STORRS, Conn. - The No. 10/8 Boston University men's ice hockey twice rallied to tie the game and force overtime before winning a shootout at No. 9 UConn on Tuesday night at Toscano Family Ice Forum.
Freshmen Sascha Boumedienne and Cole Hutson both lit the lamp in regulation, with Hutson's game-tying goal guaranteed to make the highlight reels. After an entertaining 3-on-3 overtime period, junior Quinn Hutson and freshman Cole Eiserman each scored in the shootout while freshman Mikhail Yegorov stopped both chances he faced to secure the extra point in the league standings.
Junior Ryan Greene and Q. Hutson assisted on Boumedienne's first-period strike while junior Devin Kaplan and sophomore Tom Willander had the helpers on Hutson's tying goal midway through the third period. Yegorov was excellent all night and finished regulation and overtime with 25 saves, including a sensational stop late in overtime when he cleared the puck off the goal line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UConn capitalized on its first power play of the game to take a 1-0 lead just 2:48 into the proceedings.
- Boumedienne evened the score with 7:40 left in the first period. Hutson did well on the forecheck to win the puck to Greene, who skated to the top of the zone. With all five Husky defenders focused on Greene, Boumedienne slipped through to the left post and redirected Greene's slick feed for his second goal of the season.
- It was an even second stanza, with both teams generating seven shots on goal.
- The Terriers' best chance came late in the frame off a scramble in front of the UConn cage, but the puck somehow stayed out.
- UConn made it 2-1 early in the third period but Hutson responded with one of the goals of the season at the 10:03 mark. Hutson stopped at the bottom of the right circle with his back to the cage and two defenders closing on him. He nutmegged one defender and then turned to skate in on Tyler Muszelik (22 saves) before ripping home his 10th goal of the season.
- Both teams pressed for a go-ahead goal in the final minutes of the contest, with Yegorov making a terrific left-pad save with 2:20 to play.
- In overtime, a tenacious forecheck by Eiserman allowed C. Hutson to skate in alone on Muszelik, but the Husky net minder was equal to the task.
- Yegorov did his part with 1:09 to play when he cleared the puck off his goal line after a UConn player batted it from the top of the crease.
- Yegorov's heroics forced a shootout and BU was perfect, beginning with Q. Hutson's strike in the opening round.
- Eiserman followed with the Terriers' second goal of the skills competition before Yegorov shut the door on Ethan Whitcomb's bid.
GAME NOTES
- BU is 2-0 in shootouts this season, having also earned a shootout victory at then-No. 7 Maine after a 2-2 tie on Nov. 16.
- Q. Hutson and C. Hutson extended their point streaks to five games and four games, respectively.
- C. Hutson continues to lead all NCAA defensemen in goals (10), assists (23) and points (33).
- In fact, no Hockey East defenseman, regardless of class, has scored more than six goals or recorded more than 18 assists this season.
- Yegorov has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of his 10 starts this season.
UP NEXT
- The Terriers will have the weekend off before closing out their home schedule on Thursday, March 6, against Providence.
- BU will honor its senior class prior to puck drop, which is scheduled for 7 p.m.
