Lofty nationwide rankings rely for nada within the hardscrabble halls of Hockey East.
The No. 1 ranked Boston College Eagles scored the game-winner early within the third interval and outlasted unranked UMass Lowell, 3-2, in a schoolyard brawl on Friday night time on Kelley Rink at Conte Forum.
BC improved to 6-1 and 1-0 in its Hockey East debut whereas UML dropped to 4-3 and 1-2 within the opener of a home-and-home weekend collection. The two groups could have at one another once more on Saturday night time on the Tsongas Center in Lowell.
“Obviously it is nice to have that ranking but at the end of the day it doesn’t mean all that much in the sense every team is going to come out hard and Hockey East is a tough league,” stated BC senior defenseman and staff captain Eamon Powell. “Each and every weekend we know we are going to have a battle.”
BC broke the 2-2 impasse at 1:19 of the third with an unlikely collaboration between a pair of aligned blue-liners. Junior defenseman Aidan Hreschuk led his companion Aram Minnetian on a deep rush down the left boards.
The freshman Dallas Stars’ fourth-round draft decide sliced diagonally by way of the Lowell crease and slipped the puck contained in the far submit for the primary tally of his collegiate profession. BC killed off a late penalty throughout a six-on-four onslaught.
“He is a great skater and he has been making good plays like that and it was great to see him get to the front of the net,” stated BC coach Greg Brown. “That wasn’t an easy move, there wasn’t a lot of space but he uses his edges very well.”
BC closed out October with a collection sweep in opposition to the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing, Mich., a efficiency that elevated the Eagles to the highest spot within the USCHO and USA Hockey polls. The River Hawks had been coming off a home-and-home cut up in opposition to UConn with the street staff profitable and each video games determined by one objective.
“I thought it was a well played hockey game and both teams were energetic,” stated Lowell coach Norm Bazin, who’s in his thirteenth season on the bench. “Both teams had their chances but we were doing a little too much watching in the first 10 minutes, but we woke up and started playing.”
BC has been a dominant first-period staff all season and two 2023 NHL first-round draft picks collaborated with exact timing to place the Eagles on the board 51 seconds into the competition.
Freshman left wing Gabe Perreault, who was taken by the New York Rangers with the twenty third decide, received a puck battle alongside the tip boards and spied freshman left wing Ryan Leonard unattended within the low slot.
Leonard, who was taken with the eighth decide by the Washington Capitals, one-timed it by Lowell goalie Henry Welsch for his second of the season. Perreault has registered a degree in 5 straight video games.
BC has a confirmed energy play and sophomore heart Cutter Gauthier has been its designated finisher. Gauthier, a Philadelphia Flyers first-round decide (fifth) in 2022, took a go from sophomore left wing Oskar Jellvik on the high of the suitable circle. Gauthier one-timed the providing contained in the close to submit at 9:49 for his seventh of the season and fourth on the facility play.
Lowell regrouped and acquired on the board earlier than issues acquired out of hand. River Hawks sophomore left wing Nick Rheaume arrange Swedish graduate Filip Fornaa Svensson for his first of the season at 10:30. BC has outscored its opponents 11-5 within the first interval in seven video games this season.
“I think every team would tell you they want to start strong but the first (period) has been good for us,” stated Brown. “Conversely the second period has been our tough period so far and we have to figure that out.”
Lowell opened the second interval with an pressing power and tied the sport 2-2 at 1:40. Junior heart Owen Cole arrange Scout Truman on the suitable fringe of the BC crease and the sophomore left wing redirected it house for his second of the season.
Welsch would atone for the Eagles’ opening tally when he stoned Leonard on a clear breakaway a minute later. The senior goalie from Lakeville, Minn., stood on his head throughout a relentless BC energy play in the midst of the interval to take care of the impasse.
“He has been very good for us this year,” stated Bazin. “He is a good goalie and he is feeling it and I really like the way he has prepared for this year.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com