BOSTON — The men’s hockey team fell 4-0 to the University of Massachusetts Saturday evening at Agganis Arena.
Good looks on offense not paying off:
The Terriers got good looks at UMass goaltender Michael Hrabal, putting up [x] shots on goal and forcing Hrabal to make impressive saves. Puck management was less of an issue in this game than in the past, and the Terriers created high-danger chances on rushes throughout the game.
Cole Hutson’s shot hit the back of the net in the first period, but UMass challenged the call and got it waved off due to goaltender interference after captain Shane Lachance bumped Hrabal while acting as a screen.
In addition to fast zone entries and rushes, the Terriers were able to create chaos in front of the net to try and take advantage of rebounds, but either they missed the net, or Hrabal stifled their chances.
Penalties continue to be an issue:
BU freshman forward Cole Hutson earned himself a five-minute major and a game misconduct in the first period for charging UMass forward Daniel Jencko. BU’s Brandon Svoboda was handed the same punishment for cross-checking at 15:01 of the second.
While the Terriers were able to kill off the first five minutes, including some time in their offensive zone, holding the Minutemen to six shots. UMass made the Terriers pay during the second five minutes, effectively taking BU out of the game with two goals in the last half of the kill.
BU has had issues with discipline throughout the season. Cole Eiserman and Devin Kaplan were both sent into the tunnel in the game against Holy Cross, which BU ultimately won. Against a stronger opponent, the team was unable to get away with the lapses in judgment, and it killed whatever momentum the team had on their own power plays going into the second period.
How it Happened:
The freshman duo of Cole Eiserman and Kamil Bendarik had a clear look in the first 2 minutes of the game. Eiserman weaved through defenders and got a pass off to Bednarik, who was unable to get the puck past the toe of a sprawling Michael Hrabal, who made the kick save to keep the game scoreless.
UMass opened the scoring with a 2-on-1 rush at 4:25. BU goalie Mathieu Caron made the initial save on Michael Cameron’s shot, but the rebound off Caron’s pad was directed straight to Ryan Lautenbach, who capitalized on the wide-open net.
BU freshman Cole Hutson’s equalizer was disallowed after the Minutemen challenged for goaltender interference. Terrier captain Shane Lachance bumped Hrabal while serving as a screen.
The puck hit the back of the net behind Caron, but that goal was also waved off due to goalie interference. In the same play, Cole Hutson was assessed for a five-minute major and a game misconduct for charging, which left UMass forward Daniel Jencko lying on the ice. He skated off the ice with a trainer. Alex Zetterberg served Cole Hutson’s penalty in the box.
The Terriers killed off the five-minute power play, allowing six shots on goal. BU also got a shot on net while they were on the penalty kill, maintaining some time in their offensive zone to help eat up time on the clock.
BU’s first power play came with 51 seconds left in the first when UMass defenseman Francesco Dell’Elce was called for holding.
The penalty was killed off to open the second period, interrupted by a very loud audio glitch from the speakers.
Within a minute of the first power play, BU went back to the man-advantage after UMass was called for too many men on the ice, but once again, the Terriers failed to score.
A third goal was waved off from goaltender interference halfway through the second, off the stick of UMass forward Cole O’Hara.
Svoboda was sent down the tunnel for a five-minute cross-checking major and a game misconduct. BU killed a minute and a half of the major with Eiserman serving in the box before Jencko fired the puck past Caron to double the lead.
Still up with a man-advantage, UMass defenseman Lucas Ölvestad cashed in during the final minute of the period to give the Minutemen a 3-0 lead.
Brehdan Engum created another good look at Hrabal, who gave up a rebound. Captain Ryan Greene was able to collect the puck, but he couldn’t get it home while Hrabal was still recovering from the first shot.
The Minutemen were awarded another power play after BU was called for too many men on the ice, and junior forward Kenny Connors ripped the puck into the top corner of the net to improve their lead to 4-0.
BU freshman defenseman Sascha Boumedienne had his first collegiate goal taken away with the fourth goalie interference call of the game at 14:13.
BU forward Devin Kaplan was sent to the box for charging, giving UMass yet another power play. O’Hara nearly scored the Minutemen’s fifth goal on a spinning Caron, but a fifth goalie interference call took it off the scoreboard.
BU defenseman Gavin McCarthy was sent to sit next to Kaplan for cross-checking, and BU forward Quinn Hutson joined them only seconds later, giving UMass a 5-on-3 advantage to end the game without scoring.
