Men’s Hockey: O’Brien, Terriers dominate Catamounts, 5-1, for sweep

By Patrick Donnelly

BURLINGTON, V.T. – The thirteenth-ranked Boston University Terriers (8-2) trounced the University of Vermont Catamounts (1-7-2) on Saturday night, winning 5-1 at Gutterson Fieldhouse, thanks to sophomore forward Jay O’Brien’s hat trick.

BU head coach Albie O’Connell thought, overall, his team played a much better game compared to Friday’s 1-0 win.

“I really liked the way we came out tonight,” he said. “I thought we did a better job of attacking and shooting the puck.”

“We’re really happy with the weekend. It’s hard to sweep teams, and we’re just really excited about it.”

Freshman goaltender Vinny Duplessis got the start for BU and made 16 saves on 17 shots in the win, coming off his first career shutout on Friday. For Vermont, senior Tyler Harmon got the nod, stopping 32 of 37 shots.

Vermont got the scoring started early on as freshman forward Dovar Tinling notched his first collegiate goal just 2:28 into the game.

Tinling swooped in off the rush and pulled up at the far circle, sending a wrist shot towards goal from a tight angle. The shot appeared to deflect before it beat Duplessis.

O’Connell praised Duplessis’ ability to respond after giving up an early goal.

“It’s tough when a goal goes in deflected like that he could have gotten a little bit rattled, but he was poised throughout the entire weekend,” O’Connell said. “He was good. He’s poised. He’s confident. Very excited for him.”

It did not take long for the Terriers to answer as O’Brien notched his fourth of the season to make it a 1-1 tie just over a minute and a half later.

Former Vermont Catamount and graduate forward Max Kaufman found senior forward and Captain Logan Cockerill down low at the right faceoff circle. Cockerill showed patience and out-waited the UVM defender before finding O’Brien at the backdoor.

With 4:42 remaining in the opening frame, O’Brien broke the stalemate with his second of the evening.

After looking for support off the rush, O’Brien decided to take it himself and send a shot in on goal. Harmon got a piece of it, but not enough as the puck found its way into the back of the net.

Late in the first, BU added insurance thanks to junior forward Matt Quercia.

Sophomore forward Jamie Armstrong hit a streaking Quercia, who was coming into the attacking zone on a two-on-one. Quercia shot low, blocker-side on Harmon, and the shot found its way under the netminder’s arm for Quercia’s first of the year

The start to the second period did not have the same offensive flare as the first period did for either side.

But with 8:05 remaining in the middle stanza, BU further extended its lead. This time it was sophomore forward Wilmer Skoog’s line.

Sophomore forward Robert Mastrosimone disrupted the Vermont breakout, and dished to freshman forward Luke Tuch. Tuch found Skoog dashing down the slot, who beat Harmon to the blocker side to make it 4-1 in favor of the Terriers with his third of the season.

Skoog’s tally would be the only marker of the second period, but BU continued to pile on scoring chances as the game wore on.

Early in the third, Skoog and Mastrosimone broke free for a two-on-one opportunity. The center dished to his winger, who blasted a one-timer in on a desperate Harmon, but the shot rang off the post.

Just 4:46 into the final period of regulation, O’Brien earned his first collegiate hat trick and sixth goal of the season.

Kaufman attempted to toe-drag around a Vermont defender, but the play was broken up. However, O’Brien was right there to pick up the puck, walking in and sending a drag-wrister on the net. Harmon made the initial save, but the puck found its way through him once again, allowing O’Brien to stuff it in off the goal line.

O’Connell said O’Brien was a big part of the Terriers’ two wins.

“O’Brien obviously with the hat trick was a big difference maker tonight,” O’Connell said. “He’s got great offensive instincts. He made a great play on Vlasic’s goal last night.”

“He was a major factor in us sweeping this weekend.”

After his goal, Vermont did not take kindly to O’Brien’s celebration, a salute to the Terrier bench, according to the broadcast. From there the physicality ramped up as regulation drew to a close.

The two sides traded penalties, but the 5-1 score held as the final horn sounded at Gutterson.

Kaufman’s two assists on the night made for a pair of points in two games in his first return to UVM.

This series marked the furthest the Terriers had traveled to play all season (the other three road games being at Boston College, UMass Amherst and Providence). BU traveled to Vermont before Friday’s game, played, and returned to action just a day later, making for a long 48 hours.

O’Connell thought his team handled the weekend well, overall.

“I think [Friday] is a hard day,” he said. “No excuses about it, but we didn’t quite have our mental or our skating legs [last night]. “They were pretty excited to get back at it [tonight]. I thought they executed really well.”

The Terriers are now riding a three-game winning streak, and remain unbeaten in regulation over their last nine contests. BU last lost in 60 minutes to Providence on opening night before going on a five-game win streak, which was broken after losing in overtime in the first game of a split with BC last weekend.

BU will likely return to action next week, although official opponents, dates and game times are yet to be announced as Hockey East has reverted to making the schedule on a week-by-week basis.

Featured Image: Sophomore forward Jay O’Brien (18) celebrates his goal with his teammates in a win against Maine at Walter Brown Arena on Jan. 23, 2021. Photo by Patrick Donnelly.

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