Men’s Hockey: Terriers extend win streak to four games with 3-2 OT win vs. Maine

By Carolyn Mooney

The Boston University men’s hockey team (4-1-0) extended their win streak to four games with a 3-2 overtime win against the University of Maine (2-5-2) Friday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena.

The Terriers were without senior forward Logan Cockerill (day-to-day), and redshirt-junior forward Ty Amonte (out indefinitely).

Regardless of the win, BU head coach Albie O’Connell said that there is much to improve on before Saturday’s rematch.

“It wasn’t a Picasso. It was not pretty,” said O’Connell. “I think [Maine] played a really good game . . . I thought through some stretches of the game we played well, I thought we started to really push a little bit. And, they shut down our power play. Their penalty kill was really good. So, we’re gonna have to be better on that tomorrow.”

Freshman goaltender Drew Commesso got the win with 23 saves, while first year netminder Victor Ostman made 20 saves in the loss.

“[Comesso] had some key saves, especially caught a couple through traffic that looked like they might have been able to go in the net,” said O’Connell. “I wouldn’t say it was perfect tonight, but he gave us every opportunity to win that hockey game.”

The Terriers took no time to get themselves on the board. Just under two minutes into the first period, BU found the back of the net to take an early lead.

BU senior defenseman David Farrance kept the puck at the blue line along the side-boards, then skated the puck to the top of the slot. Farrance took a wrist shot that found its way under the glove of Ostman and into the back of the net.

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The Terriers had three opportunities to extend their lead on the man-advantage in the opening period.

But on their third power play of the first period, BU found trouble. A turnover in the attacking zone led to a rush by the Black Bears into the BU defensive end.

Maine’s senior forward, Eduards Tralmaks picked up the puck along the side-boards, then passed to junior forward Adam Dawe. Dawe brought the puck to the attacking-zone face-off dot and turned around a wrist shot that ended up in the back of the Terriers’ net.

BU’s second goal of the game came once again within the opening five minutes of the second stanza.

Sophomore forward Sam Stevens picked up the puck behind Commesso and passed it to Farrance at the defensive blue line. Farrance tossed it to a rushing sophomore forward Markus Boguslavsky in the neutral zone. Boguslavsky, on the breakaway, roofed a shot over the glove-side of Ostman to give the Terriers a 2-1 lead just 3:38 into the second period.

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The Black Bears would go on to even the score 6:45 into the final 20 minutes of regulation.

Freshman forward Brad Morrissey one-timed a short pass from junior forward Adam Dawe near the hash marks of the right face-off circle. The shot went through traffic right in front of Commesso, and into the back of the net.

With neither team able to break the stalemate for the remainder of the period, the game went into overtime. It was the second time that the Terriers saw three-on-three play this season, and the second time ever  for BU as three-on-three sudden-death overtime was added just over this past summer for college hockey.

It took just over a minute into the five extra minutes of play for the Terriers to seal the victory.

Sophomore defenseman Domenick Fensore skated the puck around the back of Ostman, then back up to the top of the slot where he drop-passed it to sophomore forward Robert Mastrosimone. Mastrosimone picked up the puck, carried it in on Ostman, and shot it glove-side to end the game for the Terriers.

Mastrosimone said that mentally he knew where to go to be in the right place at the right time.

“I saw the two guys chasing [Fensore], and I said in my head if I get behind him, he’ll drop it to me,” said Mastrosimone. “Smart, really good player. And, I sent a link to that and exactly what he did.”

BU is set to take on the Black Bears at Walter Brown Arena Saturday at 1 p.m.

On how he feels his teammates will be ready back for action in such a quick turnaround, Mastrosimone said it is all about recovery.

“Foam-roll stretch the muscles, get some good food in your body, and then really get a good night’s rest,” said Mastrosimone. “I think that’s really the most two, three most important things we have to do.”

Featured Image: The Boston University men’s hockey team defeated the University of Maine on Jan. 22 3-2 in overtime at Walter Brown Arena. Photo by Carolyn Mooney.

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