TEMPE, Ariz. - Senior Matt Brown and freshman Devin Kaplan each scored a goal but the No. 6 Boston University men's ice hockey team fell to No. 16 Michigan Tech, 3-2, in the championship game of the Desert Hockey Classic at Arizona State's Mullett Arena.
BU (13-6-0) trailed Michigan Tech (14-6-3) by a 3-0 score after 20 minutes but battled back to get within one midway through the third period. The Terriers continued to press for an equalizer but Husky goaltender Blake Pietila and the Tech defense held off the late BU rally.
Freshmen Jeremy Wilmer and Lane Hutson assisted on Brown's team-leading ninth goal of the year while junior Luke Tuch and senior Jay O'Brien had the helpers on Kaplan's fourth goal of the season. Junior Drew Commesso made 20 saves.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Facing a 3-0 deficit, Brown got BU on the board just 5:33 into the second stanza. Hutson forced a turnover in the defensive zone that landed right on Wilmer's stick. He turned and quickly found Brown with a stretch pass. Brown, ahead of the Tech defense, gathered the puck at the blue line and went in alone on Pietila, finishing the play for his ninth goal of the season.
- Kaplan got the Terriers within one midway through the third. O'Brien sprung Tuch with a pass, and the junior then dished it to Kaplan for a great look at the left post. Pietila saved it, but the rebound bounced off a Tech defender and into the back of the net.
- The Terriers almost tied the game with 6:53 to go as the line of junior Dylan Peterson, sophomore Brian Carrabes and junior Nick Zabaneh had three great chances that Pietila somehow turned aside.
- The Terriers pulled Commesso with 1:46 remaining in regulation and called timeout with 1:19 to play.
- BU called timeout with 1:19 left and had several good looks to try and tie the game, but ultimately ran out of time.
GAME NOTES
- Wilmer finished the weekend with four assists, all of them the primary helper.
- Kaplan totaled three points on the weekend thanks to one goal and two assists while Hutson, who flew in from Nova Scotia on Friday just in time for the Air Force win, had an assist in each contest.
- BU killed the only Husky power play of the evening and has now killed 13 straight power plays dating back to Dec. 11 against UConn.
- The Terriers outshot the Huskies, 33-23.
UP NEXT
- BU will begin a five-game homestand on Wednesday when the Terriers host No. 15 UMass at Agganis Arena.
- Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
