ORONO, Maine - Sophomore co-captain Shane Lachance forced overtime with 20.6 seconds remaining in regulation and junior co-captain Ryan Greene scored the shootout winner after the No. 11/13 Boston University men's ice hockey team tied No. 7 Maine, 2-2, on Saturday night at Alfond Arena.
Lachance provided the first set of heroics for BU (5-5-1, 2-2-1 HE) when he scored an extra-attacker goal in the final moments of the third period. Senior goaltender Mathieu Caron then denied four Maine (7-2-2, 4-2-2 HE) chances in the shootout, including a terrific blocker stop on Lynden Breen, to set the stage for Greene's wrist shot that beat Albin Boija high to the glove side.
Freshman Cole Eiserman lit the lamp in the first period thanks to assists from classmate Kamil Bednarik and sophomore Tom Willander. Willander also assisted on Lachance's tying goal along with freshman Cole Hutson.
Caron was terrific all night for the Terriers. In addition to his shootout performance, he made 30 saves during regulation and overtime.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Eiserman got BU on the board first midway through the opening period. Willander collected the puck at the right half-wall and fed it to Bednarik, who was given time and space in the slot to fire a shot on Boija. Boija stopped Bednarik's bid, but Eiserman cashed in on the rebound for his seventh goal of the season.
- Maine answered with a power-play goal at 16:35 of the first and then scored midway through the second stanza to grab a 2-1 advantage.
- Caron made 16 saves in a busy second period to keep the Terriers within a goal entering the final 20 minutes.
- The Terriers' quest for an equalizer ended with just 20.6 seconds on the clock. Greene won an offensive-zone draw back to Willander, who zipped the puck across the top of the zone to Hutson and the left point. With bodies in front of him, Boija made the initial stop, but Lachance, who was one of the players stationed at the top of the crease, was first to the rebound and tucked the puck inside the left post.
- Both teams generated three shots on net during 3-on-3 overtime but neither side broke through, setting up a dramatic shootout.
GAME NOTES
- This was the Terriers' first shootout win since Oct. 28, 2023, at UMass.
- Eiserman now leads the Terriers in goals (7) and is tied with Lachance for the team lead in points (11).
- No other Hockey East freshman has scored more goals than Eiserman this year.
- Saturday was Willander's first multi-point game of the season.
- He is now third among league blue liners with seven assists.
UP NEXT
BU will return home to host Merrimack at Agganis Arena on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m.
