Lowell on Feb. 5-6, 2021.

- UNH is 5-3-0 against nationally ranked teams this season.

- The last time UNH swept a two-game weekend series versus BC was on Feb. 20-21, 2009 when UNH won at the Whitt, 3-2 on Feb. 20, and 4-2 on Feb. 21 at Conte Forum.

- The Wildcats are 5-3-2 versus BC over the last four seasons.

- UNH is now 68-78-16 all time versus Boston College.