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Graduate goaltender Mitch Benson made 22 saves for the Eagles
Benson's 22 Saves Backstop Boston College To 5-0 Win Over New Hampshire
Graduate goaltender Mitch Benson made 22 saves for the Eagles

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Five different Eagles scored and Mitch Benson stopped all 22 shots he faced as Boston College coasted to a 5-0 Hockey East shutout of New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon at Kelley Rink to finish a two-game regular season sweep of the Wildcats.

The Eagles moved above .500 at 2-1-1 and improved to 2-0-0 in Hockey East, while UNH dropped to 3-3-0 (0-3-0 HEA).

Rookie defenseman Lukas Gustafsson netted his first career goal, which proved to be the game-winner, and added an assist for his first collegiate multi-point performance. Freshman Cutter Gauthier scored for the second straight game and added an assist, while classmate Andre Gasseau collected the first two assists of his career.

Juniors Trevor Kuntar and Nikita Nesterenko along with sophomore Mike Posma also scored in the victory.

Gustafsson opened the scoring 8:03 into the second period as he one-timed a cross-ice pass from Oskar Jellvik through the five-hole of David Fessendon from the right wing on the power play.

Late in the middle period, Gauthier absorbed a hit in his own zone to spring Nesterenko down the right wing and the junior went high blocker side on Fessenden from below the faceoff dot.

Kuntar pushed the lead to 3-0 just 38 seconds later, following a Gasseau shot and burying the rebound from the low slot for his second in as many games. Gustafsson added the secondary assist on the play with 12.9 seconds on the clock.

Gauthier converted a rebound glove side from the left wing off a Cade Alami shot and Colby Ambrosio tip at 9:15 of the third to stretch the lead to 4-0. Posma added his first of the year from Gasseau and Connor Joyce at 14:11 to cap off the scoring.

BC finished the afternoon with a 34-22 edge in shots on goal, including a 12-6 edge in both the first and third periods.

Boston College travels to the XL Center in Hartford next Thursday night for a Hockey East matchup with UConn at 7 p.m.