CANTLON: HUSKIES DROP HOME OPENER WITH BU 6-3 

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Huskies Drop Home Opener With BU 6-3

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Bobo Carpenter’s hat-trick of power play goals along with Patrick Curry’s two and Jordan Greenway’s three assists paced the Boston University Terriers to a convincing 6-3 win over the UConn in the Huskies’ Saturday evening home opener.

“We played a man’s game,” remarked BU head coach David Quinn. “There was no BS, no cuteness to our game. We played a more mature game.”

The exclamation point of BU’s offensive prowess came on the game’s last goal. Carpenter copped the hat trick, his fifth of the season, with a rocket of a shot from the left point that clanged off the right post and in at 14:46.

“We had a below average first period and when we got into it, we couldn’t handle their powerplay,” UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh said of his team allowing the Terriers to go 3-for-4 on the power play. “They were able to move it around all night and that was the difference in the game tonight.”

Quinn was happy to see the Terriers, who look strong on paper, to show have their potent offense show some life a game.

“We knew we would score. It was going to come eventually. We have had a little difficult time scoring goals of late, but we knew it was going to come. We did a great job spacing things out in the offensive zone.”

BU struck early in the third with Brandon Hickey putting in his first off a setup of Jordan Greenway.

Greenway, Carpenter, and Curry had plenty of space to operate which, for UConn is not conducive to winning.

“Greenway creates much of that space himself. He’s very big and down low. (He’s) very hard to handle. Carpenter had a great weekend, two shorthanded goals last night, a hat trick with three powerplay goals tonight. A great special teams weekend (for them),” a downcast Cavanaugh said.

The Huskies got back to within one goal getting a little puck luck that gave some hope they would catch the Terriers.

Defenseman Johnny Austin’s left point drive deflected off a mass of players right to Kasperi Ojantakanen and he zipped his second of the season at 5:18 to make it 5-3.

“I have been trying to shoot more, and good things have been happening. I’m just trying to keep it simple and try to get pucks to the net,” Austin, a senior from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, said.

That was as close as the Huskies could get it.

In the second period, the Huskies were finally able to get some solid offensive zone time halfway through the second. That pressure forced the Terriers to take a penalty and UConn quickly jumped on the chance.

Karl El-Mir was working from the right point. El-Mir took the shot. A scramble happened in front of the net and Alexander Payusov found the loose puck. Payusov scooted around the net and put a wraparound on the far side avoiding a sliding Terrier to get the Huskies on the board at 3-1.

1:25 later, the Huskies narrowed the lead to one. Derek Pratt’s left point blast sailed wide to the short-side. The puck came off the backboards where Spencer Naas, who was coming down the right-wing, flipped the puck into the net into the open short-side.

Despite being badly outplayed the Huskies were in a brand new hockey game trailing 3-2.

“That was the response we needed. We got some energy back in the building, but we didn’t kill that penalty that made it 4-2,” Cavanaugh stated.

Once again a UConn penalty took away their momentum and allowed BU to resume control of the game.

With 50 seconds left in the man-advantage, the Terriers struck. Chad Krys (Ridgefield/Chicago draftee) launched a shot from the left point. Adam Huska (Rangers draftee) made a strong right pad save extending his leg way out to make the stop. The rebound, however, came to an open and unchecked Carpenter who’s one-handed backhander restored BU’s two-goal lead.

In the first period, faster than you can say, “Terriers,” UConn was down 2-0.

Despite losing four pure freshmen and six players in total from last year’s team, one of the nation’s top-ranked teams scored twice in a 20-second span. They were able to take advantage of a Naas high sticking penalty 17 seconds into the game.

At 1:09 Pat Harper (New Canaan/Avon Old Farms/and a Nashville draftee) was along the right-wing half-wall. He spotted Carpenter alone, ten-feet-out, dead center. Defenseman Joseph Masonius rushed out on Harper and dished the puck off to Carpenter, who whipped a backhander past Huska for his third of the season on the power play.

A mere twenty seconds later, Greenway, a mammoth 6’4, 240-pounder and Minnesota Wild draftee, rifled a shot that Patrick Curry, who was cruising in front, redirected past Huska.

“We came out with good physicality. We were a little fragile mentally, so it was nice to see us get on the scoreboard early,” Quinn stated.

The Terriers got their third goal as Curry bagged his second of the night. He took a goalmouth pass from Brady Tkachuk and got inside position on Derek Pratt (Ottawa draftee) and jammed it into the open right side at 16:43.

“We have been outscored 8-0 in the first period in our last four games. It’s something we have to address. If we fall behind 3-0 against Miami (Ohio) they’re going to be tough to beat. We gotta be more focused early on.”

NOTES:

BU’s Pat Harper and Dante Fabbro also had two assists apiece for BU.

UConn plays on the road for two games. The first at Miami of OH next weekend. They’re back at the XL Center the first weekend of November against Vermont.

That Saturday will be part of a hockey doubleheader at 3:30 pm and the Wolf Pack at 7:30 pm.

Boston University hosts the defending national champion, Denver, next Friday and plays in Providence next Saturday against PC.

Opening night attendance with a very nice starting time drew a very poor, 3,674

The pure freshmen, Clayton Keller (Arizona), Charlie McAvoy (Boston) are in the NHL. Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson (Providence) and Kieffer Bellows (Halifax QMJHL).

Doyle Summerby is playing at Cleveland (AHL) and Nick Roberto is with South Carolina (ECHL).

The Terriers are stacked were sons of NHL’ers led by Carpenter, the son of Bobby Carpenter – a former #1 overall NHL pick and brother to US National team star, Alex. Then there’s Brady Tkachuk, the son of Keith and brother to Calgary’s, Matt. Gabriel Chabot is the son of the former goalie, Frederic Chabot, and Ty Amonte is the son of one time Ranger, Tony Amonte.

Former UConn Husky player Pat Kirtland was on hand.