Hockey Defeated by #2 BU 3-1; Warriors Visit Providence Saturday
Boxscore
NORTH ANDOVER, MA. – Rob Ricci (Brampton,
Ontario) scored his seventh of the season in the third
period, but it was not enough as second-ranked Boston University
defeated Merrimack 3-1 Friday night at Lawler Arena.
With the win, Boston University improves to 19-5-1 (12-5-1 HEA) and
will play Harvard on Monday at 5 p.m. in the first round of the
Beanpot at the T.D. BankNorth Garden. Merrimack (5-15-3, 2-13-2
HEA) heads to Providence College Saturday night for a 7 p.m. game
with the Friars at Schneider Arena.
The win is the 800th in the coaching career of Terriers coach Jack
Parker.
The Warriors came out strong, outshooting the Terriers 6-4 in the
first 10 minutes. But penalty trouble doomed the Warriors as the
hosts took eight straight minor penalties, resulting in only six
more shots in the next 30 minutes. Sixteen of BU's 22 shots
in the first two periods came while on the power play.
Matt Gilroy and Brandon Yip scored 1:22 apart late in the first to
give the Terriers the 2-0 lead. Gilroy blasted a shot from the
point for his fifth of the year at 16:22 with Chris Connolly and
Colin Wilson getting the assists. With BU on the power play, Yip
one-timed a pass from Nick Bonino just past the right skate of
Andrew Braithwaite (Kingston, Ontario) for his
11th of the year.
The Warriors successfully killed off the next six penalties and got
a quality chance of their own as Bobby Kramer (New York,
NY) broke out on a two-on-one with Mickey Rego
(Hudson, MA), but Kramer's shot was gloved by
freshman goaltender Kieran Millan.
Ricci cut the deficit in half as he redirected a Pat Bowen
(Marshfield, MA) shot past Millan at 4:26 of the third.
Jesse Todd (Camrose, Alberta) also earned an
assist on the goal, his sixth point in the last seven games.
But just 3:03 later and with the Terriers back on the power play,
Colby Cohen fired a slapper past Braithwaite for his third of the
year, assisted by Wilson and Kevin Shattenkirk to put the Terriers
back on top by two goals.
Freshman Ryan Flanigan (Rochester, MA) thought he
had tied the game with 5:34 left with what would have been his
first collegiate tally, but he was whistled for tripping seconds
before beating Millan. That penalty took the sails out of the
Warriors who were 0-for-5 on the power play in the third period
despite firing 10 shots at Millan.
After getting just 12 shots in the first two periods on goal,
Merrimack controlled the third period, outshooting BU 14-5. The
Warriors killed 10 of BU's 12 power plays, while the Terriers
killed off all seven shorthanded situations.
Making his first start since January 10, Braithwaite was sharp in
net, stopping 24 shots. Millan improved to 15-1-1 on the season
with 25 saves.
