BOSTON, Mass. - After giving up a goal in the first minute of play, the No. 2 Boston University men's ice hockey team reeled off five unanswered goals, inlcluding four on the power play, to post a 5-2 victory over No. 12 Boston College on Saturday evening at Agganis Arena. Five different players scored a goal for the Terriers, who improve to 16-5-1 overall with a 9-5-1 Hockey East record.
The result gave the Terriers five points (two wins, one tie) in their season series with the Eagles, marking their best showing against their arch-rival since the 1994-95 season, when they won all three contests.
Sophomore Colby Cohen recorded a goal and an assist for the Terriers, while freshman David Warsofsky earned a trio of assists. Senior Matt Gilroy, sophomores Nick Bonino and Kevin Shattenkirk and freshman Vinny Saponari all added goals. In all, 12 different BU players recorded at least one point.
Senior Benn Ferriero scored 40 seconds into the game for the Eagles, who fall to 9-8-3 overall with a 5-7-3 conference mark. Freshman Cam Atkinson capped the scoring with an unassisted shorthanded goal with just over a minute left in regulation.
BU held a commanding 46-21 shot advantage, overcoming a 41-save performance by BC netminder John Muse, who stopped all 18 shots he faced in the first period.
Freshman Kieran Millan made 19 saves for BU on the night to improve his nation-best winning percentage to .893 (12-1-1).
A BU penalty 30 seconds after the opening faceoff set up Ferriero's tally on the power play. A blocked shot from senior Brock Bradford made its way to Ferriero, who was charging in from the left circle, and he gave the visitors an early 1-0 lead.
Muse was outstanding in the opening period, stopping several good looks from the Terriers to allow the Eagles to enter the first intermission with the lead.
The Terriers came out with the same offensive aggressiveness in the second period, however, and were rewarded with a trio of goals.
The second period started with 4-on-4 play following penalties on both sides late in the first. Just seconds after BU's penalty expired, Bonino converted from the right circle off a pass from Warsofsky at the 34-second mark of the period. Senior John McCarthy won a battle for the puck behind the BC goal to also earn an assist on the play.
BU took the lead for good on another power-play tally at the 8:04 mark of the period. From the left corner, senior Jason Lawrence found Cohen in the slot and the sophomore buried his fourth goal of the year. Freshman Chris Connolly picked up the secondary assist on the tally.
The Terriers capped their three-goal period with their lone even-strength tally of the evening. Warsofsky dumped the puck into the right corner, where freshman Corey Trivino passed off to Saponari. Saponari skated around the net and beat Muse with a second effort.
Shattenkirk and Gilroy added power-play tallies in the third to give the home team a commanding 5-1 advantage before Atkinson's late goal.
BU was 4-of-10 with the man advantage, while the Eagles were 1-of-7.
The Terriers will return to action on Friday (Jan. 23) at Agganis Arena when they kick off a weekend home-and-home series with New Hampshire. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.