By: Shay Costa, Howlings
PROVIDENCE, RI— The #2 Boston University Terriers (23-8-2, 17-4-2) got three points each from Macklin Celebrini (2 goals, 1 assist) and Shane LaChance (1 goal, 2 assists) and scored three times in the third period to turn back an upset bid by the #11/10 Providence College Friars (18-12-3, 11-9-3) and won 4-2 on Thursday in front of 2,498 at Schneider Area in Providence, Rhode Island.
“We were a little loose in our gaps, and they made us pay,” said PC Head Coach Nate Leaman. The Friars hoped to win, move past UMass, and earn home-ice advantage in the first round of Hockey East playoffs.
Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, the momentum favored PC. They’d scored twice and still had 49 seconds remaining on BU’s Gavin McCarthy’s spearing major penalty. McCarthy was given a game misconduct on the play with just over four minutes left in the second period.
But things began to unravel for PC when winger Cal Keifiuk carelessly tripped Celebrini for a penalty at 1:27, which would be the game’s turning point.
On the resulting power play, Boston found Celebrini, who launched a rocket of a one-timer from the point to tie the game at 2-2 at 2:42.
The unraveling continued 16 seconds later when PC’s Jaroslav Chmelar was called for boarding on Boston’s Ty Gallagher. Even though BU failed to score, they’d clearly taken over control of the contest.
LaChance would put BU ahead to stay, 3-2, at 9:26 after a juicy rebound of his own shot led to his second-chance attempt that he slipped past PC’s netminder, Phillip Svedebäck.
The Terriers would cap off the game’s scoring less than two minutes later off the rush as Jack Harvey beat Svedebäck on helpers from Celebrini and Lachance.
Celebrini, the team’s freshman point leader, scored the game’s opening goal came after he tripped over a Friars defenseman and had his forehand bid sail past Svedebäck at 8:42 of the first period.
The Terriers totally dominated the first frame, outshooting the Friars 12-0.
“We weren’t competing at all,” admitted Leaman. “We [turned over] so many pucks.”
Things would change in the second period as the Friars found their game.
Opening the period skating 4-on-4, after Friar Clint Levens and Lachance were sent at the end of the first for matching unsportsmanlike conduct minors. Levens wasn’t alone in the box for long, as Guillaume Richard was called for holding just 21 seconds into the period, giving Boston over a minute of 4-on-3. Desperation proved to be a strong motivator as the Providence PK was desperate and effective.
When a hooking call went to d-man Lane Hutson at 10:46, forward Nick Poisson found the stick of captain Chris Yoder, who went forehand-to-backhand and deked Boston netminder Mathieu Caron to knot the score at 11:37.
Providence would take their only lead when a broken stick from BU defenseman Tom Willander gave Friars center Hudson Malinoski a solo opportunity against Caron, who was caught out too far from his net and was beaten on a wrap-around shot that put the Friars up 2-1.
With one game left before playoffs, Leaman acknowledged the change his team needs for success in their final game. “[We’re hoping for] a better start. I think we have to manage the puck a lot better because I think we’re going to see a similar type of team that wants to transition on us.”
Providence’s final game of the season is 4 PM on Saturday, March 9th, against Northeastern, and will compete in Hockey East playoffs the following week.
