BOSTON, Mass. - The Boston University men's ice hockey team scored six unanswered goals, including five in the third period, to defeat UMass Lowell, 7-4, at Agganis Arena on Saturday. The Terriers let up goals early in the first two periods and trailed 4-1 midway through the second period, but the team rallied late to earn its second consecutive win and second victory of the season.
With the Terriers (2-4-1, 2-1-0 HE) trailing 2-0 early in the second period, senior captain Brian McGuirk scored to keep Boston University close. After UMass Lowell (1-5-1, 1-2-0 HE) scored twice more in the second, the Terriers began their run with a goal from Luke Popko - his first of two in the game. Freshman Colin Wilson opened the third period with his first career goal to cut the River Hawks' lead to one before Popko scored the equalizer. Freshman Nick Bonino's goal with 6:43 left in the game gave Boston University a lead it would not surrender, as sophomore Zach Cohen and senior Ryan Weston tacked on late goals to secure the win.
The River Hawks got on the board early, as freshman Maury Edwards recovered a misdirected Boston University pass and sped towards the home net. After faking senior goaltender Carson Gillespie left, Edwards sent the puck into the upper-right side of goal to put UMass Lowell ahead with 17:36 left in the first period.
Junior co-captain Mark Roebothan increased UMass Lowell's lead with 18:49 remaining in the second period, as he wrapped a shot around the post to earn the 2-0 advantage. His goal began a span in which the two teams combined to score three goals in 43 seconds.
McGuirk kept the Terriers in the game, scoring only 26 seconds later, cutting the River Hawks' lead to one goal, off assists from senior Ryan Weston and junior John McCarthy. McCarthy placed a shot on goal after receiving a pass from Weston, but UMass Lowell netminder Nevin Hamilton deflected the shot. McGuirk corralled the puck and took a shot of his own, which was redirected by a defender into goal with 18:22 left in the third period.
The River Hawks quickly recovered their two goal lead on a score by freshman Jason DeLuca a scant 17 seconds later. DeLuca netted the puck off a pass from Edwards with 18:05 left in the period. Edwards then netted his second goal of the game on a power play with 11:04 left in the second to put UMass Lowell ahead by three.
Boston University began its rally after freshman Victor Saponari bounced a slapshot of Hamilton's pads. Popko recovered the puck and sent it past the River Hawks' goaltender to spark the run with 8:19 remaining in the second period to pull the Terriers to within two. The assist gave Saponari his first career point.
Wilson's first career goal cut UMass Lowell's lead to one with 18:04 left on the clock in the third period. Bonino won the puck from the River Hawks' defense as they were trying to clear it and passed it off to senior Brian Ewing, who fed Wilson. Wilson's high-powered shot deflected off the netminder's pad and into the goal.
The fans erupted as Popko scored the game-tying goal with 11:42 left in the game. Sophomore Zach Cohen won the battle for possession behind the visitor's net and found sophomore Eric Gryba, who passed it off to Popko for the shot. The puck got past the goaltender and coasted through the crease and beyond the reach of a diving UMass player.
With the Terriers on the power play, freshman Colby Cohen placed a shot on goal that was saved by the goaltender. After junior Jason Lawrence attempted a shot of his own, Bonino got the puck past Hamilton to give BU its first lead of the game with 6:43 remaining in the game.
Zach Cohen added insurance for the Terriers with his score to put the home team up 6-4 with 5:20 left on the clock. Freshman Kevin Shattenkirk won the battle for possession against the River Hawks and found Cohen on a break away. Cohen faked the goaltender right and then elevated his shot into the upper-left corner of the net.
Senior Ryan Weston capped the day's scoring, as he and Brian McGuirk got behind the UMass Lowell defense with the goaltender pulled and won the two-on-one drive to cap a five-goal third period and six unanswered scores by BU.
With the assist, McGurik earned his sixth point of the season, surpassing last year's scoring total of five points.
Sophomore Brett Bennett earned the win, saving 12 shots in relief of Gillespie toward the beginning of the second period. The Terriers totaled 42 shots to UMass Lowell's 19.
The seven-goal output is the highest by a Terrier squad in Agganis Arena, breaking the record of six set in a 6-2 triumph over Boston College on Dec. 3, 2006. The last time BU scored seven times in a home contest was Nov. 30, 2003, in a 7-2 rout against Yale at Walter Brown Arena.
The Terriers' next game is against conference rival Massachusetts on Friday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Agganis Arena.