LOWELL, Mass. - No. 1 Boston College scored a pair of power play goals and Jacob Fowler posted 28 saves as BC swept a two-game Hockey East series against UMass Lowell with its second straight 3-2 victory on Saturday night at the Tsongas Center.
The top-ranked Eagles registered their second straight sweep and moved to 7-1-0 (2-0-0 HEA), while the River Hawks dropped to 4-4-0 (1-3-0 HEA). BC improved to 3-1-1 in its last five visits to the Tsongas Center.
Boston College won the special teams battle, going 2-for-5 on the power play and 4-on-4 on the penalty kill to close the series 9-for-9 a man down.
Sophomore Cutter Gauthier scored his eighth goal in as many games and added an assist, while rookie linemates Will Smith and Ryan Leonard lit the lamp in the second period. The pair's third linemate freshman Gabe Perreault collected a career-high three assists as he factored into every goal.
BC earned a major power play in the first period and took advantage at 11:43 when Jack Malone found Gauthier on the weak side, and the rookie snapped a one-timer glove side to beat Luke Pavicich from the right circle.
Lowell tied the game with just eight seconds left in the first period on a blocker side one-timer from Jack Collins, who found a pocket of space between the circles.
The Eagles stormed ahead for good in the middle frame, beginning with a 5-on-3 goal at 4:04 from Smith who fired home a back door, cross-crease feed from Perreault at the left doorstep.
Later in the frame, Smith's backhand centering pass hit a River Hawk defenseman in the low slot and Leonard nudged the puck over the goal line for a 3-1 cushion. Perreault collected the secondary assist on the play at 13:23.
Lowell pulled a goal back with 9:05 remaining when Nick Rheaume snuck a weak-angle backhander inside the right post.
The River Hawks pulled Pavicich for an extra skater with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, but Fowler and the Eagles secured the three points.
Boston College visits Maine next weekend for a two-game Hockey East series in Orono.
