Power Play Powers Boston College to Weekend Split with UMass
Photo by BCEagles.com
David Cotton, Ben Finkelstein and Logan Hutsko all registered power play goals, as Boston College erupted for six goals on the road against a very good UMass defense.
UMass goalie Filip Lindberg turned in an otherworldly performance on Friday night, stopping 41 of 42 BC shots en route to a 2-1 victory for the Minutemen. He started out the same way the Saturday night, making a point-blank glove save on Finkelstein early on in the first. But, after Mitchell Chaffee gave UMass an early lead, BC was finally able to solve Lindberg thanks to the aforementioned power play success.
Twelve seconds into a Colin Felix tripping minor, BC evened the score. Julius Mattila won the offensive zone draw and possessed the puck before sending it to Cotton in front of the net. BC’s leading goal scorer wasted little time tucking the puck under Lindberg’s pads. Cotton was held off the score sheet for just the fourth time this season in Friday night’s loss. BC is 1-3 when he fails to record a point and 12-2 when he does.
Shortly after, the Eagles took the lead for the first time on the weekend with a beautiful goal involving all three members of BC’s third line. Aapeli Rasanen skated into the zone along the right wing boards. He dropped the puck back to Alex Newhook who backhanded a cross-crease pass to Mike Hardman for the easy finish.
In the second period, BC mounted two separate three-goal leads and forced Lindberg from the game after the Eagles first shot of the middle frame. A goal by Marshall Warren two minutes into the period gave BC a 3-1 lead. It also led to the goalie change, with Matt Murray coming into the game for the Minutemen. Lindberg finished with seven saves and three goals allowed but didn’t play all that poorly. The first goal he allowed came on the power play and the other two goals would’ve been tough to stop for any goalie.
One player who took advantage of the goaltending change was freshman forward Matt Boldy. He’s been snake-bitten this season, coming into the UMass weekend with only one goal which came all the way back on opening night. Still, he demonstrates a high hockey IQ and an effortless skill that leaves BC fans excited for his future, even if he hasn’t found the back of the net much during the first half of his freshman season.
Finally, against Murray, Boldy was able to break the goalless spell. Late in the second, he ripped a shot past Murray from the right circle, a play set up by a give-and-go involving Newhook and Zach Walker. The goal gave BC a 5-2 lead.
The teams each added one more in the third, with BC’s goal coming from Hutsko on the power play, to put the final at 6-3. Spencer Knight continued his strong play in goal, despite allowing three. He came up big for the Eagles in the first period, when UMass put 19 shots on goal.
With the win BC improves to 7-3 in the Hockey East, putting the Eagles two points back of first place in the conference. They return to the ice next weekend with a road game against UMass Lowell and a home matchup with Boston University.