BOSTON, Mass. - In the first tilt of the year between the crosstown rivals, the No. 11/12 Boston University men's ice hockey team dropped a 4-2 contest to top-ranked Boston College on Sunday evening at Agganis Arena.
BU falls to 5-3-0 overall and 4-2-0 in Hockey East play while Eagles extend their win streak to eight games and improve to 8-1-0 with a 7-1-0 league mark.
The Eagles scored in the opening minute of play on a goal by Destry Straight and held that 1-0 lead all the way through until the middle of third before tacking on back-to-back goals just over a minute apart from the sticks of Kevin Hayes and Johnny Gaudreau. Hayes also set up Straight's goal to post a two-point night.
Down 3-0, BU got on the board when freshman Matt Grzelcyk followed up his own rebound and tallied his first collegiate goal with 4:40 left in regulation.
On a late power play, the Terriers pulled freshman goaltender Matt O'Connor in favor of an extra attacker to create a 6-on-4 advantage, but Bill Arnold gave the visitors a 4-1 lead when he converted a backhand into the empty net from the BC zone.
In the closing seconds of the power-play chance, sophomore Alexx Privitera converted from the high slot for his first goal of the season at 18:43 of the third to create the 4-2 final.
Despite giving up three goals, O'Connor was impressive in 20-save performance. BC netminder Parker Milner recorded the win, making 25 saves.
BU, which held a 27-24 shot advantage, killed off all six of BC's power-play opportunities and Privitera's goal as the Terriers' lone conversion on seven power-play attempts.
Both teams will return to action on Friday (Nov. 16), as BU visits Vermont and BC hosts Merrimack.