BOSTON - Freshman Cole Eiserman and senior Matt Copponi each scored twice in the third period to erase a 3-2 deficit and lift the No. 13/16 Boston University men's ice hockey team to a 6-3 victory over Merrimack on Friday night at Agganis Arena.
With BU (6-5-1, 3-2-1 HE) trailing by a goal entering the third period, Eiserman tied the game at the 4:24 mark before giving his team the lead for good with 8:08 remaining in regulation. Copponi, who had the primary helper on Eiserman's winner, scored a shorthanded goal at 14:18 to extend the lead to 5-3 before closing the scoring with 1:53 to play.
Freshman Brandon Svoboda collected a career-high two goals, scoring in each of the first two frames, while senior Jack Hughes and sophomore Shane Lachance recorded two assists apiece. Freshman Kamil Bednarik, sophomores Jack Harvey and Gavin McCarthy, and junior Ryan Greene each had one assist. Senior goaltender Mathieu Caron, playing in his 100th career game, made 36 saves and recorded his second assist of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Svoboda opened the scoring just 1:27 into the proceedings. He cleared the puck out of the BU zone and then outraced three Warriors to the puck in the offensive end, ultimately winning a puck battle in the right circle and then skating to the right post before roofing a shot over Max Lundgren's left shoulder.
- Merrimack tied the game just 42 seconds later and then gained the lead at 11:43 of the first period.
- Svoboda brought BU back to level terms only 2:36 into the second stanza. Caron settled a puck behind his net and Bednarik kept it moving up the wall to Svoboda, who continued up the right side before he passed the puck through a defender's legs at the Merrimack blue line and collected it again to create a 2-on-1 with Eiserman. Svoboda kept it himself and ripped home his third goal of the season.
- Caden Cranston restored the Warriors' lead at 12:13 of the second.
- Eiserman equalized for the final time early in the third period. Greene moved the puck along to Harvey in the neutral zone, who then banked it off the boards to Eiserman. The freshman skated into the right circle and zipped a shot through Lundrgren's pads.
- Eiserman then put BU in front with just 8:08 to play. Copponi circled around the Merrimack net before backhanding the puck to Eiserman in the slot. Eiserman settled a bouncing puck before sending it past Lundgren.
- Copponi and Lachance combined for a shorthanded strike with 5:42 remaining in regulation to give the Terriers some insurance. Lachance skated the puck up the left side during a 2-on-1 with Copponi. Lachance skated into the left circle before sliding a pass underneath a Merrimack stick and onto the tape of Copponi, who one-timed the puck past Lundgren.
- Then, with just 1:53 to play, Hughes and Copponi created a 2-on-1 of their own in the offensive zone, with Hughes patiently waiting until the last moment before sliding the puck across the top of the crease to Copponi, who made no mistake into a wide-open net.
GAME NOTES
- Copponi, who played the previous three seasons at Merrimack, matched his career high in both goals (2) and points (3) on Friday.
- This was Copponi's fourth career three-point effort and second as a Terrier; he tallied one goal and two assists in a 5-2 win at UMass Lowell on Nov. 9.
- Eiserman now leads all NCAA rookies with nine goals after his second two-goal effort of the year.
- He also tallied twice in a 4-2 win over UConn on Oct. 18.
- The Terriers have won five straight games over Merrimack dating back to the 2023 Hockey East title game.
- Lachance (5g, 8a) and Eiserman (9g, 4a) lead the Terriers with 13 points apiece.
- BU did not get a power-play chance and killed off all three Merrimack power plays.
UP NEXT
- BU and Merrimack will meet again on Friday, Nov. 29, when the two teams open the 2024 Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- That game will take place at 2 p.m. local time and 9 a.m. ET.
- Fans in North America will be able to watch the game on NESN, ESPN+ or TSN+.
