Boston College’s Skid Continues, Eagles Fall 3-2 to UMass Lowell
Photo by BCEagles.com
Marek Korencik’s first of the season broke a 2-2 tie late in the third and helped UMass Lowell edge Boston College Friday night, earning the River Hawks a season series split with the Eagles.
BC came in seeking to rebound from Monday’s double overtime loss to Boston University in the first round of the Beanpot tournament. Jerry York looked to shake things up, shuffling the forward lines that had been pretty consistent since November. The first line remained in tact, but Alex Newhook and Mike Hardman were bumped up to the second line to play alongside fellow freshman Matt Boldy. Meanwhile, the third line was completely revamped, with Graham McPhee and Jack McBain being bumped from the second line and Marc McLaughlin coming up from the fourth line.
The blue line also underwent some changes, mainly due to an injury Drew Helleson sustained in the Beanpot. Marshall Warren and Connor Moore were put together on the second pairing, and Mitch Andres made his collegiate debut as the seventh defenseman. Andres, a 6-foot-2-inch defenseman from Minnesota, saw a couple shifts early on, but BC rolled with six defensemen as the game wore on.
After a slow offensive start, Newhook got the Eagles on the board with BC’s league-leading seventh short-handed goal of the season early in the second. With 15 seconds remaining on Logan Hutsko’s hooking minor, Newhook took the puck up ice and used a UMass Lowell defender to screen goalie Tyler Wall, as he snapped one over Wall’s left shoulder.
Carl Berglund evened the score a few minutes later while Newhook was in the box for interference. Matt Brown started the play winning a puck battle along the boards against Moore, leaving David Cotton as the lone BC player policing the front of the net. He snuck a pass across to Berglund who ripped a shot past Spencer Knight.
Kenny Hausinger put UMass Lowell ahead before the end of the second with a shot that deflected off of Knight’s glove and in. BC’s Hobey Baker candidate in goal hasn’t had too many of those, but this was probably a goal he’d like to have back.
In the third, Ben Finkelstein brought BC back even after taking a touch pass from Newhook and burying it short side. But it wouldn’t be enough, because Korencik broke the tie with just under 10 minutes to go in what would turn out to be the game winner.
The loss, which BC to 16-8-1, coupled with UMass’ win over Providence puts the Minutemen back in first place in the conference. In fact, just three points separate the second place Eagles and ninth place New Hampshire Wildcats. With such a tight race looming down the stretch, every game and every point is valuable. BC can take solace in having games in-hand on just about every team in the conference. Next time BC takes the ice against a Hockey East opponent, when the team travels to Merrimack Friday night, the Eagles will have three games in-hand on UMass.
In the meantime, BC has to prepare for its Beanpot consolation game with Harvard Monday afternoon. The Eagles previously defeated the Crimson 4-2 on Black Friday.