Sanford Scores Twice As Boston College Tops Vermont, 4-2
Freshman forward Zach Sanford scores two goals for Eagles

Freshman forward Zach Sanford scored two goals for the Eagles
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 9:38  BC1-0 EV Noah Hanifin (5)Michael Matheson/18, Austin Cangelosi/14
2nd 1:15  BC2-0 EV Zach Sanford (6) -
2nd 3:20  BC3-0 EV GW Zach Sanford (7)Noah Hanifin/18, Michael Matheson/19
2nd 4:08  BC4-0 PP Ryan Fitzgerald (15)Michael Matheson/20, Teddy Doherty/17
2nd 4:58  VER1-4 EV Brady Shaw (17)Alexx Privitera/17
2nd 8:07  VER2-4 EV Brendan Bradley (6)Yvan Pattyn/4, Jake Fallon/17
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Vermont  0202
Boston College  1304
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Vermont  1015934
Boston College  1213833
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Vermont (20-14-4)  0/3 4/8 0
Boston College (21-11-3)  1/3 4/8 0
Vermont Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Mike Santaguida (L, 9-9-2)24:084 116017
Brody Hoffman34:490 04812
Empty Net1:030     
Boston College Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Thatcher Demko (W, 19-10-3)60:002 1013932

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - A second-period blitzkrieg, including a pair by first-year forward Zach Sanford, sent No. 9 Boston College to a 4-2 victory over No. 17 Vermont in game one of the Hockey East quarterfinals Friday night at Kelley Rink.

Classmate Noah Hanifin and sophomore Ryan Fitzgerald each tallied in the game one triumph while junior captain Michael Matheson logged three assists in the effort. Junior Teddy Doherty and sophomore Austin Cangelosi also notched assists in the win.

Second-year backstopper Thatcher Demko turned aside 32 Catamount attempts as UVM narrowly outshot the Eagles, 34-33. Each team was assessed four penalties on the evening, but Fitzgerald's goal stood as the game's only power play strike.

The Eagles used three goals in the span of 2:53, including Sanford's double, to initiate the second stanza and never looked back.

After Fitzgerald capped the Eagles' scoring frenzy at 4:08 of the second, UVM coach Kevin Sneddon lifted starting goaltender Mike Santaguida after giving up four goals on 21 shots and opted for Brody Hoffman for the remaining 34:49 of regulation. Hoffman stopped all 12 shots faced in clean up time.

After each unit squandered a power play opportunity to start the contest, Hanifin parsed the defense and roofed it midway through the first frame to give the Eagles a 1-0 advantage.

Cangelosi and Matheson worked together to jar the puck loose in the neutral zone and Hanifin did the rest after corralling it on the red line. Hanifin brought the puck out wide and instead of dishing the it, he crashed the net and found a spot on Santaguida up high at 9:38.

The Eagles wasted little time ransacking Vermont to start the second. After owning the opening draw, Boston College earned a faceoff in UVM's zone to Santaguida's right.

Sanford stepped up to the dot, won the draw cleanly to himself and bulldozed the net with the puck on his backhand. Sanford tossed it glove side on Santaguida as he was crashing to the ice and snuck it by for the 2-0 just 1:15 into the second period.

On the ensuing exchange, Sanford mimicked Hanifin's coast-to-coast action and scored his second goal within 2:05.

Hanifin and Matheson quarterbacked the play deep in BC's end as Matheson sent the flanking pass out to Sanford in stride. Sanford carved through the Catamounts' neutral zone pressure and created his own lane to the net. With a run to daylight, Sanford honed in on Santaguida and beat him five-hole on the coast-to-coast run for a 3-0 lead at 3:20 of the second frame.

Immediately after Sanford's second, UVM's Mike Paliotta was cited for slashing at 3:56 and Fitzgerald cashed in 12 seconds later to give the Eagles' a four-goal cushion.

Boston College won the draw and cycled quickly around the zone with Doherty and Matheson working it over to Fitzgerald in the right slot. Fitzgerald wheeled it around the right dot and took his chance with heavy traffic in front of Santaguida. Fitzgerald's wrister careened through the crease and to the back of the net at 4:08 for the power play rip. Fitzgerald's tally chased Santaguida from net in favor of Hoffman and forced Vermont to burn its timeout.

The Catamounts cut the deficit in half over the course of the next four minutes with markers from Brady Shaw and Brendan Bradley at 4:58 and 8:07 of the second period, respectively.

Shaw stopped the bleeding with a deep blast about the right circle. Shaw sent a slapshot towards Demko and the initial save was made, but the puck had so much momentum and carried over the goal line 50 seconds after Fitzgerald's tally at 4:58 to make it a 4-1 affair.

Vermont added its second of the stanza off a set faceoff play to Demko's right.

Jake Fallon won the draw back to Yvan Pattyn in the slot and with the Eagle defense still attempting to get into position, Pattyn triggered on net. Demko blocked the shot but Bradley swooped in on the near post to deposit the wide-open rebound at 8:07 to close the gap, 4-2.

Bradley's tally capped the scoring for the evening despite several chances on both ends.

Vermont outshot the Eagles, 9-8, in the final period as Demko made two crucial saves down the stretch to keep the Catamounts from getting within striking distance.

Boston College and Vermont will continue the Hockey East quarterfinals series tomorrow night at Kelley Rink. Saturday's game two will be broadcast live on New England Sports Network starting a 7 p.m.

Game Notes

- Zach Sanford accounted for his first-career two-goal performance in game one of Friday's quarterfinal matchup against Providence. The Auburn, N.H., native has posted four multi-point outings this season with his career high coming in the form of playmaker (three assists) against RIT on Oct. 18. Sanford's second tally also counted as BC's game-winning tally, marking his second of the season. Sanford also scored the game winner against Providence on Jan. 30.

- Michael Matheson notched his second playmaker of the season with three assists in Friday's triumph. The junior captain has logged three assists in a game on four occasions as an Eagle, with the last occurring against UMass on Oct. 25.

- Noah Hanifin recorded his sixth multi-point performance of the season with a goal and an assist in Friday's victory. The Norwood, Mass., native has scored a goal and an assist three times in his rookie season.

- The Eagles have never lost a playoff game against Vermont. Boston College is 7-0-0 all-time in postseason meetings against the Catamounts.

- Boston College's all-time Hockey East quarterfinal series record is 36-15-1 and all-time tournament record is 63-26-2. As a No. 3 seed, Boston College is now 11-2-0.

- Since 1988, Boston College has never lost a quarterfinals series in which it has won the first game.