Box Score
The fourth-ranked Boston University men's ice hockey team suffered its
first loss of the season on Friday night, as UMass Lowell posted a 2-1
victory over the Terriers at Agganis Arena. The visiting River Hawks
scored early in both the second and third periods before BU freshman
Brian Strait scored his first collegiate goal. With the loss, the
Terriers move to 2-1-1 on the year with a 2-1-0 mark in Hockey East
play.
Freshman netminder Carter Hutton posted 17 saves for the River Hawks
helping them open their conference schedule with a victory while
improving to 2-2-1 overall. Senior John Curry posted 22 saves in goal
for the Terriers.
After a scoreless first period, the visitors took advantage of a
fortuitous bounce just over four minutes into the second period. A shot
from the right circle by BU junior Dan McGoff ricocheted off the pipe
and bounced towards UMass Lowell's Paul Worthington. With a pass up the
ice, Worthington found fellow freshman Kory Falite, who ripped a shot
past Curry from the left side for his first collegiate goal at the 4:33
mark.
While the River Hawks broke open the scoring in the second period, they
certainly could have tacked on more in the middle stanza if not for a
pair of highlight-reel saves by Terrier netminder John Curry.
The senior fended off a two-man breakaway by the visitors in the opening
minute of the period, making a right pad save when Falite tried to send
home a pass from Worthington. With under six minutes left before the
second intermission, the River Hawks' Mike Potacco skated past the BU
defense and lofted a shot towards Curry's left shoulder. However the
Terrier was up to the task, snatching the puck with a tremendous glove
save immediately after it left Potacco's stick.
UMass Lowell made it a 2-0 contest in the second minute of the final
period when it scored another goal in transition. Senior Jason Tejchma
corralled a loose puck just outside the River Hawks' zone and skated
along the left boards before firing a shot. The puck was initially saved
by Curry, but it skipped to the opposite side, where sophomore Mark
Roebothan charged in and directed the puck to back of the net before
knocking the goal off its moorings.
The Terriers fought hard to get back into the contest and were rewarded
on their fourth power-play opportunity of the evening.
Senior Kenny Roche gathered a rebound near the right faceoff dot and
moved towards the slot before briefly losing control of the puck. Right
before a UMass Lowell defender cleared the puck out of the zone, Roche
dove and got just enough of his stick on it to get it across to Strait.
The freshman drove the puck through traffic, where it kicked off a
defender and into the goal past Hutton at the 14:18 mark.
BU was unsuccessful in its attempt for an equalizer and the visitors
held on for the one-goal victory. UMass Lowell outshot the Terriers,
24-18, on the night.
The two teams will meet again when the Terriers return to action on
Friday, Nov. 7, when make the short trip to Tsongas Arena for a 7 p.m.
contest.
