Links: Box Score
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College broke a 1-1 deadlock with just under eight minutes remaining and the Eagles would hold on to hand the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team a 3-1 Hockey East setback in both sides' series opener on Friday night at Conte Forum. The home-and-home set concludes tomorrow at Lawler Rink.
The Basics
Score: Boston College 3,
Merrimack 1
Records: Merrimack (1-5-2, 1-2-0 HEA) | #RV/-- Boston College (2-5-1, 2-1-0 HEA)
Location: Conte Forum | Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Game Duration: 2:12
Rapid Recap
- Boston College had early opportunities to take the lead after two power plays in the game's first eight minutes but could not convert. Merrimack would get one later in the opening frame, but despite a combined 20 shots neither side would light the lamp by the time the horn sounded at the end of the period.
- Each team traded goals in the second period in the span of just under three minutes, with Merrimack drawing first blood just in front of the 10-minute mark before the Eagles got even at 12:41. BC would end up with a 16-9 advantage in shots on goal in the frame. Despite that, and backed by a few tremendous stops by junior goaltender Craig Pantano (Bridgewater, Mass.), the game stayed tied at 1-1 heading to the third.
- After a back-and-forth start to the third stanza, BC would get the game's first power play since the first period nearly midway through the frame but came up empty. However, two minutes later, the Eagles netted the game-winner and added an empty-netter while limiting the Warriors to only five third-period shots to take the series opener.
Scoring Summaries
- Merrimack broke through 9:58 into the second period on sophomore defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic's (Grimsby, Ontario) first goal of the year. Senior Alfred Larsson (Malmo, Sweden) dug the puck out of the left wing corner up to Kovacevic, who thread a pass down low to junior Michael Babcock (Northville, Mich.). Babcock went right back up top to Kovacevic, who had maneuvered down to the high slot and let a wrist shot fly that found the top-right corner of the net over the glove of Joseph Woll.
- BC leveled the ledger about three minutes later on Jesper Matilla's first of the year. Aapeli Rasanen set up the play with a slick feed from the near circle, as Matilla had an easy tap-in at the back post to get the equalizer.
- The Eagles took the lead 12:15 into the final frame on JD Dudek's second tally of the season. With the hosts cycling in the offensive zone, Dudek found the puck along the left wing half boards, brought it into the circle and tucked a shot into the upper-left corner blocker side to give BC a 2-1 advantage.
- BC's Christopher Brown potted an empty-netter with only eight seconds left in the game, as his second marker of the year accounted for the final margin of victory.
Notes and Notables
- The goal for Kovacevic was his first of the season and first since last Feb. 14, 2017, in a 4-0 win at UMass. It was the fourth career goal for the sophomore.
- Both Babcock and Larsson each recorded their first points of the season by means of their helpers on Kovacevic's tally.
- Pantano made his second straight start in net and was stellar despite the loss, recording a career-high 31 saves.
- Merrimack has now been held to two goals or fewer in six of eight games this season and is winless (0-5-1) when scoring fewer than three goals.
- After a 3-3-1 stretch against BC from Oct. 31, 2009 to Nov. 26, 2010, Merrimack has just two wins in its last 16 tries (2-11-3) against the Eagles.
- Merrimack did not allow a power play goal for the first time in seven games dating back to the season opener at Colgate. The opposition had converted 11 of the last 28 power plays since then.
Merrimack Lineup
Seney | Petti | Tavernier
Hennig | L. Larsson | Irvine
Coomes | Kramer | McBride
Babcock | A. Larsson | Tibbet
Kolquist | Titcomb
Biega | Carle
Dockery | Kovacevic
Pantano
Vogler
Halladay
Up Next
Merrimack and BC conclude the season series tomorrow night back at Lawler Rink. Tickets are available
online or by calling 978-837-5324.
