Men's Hockey vs. #7 University of New Hampshire (1/26/08)
by Sopan Deb
Perhaps home is not where the heart is for the Boston University Terriers. The Terriers men’s ice hockey team (7-13-4, 6-8-3 Hockey East) continued their inconsistent play with a 5-3 loss to the No. 7 University of New Hampshire Wildcats (15-7-1, 11-4-1 HE). The Wildcats swept the season series from the Terriers and remained undefeated in six contests at Agganis Arena. BU could not seem to muster up the energy needed to recover from their previous night’s loss on the road against the same Wildcats team and fell to 2-6-1 at home on the season.
“[It was] almost like they were waiting to lose,” said BU head coach Jack Parker. “Sad display by my team tonight. Great display by UNH”
BU fell victim to their struggling power play, only converting on one of six opportunities, including a five minute major. UNH’s first line terrorized BU’s defense all game. Senior center Mike Radja scored two goals and had an assist for 3 points and senior right winger Mike Fornataro added two assists.
In a back-and-forth game, the Wildcats thoroughly dominated the first period. Once again, penalties put the Terriers in an early deficit. Sophomore defenseman Eric Gryba was whistled for tripping 43 seconds in to the contest. On the ensuing power play, Radja scored his first goal of the game off a beautiful pass from behind the net from Fornataro, which set up a one-timer. The goal gave UNH a 1-0 lead.
Tempers flared when UNH sophomore forward Peter LeBlanc threw a punch at senior forward Ryan Weston after Weston was called for slashing and LeBlanc was nabbed for roughing. Leblanc was ejected from the game and BU was awarded a five minute major power play opportunity. BU could not capitalize thanks in part to UNH’s full-rink press defense which forced the Terriers to spread out the offense.
Early in the second period, BU freshman forward Nick Bonino tied the game for the Terriers with a point blank shot from UNH senior goalie Kevin Regan’s left side. It started when freshman Kevin Shattenkirk took a slapshot from the left point which sailed wide right but deflected off the boards directly to Bonino in perfect position. It was Bonino’s seventh goal of the season.
Unfortunately, less than three minutes later, Radja answered to put the Wildcats up again. He beat two Terriers defenders and fooled sophomore goalie Brett Bennett for his 13th goal of the season.
Another Gryba tripping penalty at 10:42 would add to BU’s woes. Freshman forward Danny Dries streaked in and tacked on another power play goal to put UNH up 3-1.
BU freshman forward Colin Wilson scored the team’s only power play goal to start BU’s comeback at 15:42 in the second. After Dries was whistled for a holding call, freshman defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk sent a beautiful cross from Regan’s left side. Wilson received the pass and took the shot and the puck deflected in on a bad bounce.
“We let them get the momentum back a little too quickly,” Shattenkirk said after the game. “Whatever the reason is, lack of emotion, it’s been our problem all year, coming out and finishing things.”
The Terriers tied the game on freshman forward Joe Pereira’s second goal of the season on a breakaway at 16:22. Junior forward Jason Lawrence and senior forward Bryan Ewing were credited with assists.
“My team has been on me the past few games,” Pereira said.
Unfortunately, that would be all the offense the Terriers would get.
In the 3rd, UNH freshman forward James vanRiemsdyk stuffed in a point black rebound to put UNH up for good nearly five minutes in.
“It wasn’t even like [Regan] played great,” said Parker. “They just shut us down. Without question, the best team won because of effort.”
Junior Jerry Pollastrone iced the game on a fantastic cross from senior defenseman Craig Switzer for his eighth goal of the year.
The Terriers could not muster any offense in the third period and ended up shooting only twice on Regan in the final frame.
“Inexplicably to me, we absolutely go [in the third period] and lay an egg,” said BU head coach Jack Parker. “When we out for the third period, there was absolutely no emotion. You’d think they’d be all jacked up.”
The game ended with a bit of excitement. BU head coach Jack Parker became livid when officials whistled the Terriers for a double too many men on the ice penalty. This led to an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Parker, and gave UNH a five-on-three advantage to close out the final two minutes of the game. Parker was visibly upset by the calls and was seen screaming at officials for about five minutes as Terriers fans chanted his name.
Perhaps home is not where the heart is for the Boston University Terriers. The Terriers men’s ice hockey team (7-13-4, 6-8-3 Hockey East) continued their inconsistent play with a 5-3 loss to the No. 7 University of New Hampshire Wildcats (15-7-1, 11-4-1 HE). The Wildcats swept the season series from the Terriers and remained undefeated in six contests at Agganis Arena. BU could not seem to muster up the energy needed to recover from their previous night’s loss on the road against the same Wildcats team and fell to 2-6-1 at home on the season.
“[It was] almost like they were waiting to lose,” said BU head coach Jack Parker. “Sad display by my team tonight. Great display by UNH”
BU fell victim to their struggling power play, only converting on one of six opportunities, including a five minute major. UNH’s first line terrorized BU’s defense all game. Senior center Mike Radja scored two goals and had an assist for 3 points and senior right winger Mike Fornataro added two assists.
In a back-and-forth game, the Wildcats thoroughly dominated the first period. Once again, penalties put the Terriers in an early deficit. Sophomore defenseman Eric Gryba was whistled for tripping 43 seconds in to the contest. On the ensuing power play, Radja scored his first goal of the game off a beautiful pass from behind the net from Fornataro, which set up a one-timer. The goal gave UNH a 1-0 lead.
Tempers flared when UNH sophomore forward Peter LeBlanc threw a punch at senior forward Ryan Weston after Weston was called for slashing and LeBlanc was nabbed for roughing. Leblanc was ejected from the game and BU was awarded a five minute major power play opportunity. BU could not capitalize thanks in part to UNH’s full-rink press defense which forced the Terriers to spread out the offense.
Early in the second period, BU freshman forward Nick Bonino tied the game for the Terriers with a point blank shot from UNH senior goalie Kevin Regan’s left side. It started when freshman Kevin Shattenkirk took a slapshot from the left point which sailed wide right but deflected off the boards directly to Bonino in perfect position. It was Bonino’s seventh goal of the season.
Unfortunately, less than three minutes later, Radja answered to put the Wildcats up again. He beat two Terriers defenders and fooled sophomore goalie Brett Bennett for his 13th goal of the season.
Another Gryba tripping penalty at 10:42 would add to BU’s woes. Freshman forward Danny Dries streaked in and tacked on another power play goal to put UNH up 3-1.
BU freshman forward Colin Wilson scored the team’s only power play goal to start BU’s comeback at 15:42 in the second. After Dries was whistled for a holding call, freshman defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk sent a beautiful cross from Regan’s left side. Wilson received the pass and took the shot and the puck deflected in on a bad bounce.
“We let them get the momentum back a little too quickly,” Shattenkirk said after the game. “Whatever the reason is, lack of emotion, it’s been our problem all year, coming out and finishing things.”
The Terriers tied the game on freshman forward Joe Pereira’s second goal of the season on a breakaway at 16:22. Junior forward Jason Lawrence and senior forward Bryan Ewing were credited with assists.
“My team has been on me the past few games,” Pereira said.
Unfortunately, that would be all the offense the Terriers would get.
In the 3rd, UNH freshman forward James vanRiemsdyk stuffed in a point black rebound to put UNH up for good nearly five minutes in.
“It wasn’t even like [Regan] played great,” said Parker. “They just shut us down. Without question, the best team won because of effort.”
Junior Jerry Pollastrone iced the game on a fantastic cross from senior defenseman Craig Switzer for his eighth goal of the year.
The Terriers could not muster any offense in the third period and ended up shooting only twice on Regan in the final frame.
“Inexplicably to me, we absolutely go [in the third period] and lay an egg,” said BU head coach Jack Parker. “When we out for the third period, there was absolutely no emotion. You’d think they’d be all jacked up.”
The game ended with a bit of excitement. BU head coach Jack Parker became livid when officials whistled the Terriers for a double too many men on the ice penalty. This led to an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Parker, and gave UNH a five-on-three advantage to close out the final two minutes of the game. Parker was visibly upset by the calls and was seen screaming at officials for about five minutes as Terriers fans chanted his name.
posted by Chris Aliano at
9:16 PM
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