DURHAM, N.H. - Kenny Roche scored three goals, including the game-tying tally at 18:58 of the third period, and assisted on another to lift the eighth-ranked Boston University Terriers men’s hockey team to a 4-4 tie with 13th-ranked University of New Hampshire in Friday night's Hockey East action at the Whittemore Center.
UNH is now 4-2-1 overall and 2-1-1 in Hockey East while BU is now 2-1-4, 2-1-3.
With the score tied 1-1 entering the third period, UNH took a 3-2 lead as the teams combined to score three goals in a span of 1:45 early in the stanza. The Wildcats took their first lead of the night, 2-1, at 2:55 when Mike Radja (Yorkville, Ill.) scored from the slot after receiving a pass out of the right corner from Brett Hemingway (Surrey, British Columbia). Jacob Micflikier (Winnipeg, Manitoba) was also credited with an assist.
Roche tied the game, 2-2, with his first goal of the game, an unassisted tally at 3:13. The 'Cats went back in front 3-2 just 27 seconds later, however, when Thomas Fortney (Webster Groves, Mo.) found the upper-left corner from the slot. Josh Ciocco (Atco, N.J.) set up the goal.
BU forged the third tie of the game, 3-3, when Roche scored into an open net off a rebound at the right post at 8:40. Sean Sullivan (three assists), with the initial shot, and Chris Higgins were credited with assists.
New Hampshire regained the lead, 4-3, at 14:23. Bobby Butler (Marlborough, Mass.) won the puck on the right halfboards and backhanded a centering pass to Matt Fornataro (Calgary, Alberta), who skated down the slot and wristed a close-range shot inside the right post.
UNH was whistled for a penalty at 18:32 and the Terriers called time out. BU's Curry was pulled in favor of an extra skater with 1:18 remaining. Sullivan passed the puck across the blue line to Roche at the left point. Roche settled and fired a screened shot that sailed inside the near post at 18:58.
BU had two more power plays in the five-minute overtime session but could not capitalize to break the deadlock.
UNH goaltender Kevin Regan (South Boston, Mass.) recorded 26 saves, including two in overtime. Curry stopped 23 shots, one in OT.
Following a scoreless first period in which BU recorded an 11-7 shot advantage, the Terriers quickly took a 1-0 lead in the second stanza. Higgins won the opening faceoff back to Sean Sullivan, who moved the puck up to Roche on the left wing. Higgins collected a pass from Roche and fired a shot from the left point that sailed into the near upper corner of the net at :10.
Whereas BU scored 10 seconds into the middle stanza, UNH scored with 10 seconds remaining in the 20-minute frame to tie the score, 1-1. Micflikier gathered a rebound off a Ciocco shot in the right corner and fired a shot from the circle. Curry stopped that shot but Ciocco, unmarked at the left post, deposited the puck off the rebound into the net.
New Hampshire returns to action Nov. 12 (3 p.m.) at No. 1-ranked University of Maine. The next Wildcats’ home game is Nov. 18 vs. UMass-Lowell. Game time at the Whittemore Center is 7 p.m.