CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The second-ranked Boston College men's hockey team overturned an early 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 14 Western Michigan by a score of 4-2 on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd at Kelley Rink.
With the win, BC improves to 3-1-0 while Western Michigan drops to 3-1-0.
With the game tied at 2-2, the Eagles killed off a penalty with just under a minute remaining and then immediately, Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) and Gabe Perreault (Hinsdale, Ill.) connected for a Leonard go-ahead goal with 52 seconds left. Leonard added an insurance goal just 30 seconds later with an empty net goal.
Facing a 2-1 deficit going into the third period, the Eagles erupted for three goals in the final period to come back. Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.) scored the equalizer just one minute into the final frame with his first collegiate goal. Stiga skated around the Broncos defenseman before skating across the front of the goal and finishing around the goaltender to tie the game.
The Eagles peppered the Broncos with shots early in the contest as WMU goaltender Hampton Slukynsky made 12 saves in the opening 7:30 of the game. Western Michigan scored twice in the first period to take a 2-0 lead going into the second.
The Eagles got on the board late in the middle frame to cut into the deficit. The puck was stuck in the corner before Stiga came over and was able to pry it away. Stiga found Andre Gasseau (Garden Grove, Calif.) open in the middle and Gasseau ripped home a shot for his first goal of the season that made it a one-goal game going into the third period.
Jacob Fowler (Melbourne, Fla.) made 20 saves for the Eagles while Slukynsky made 32 saves for the Broncos.
SCORING
1st 2:06 WMU Owen Michaels (Tim Washe, Robby Drazner)
1st 10:32 WMU Drazner (Michaels, Washe)
2nd 16:27 BC Andre Gasseau (Teddy Stiga)
3rd 1:00 BC Stiga (Aram Minnetian, Gasseau)
3rd 19:08.5 BC Ryan Leonard (Gabe Perreault)
3rd 19:36.6 BC Leonard
UP NEXT
Boston College travels to Minnesota next weekend for a pair of non-conference games at St. Cloud State. Both games will be available to stream on NCHC.tv.
