Boston College middle Cam Burke hadn’t scored a school hockey aim since his Big 10 days in South Bend, Ind.
The graduate switch from Notre Dame couldn’t have picked a greater time and place to finish the scoring hex that’s dogged him over 17 video games.
Burke, a Boxboro native, potted a pair of targets, together with the sport winner, to carry the Eagles to a 4-2 victory over UMass within the nightcap of the Frozen Fenway doubleheader at Fenway Park. BC improved to 8-6-4 general, 6-3-3 in Hockey East and 4-1 at Fenway.
“It is hard for any competitor to deal with that and not have that on your mind,” mentioned Burke. “That’s what we come out right here to do and targets are the way you win video games.
“In that first half of the season, some of the games we lost I felt like I should have made more of a difference and I didn’t. It really felt good to get that monkey off my back today.”
UMass versus BC had all of the substances for a aggressive closing installment to the four-game out of doors spectacle. Both camps have been located in the midst of the Hockey East standings and anxious to get their second-half pushes began right here.
“Every time you are in a situation like this on a big stage and you have success, you carry a little bit more confidence for the next one,” mentioned BC coach Greg Brown. “When the games get bigger and bigger at the end of the season you know you’ve had success and you hope you can dial that back up again.”
BC opened the scoring at 2:25 of the primary interval. Freshman middle Cutter Gauthier broke clear via the suitable circle and fired a wrist shot that beat UMass goalie Luke Pavicich to the close to put up for his eleventh of the season.
UMass netted the equalizer on a nifty energy play rush up the boards at 9:28. Cole O’Hara led Michael Cameron on a break and the slick freshman beat BC goalie Mitch Benson on the backhand for his fifth. BC went up 2-1 on the facility play when Burke redirected Lukas Gustafsson’s slapper previous Pavicich for his first aim in maroon and gold.
“It was a tough way to start the game when their first shot goes in,” mentioned UMass coach Greg Carvel. “You want to have that one back but I liked our response.”
Burke made a high-quality particular person effort to place BC up 3-1 at 12:55 of the second. Burke gained a faceoff within the UMass finish, acquired possession from a one-on-one battle on the boards and delivered the puck to freshman proper wing Oskar Jellvik within the reverse circle. Jellvik reconnected with Burke, who fired residence a wrister from the slot.
“You try to win the draw, finish the check and I think we got a little bit of a bounce there,” mentioned Burke. “Playing with a guy like Oskar, every goal is a nice goal.”
UMass lower the result in 3-2 on a nifty energy play collaboration at 3:15 of the third. Scott Morrow relayed the puck again to defenseman Ryan Ufko on the level. The sophomore from Smithtown, N.Y., fired a one-timer via a display screen for his fourth of the season.
Source: www.bostonherald.com