BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
CHESTNUT HILL, MA – David damaged Goliath on Friday night.
The UCONN Huskies (5-5-2) seemed headed for a two-goal loss, but their determination not to leave Boston College (8-2-1) quietly or empty-handed paid off.
UCONN scored two goals late in regulation over a 3:01 span to tie the game at three, allowing them to gain points against the number one team in the nation. They would go on to win in a shootout, 4-3.
The two teams will battle again on Saturday afternoon at 4 PM at the Freitas Ice Forum in Storrs, CT.
Vladislav Firstov scored the first shootout tally, but the game-winner came from the deft stick-handling of Jonny Evans as he went in off the left-wing and got Connecticut-native, Spencer Knight to commit before elevating his shot to the short, upper right side of the net.
BC’s Mike Hardman had a chance to extend the extra time but went off the crossbar sealing the win for the visiting Huskies.
UCONN almost won it during the three-on-three OT session. Firstov was on the left-wing-side and sent a hard pass to Hudson Schandor, but as he was going for the one-timer, his stick broke in half.
UCONN’s play kept their original OT trio for BC on the ice for nearly ninety seconds. Jack St. Ivany had a strong night for BC and brought the puck out. He fed Logan Hutsko who had a scoring chance that went off of netminder, Tomas Vomacka’s blocker, and wide.
This win for UCONN was a huge, emotional performance.
“To be one of the top four teams in this league, you need to repeat the next night that same type of effort and performance. It’s what good teams do,” UCONN Head Coach, Mike Cavanaugh said.
The game-tying goal was a solid hockey play.
Firstov’s value was on full display as he circled with the puck off the right side a zipped cross-ice pass to Evans for a one-time slapper to the short side of the Eagles’ net at 19:01. It was his seventh goal of the season and erupted the UCONN bench.
“That was a pro goal and a pro pass by Vlad, and Jonny’s finish was fantastic. We just stuck with it,” Cavanaugh said with a big post-game smile.
At 16:59, Carter Berger wheeled into the BC zone on the right-wing. He turned and fired a shot on net. Knight made the initial save on but left a rebound right there for Marc Gatcomb to put into the net for his fourth goal of the year.
Early in the third period, another of the UCONN World Junior Championship performers, Yan Kuznetsov, put a smile on his coach’s face. Cavanaugh wants him to shoot more, and he did, drilling one from 55 feet out with Zac Robbins screening Knight up high.
“We did a good job getting traffic to the net on Yan’s goal. (Knight) didn’t see that. On Catacomb’s goal, we threw the puck at the net, and he got the rebound and Knight didn’t have any chance with that.”
The Huskies’ “fourth line” played a strong role all night creating chances while the team’s top line of Evans-Kondelik-Firstov was being kept in check by the BC checking line.
Cavanaugh would not distinguish lines.
“I don’t think we have a fourth line. Everybody played equal time. I wasn’t double shifting. We were rolling four (lines) and that’s what helps you win,” Cavanaugh said.
BC sprung back to a two-goal lead as Casey Carreau intercepted a bad clearing pass by Berger and sent a one-time wrister from 35-feet out to make it 3-1 at 5:38. It was Carreau’s second goal in three games.
In the second period, BC’s got some puck luck for its second goal.
The BC fourth line was buzzing around the net at 12:37. Harrison Roy was in front of the net. Danny Weight was behind it. Roy slipped a pass out front that went off Gatcomb’s skate right to Roy. The right-handed shot flipped the puck past Vomacka for his first goal of the season.
The period was punctuated by penalties. UCONN had the advantage in the first 10 minutes of the period, but Knight’s play denied them every time.
Knight stoned Nick Capone on a pair of shots. On the first bid, while exhibiting great fluidity for a big man, Knight slid over and blocked the rebound shot by the East Haven native.”
“I told the kids the story is not going to be that UCONN played fantastic, and Spencer Knight stood on his head. We have to will pucks into the net, and we did. The kids went into the third period with that mindset,” remarked Cavanaugh.
Ryan Tverberg had a sweet chance at the left side of the net. Knight dove for a loose puck, but Tverberg got to it first and took a shot that went over the crossbar. Knight’s dive came just before the returning Kale Howarth had his first shot turned aside.
Carter Turnbull had a serious chance with traffic in front, but though without his stick, Knight managed to make a glove save that kept UCONN off the scoreboard.
UCONN tossed 17 shots at the BC net but came up with a goose egg. BC had the last 13 shots of the 17 in the period.
Vomacka did his best in net stopping the Eagles Logan Hutsko twice late in the second with 1:21 remaining with the crossbar getting in the way of Mike McLaughlin’s attempt.
The Huskies saw the Eagles score the game’s first goal just as a penalty expired. Jake Flynn could not get back into the play to equalize the Huskies’ on-ice presence.
Marshall Warren was at the left point. He received a short pass and then zipped a low wrister. Mark McLaughlin was there with a perfect tip over Vomacka’s right shoulder and his sixth of the season.
The Huskies had chances near the end of the first period, but those chances were repelled by Knight (Darien/Avon Old Farms).
BC has tallied more shorthanded than powerplay goals.
Related
Related posts
Top picks
WOLF PACK SEND BRUINS PACKING WITH OT WIN
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack are headed to the Atlantic Division Finals for the second straight season. A wild bounce saw a puck clip Jake Leschyshyn and beat Brandon Bussi 9:41 into overtime of Game 4 at…
PRE-GAME: WOLF PACK CAN CLOSE OUT BRUINS TONIGHT
PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK LOOK TO CLOSE OUT SERIES AGAINST BRUINS AT XL CENTER By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack welcome the Providence Bruins to town tonight for Game 4 of their Atlantic Division Semifinals series. Thanks to…
WOLF PACK SUFFER UGLY LOSS TO P-BRUINS IN GAME 2
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack were forced to settle for a split in Providence, as the Bruins roared back to take Game 2 6-0 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Friday night. The series, now tied 1-1,…
WOLF PACK TAKE GAME ONE OF SEMIS IN P-TOWN
By: Shay Costa, Howlings PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack’s Anton Blidh scored 1:28 into the third period to give the team a 4-3 road win against his former team, the Providence Bruins, in Game One of the Atlantic Division semifinal in front of…
WOLF PACK SEND BRUINS PACKING WITH OT WIN
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack are headed to the Atlantic Division Finals for the second straight season. A wild bounce saw a puck clip Jake Leschyshyn and beat Brandon Bussi 9:41 into overtime of Game 4 at…
WOLF PACK SUFFER UGLY LOSS TO P-BRUINS IN GAME 2
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack were forced to settle for a split in Providence, as the Bruins roared back to take Game 2 6-0 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Friday night. The series, now tied 1-1,…
WOLF PACK TAKE GAME ONE OF SEMIS IN P-TOWN
By: Shay Costa, Howlings PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack’s Anton Blidh scored 1:28 into the third period to give the team a 4-3 road win against his former team, the Providence Bruins, in Game One of the Atlantic Division semifinal in front of…
WOLF PACK GET 3-PT NIGHT FROM PITLICK IN GM 1 WIN
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – Tyler Pitlick picked up three points on Wednesday night as the Hartford Wolf Pack marched into the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence and took Game 1 of their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals series. The Wolf Pack…
ORLANDO ENDS SWAMP RABBITS SEASON
Swamp Rabbits show life late, but Orlando pulls away to win the series BY: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, SC– Jaydon Dureau’s two-goal night spearheaded a 5-1 Orlando Solar Bears win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Tuesday to win the South Division Semifinals…
SWAMP RABBITS ANSWER BACK IN GAME 2
Eberle nets game-winner; three multi-point performers shine in win BY: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, SC—Tanner Eberle broke a deadlock in a wild third period to headline the Greenville Swamp Rabbits’ Game 2 win over the Orlando Solar Bears by a 4-2 score on Monday…
SWAMP RABBITS DROP GAME 1 in OT
Spencer Kersten ends a 72-minute game to steal Game 1 from Greenville By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. – Spencer Kersten ended a marathon goalie duel to give the Orlando Solar Bears a lead in the South Division Semifinals, 1-0, over the Greenville…
SWAMP RABBITS SCHEDULE FOR SOUTH DIVISION SEMIFINALS
Swamp Rabbits and Solar Bears begin a best-of-seven series this Sunday in Greenville By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced the full schedule for the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs…
Stay connected with ours socials