CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Boston College exploded for five goals in the first period and Nikita Nesterenko recorded his first career hat trick on Friday night in a convincing 7-3 Hockey East victory for the Eagles over UMass at Kelley Rink.
The Eagles (11-12-6, 6-8-5 HEA) won their second straight game and improved to 8-1-0 in their last nine meetings with the Minutemen (10-14-5, 4-12-3 HEA). BC also moved five points clear of Massachusetts in the league standings.
Nesterenko (3-1-4) and linemate Oskar Jellvik (1-2-3) combined for seven points in the victory, while defensemen Eamon Powell and Charlie Leddy each collected a pair of assists.
Mitch Benson made 29 saves for the win in his 100th career start.
Eight minutes into the first period, Colby Ambrosio opened the scoring as he cut through the left wing circle on his backhand before deking forehand and lifting a shot over the glove of Luke Pavicich.
Mike Posma followed a Will Traeger shot at 14:00 and buried the rebound from the edge of the crease for a 2-0 lead as Traeger collected his first career point. Nesterenko made it 3-0 when Jellvik absorbed a neutral ice hit and sent a one-handed feed ahead for the junior, who slipped a forehand under the crossbar glove side.
Jellvik then deflected a weak angle attempt from Powell short side on Pavicich at 17:09 for a 4-0 cushion, and captain Marshall Warren went coast-to-coast around several UMass players before snapping a shot blocker side at 18:34.
Nesterenko added his second of the night at 8:31 of the second period, firing a shot into the roof of the net high short side on the power play from the left wing circle.
UMass pulled a pair of goals back from Matt Koopman, the first shorthanded and the second with a delayed penalty coming on the Eagles.
Kenny Connors cut the lead to 6-3 with a power play one-timer from the right circle with 8:52 remaining in regulation.
Nesterenko capped off his hat trick less than a minute later as he snapped a heavy shot high blocker side from the left circle off a feed from Aidan Hreschuk.
The schools complete the home-and-home series on Saturday night at the Mullins Center on ESPN+ with faceoff set for 7 p.m.
