BOSTON - Freshmen Alex Zetterberg and Kamil Bednarik recorded three points apiece to help lead the No. 13/12 Boston University men's ice hockey team defeated the U.S. National Under-18 Team, 7-5, on Friday night at Agganis Arena.
BU jumped out to a 2-0 lead before Team USA scored two straight goals to tie the game in the second period. The Terriers scored the next three goals, however, and eventually held a 7-3 advantage before a pair of third-period goals by the Americans created the 7-5 final.
Zetterberg scored twice and added an assist while Bednarik recorded two assists in addition to lighting the lamp. Seniors Jack Hughes and Matt Copponi each collected a goal and an assist while junior Quinn Hutson and senior Tristan Amonte also found the back of the net. Sophomore Jack Harvey secured two assists while freshman Nick Roukounakis, junior Ryan Greene, sophomore Mick Frechette and sophomore Shane Lachance had one helper apiece.
Sophomore goaltender Max Lacroix played the first two periods and made 23 saves before graduate student Billy Girard IV made his first appearance as a Terrier and stopped five shots in the final 20 minutes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Copponi opened the scoring just 1:15 into the proceedings when he won a puck back from a Team USA defender and then redirected a well-placed pass by Lachance past Harrison Boettiger (36 saves).
- Hutson made it 2-0 at the 11:11 mark of the first period off another USA turnover in the BU zone. Hughes knocked the puck off a defender's stick behind the USA net, with Zetterberg collecting the puck and quickly finding Hutson in front for a one-timer.
- The Under-18s battled back to even the score at 2-2, scoring at 13:29 of the first period and at 4:16 of the middle stanza.
- Amonte restored the BU lead at 7:28 of the second. Bednarik and Harvey combined to force a turnover before Harvey found Amonte in front. Amonte collected the pass and zipped the puck into the back of the net.
- Nearly two minutes later, Roukounakis skated into the offensive zone and all the way around the USA cage before getting to the top of the right circle and firing a shot on net that Bednarik redirected past Boettiger to double the Terriers' advantage.
- Zetterberg made it 5-2 at 17:28 of the second period when he skated up the left wing and uncorked a wrist shot past Boettiger.
- Richard Gallant scored just 29 seconds later to bring Team USA back within two.
- Zetterberg opened the third period with his second goal of the day off a feed from Copponi.
- Hughes made it 7-3 at 8:50 when he knocked home a rebound following two chances by Bednarik and Harvey.
- Gallant's second goal of the night made it a 7-4 game before Will Moore closed the scoring in the final seconds.
GAME NOTES
- BU faced three future Terriers in Friday's contest - Conrad Fondrk, Jack Murtagh and Charlie Trethewey.
- A fourth future BU skater, Carter Amico, is on the Under-18 Team but did not dress on Friday.
- Murtagh finished the night with two assists.
- The Terriers went 1-for-4 on the man advantage and killed off the lone power play they faced.
UP NEXT
BU will enjoy a two-week break before returning to action on Sunday, Dec. 29, at Yale.
