TEMPE, Ariz. - Senior Wilmer Skoog scored two goals and freshman Jeremy Wilmer recorded a career-high three assists as the No. 6 Boston University men's ice hockey team defeated Air Force, 5-1, in the first game of the Desert Hockey Classic at Arizona State's Mullett Arena.
Senior Jamie Armstrong scored 22 seconds into the game and the Terriers never looked back, with Skoog scoring twice in the first period to give BU a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Brian Carrabes collected a career-high two points with a goal and an assist while senior Sam Stevens added an empty-netter. Freshman Devin Kaplan secured a career-best two assists while sophomore Ty Gallagher, junior Cade Webber and freshman Lane Hutson each had one assist apiece.
Junior goaltender Drew Commesso was terrific for the Terriers, stopping 29 of the 30 shots he faced to secure the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Armstrong needed just 22 seconds to give the Terriers a 1-0 lead. Gallagher gained the zone and dished it to Kaplan, who dangled past a defender and passed it to Armstrong. The senior forward skated to the bottom of the left circle before uncorking a wrister past Maiszon Balboa (32 saves).
- Wilmer and Skoog fittingly combined for a pretty give-and-go for the Terriers' second goal at the 14:30 mark, with Skoog finishing the play with a shot from the left circle.
- Skoog then made it 3-0 with 33 seconds to play in the first as he came from behind the goal line, bounced off a check and then circled to the slot before firing a shot past Balboa.
- Air Force cut its deficit to 3-1 at 7:05 of the second stanza, but Carrabes answered less than three minutes later with a terrific one-timer on a power play to push the lead to 4-1.
- Commesso made a great pad stop on a point-blank chance during the second period to keep the Terriers' lead at three and did the same midway through the third period to maintain the 4-1 advantage.
- Stevens then iced the game with a shorthanded empty-netter from deep in his own zone with 1:19 remaining in regulation.
GAME NOTES
- All three of Wilmer's career-high three assists were primarily helpers.
- Skoog pushed his point streak to five games and has scored a goal in three of the Terriers' last four tilts.
- Skoog has factored on each of the Terriers' last three game-winning goals, scoring two and providing the primary assist on the other.
- Kaplan has recorded an assist in three straight games.
- Carrabes became the 18th different Terrier to score a goal this season.
- BU outshot Air Force, 37-30.
- The Terriers were 3-of-3 on the penalty kill and 1-of-2 with the man advantage.
- BU improved to 10-0-0 when scoring first and 10-0-0 when leading after two periods.
UP NEXT
- The Terriers will face the winner of Friday's Michigan Tech-Arizona State game on Saturday.
- If ASU wins, the game will be at 9 p.m. ET, while the Terriers and the No. 16 Huskies will skate at 5:30 p.m. ET.
