Terriers Take Semifinal Game Over Eagles in OT

The Boston University Terriers beat the Boston College Eagles in overtime on Friday night in the first Hockey East semifinal game of the night. As the game got underway it didn’t look like that would be the outcome of this game. The Eagles were already on the scoreboard just 46 seconds into the game, with a goal from Connor Moore, assisted by Graham McPhee and Aapeli Räsänen. Definitely not the way the Terriers wanted to begin the game, especially with Joseph Woll in net for the Eagles.

Jordan Greenway

The teams would go into the first intermission with the Eagles up 1-0 and the Terriers hoping to find an equalizer in the second. Julius Mattila would give Boston College their second of the game 3:26 into the middle period—his 13th of the season—assisted by David Cotton. The Terriers would not give up though and Ty Amonte would cut the Eagle’s lead in half five and a half minutes later, assisted by Hank Crone and Patrick Curry. Two and a half minutes after Amonte’s goal, David Farrance would tie the game with only his second goal of the season, assisted by Chad Krys and Jordan Greenway.

The teams would come out in the third period tied at two each. It looked like Greenway had the go-ahead goal 5:15 into the third, with a snap shot from the slot, but upon review the goal was overturned for goaltender interference. Instead it would be Boston College’s Christopher Brown who would put the Eagles up 3-2 at 14:41, assisted by J.D. Dudek and McPhee. The Terriers remained undaunted though, responding 45 seconds later as Drew Melanson notched his fourth goal of the season, assisted by Greenway and Farrance.

Jake Oettinger

They would go to the end of regulation knotted at three and a sudden death overtime period would be needed to determine a winner. Despite outshooting the Terriers in the extra inning 14-7, the Eagles would be unable to solve sophomore netminder Jake Oettinger, who truly kept the Terriers chances alive until Curry could bury his wrap-around assisted by Shane Bower and Bobo Carpenter at 15:40 of overtime.

“The overtime wasn’t what we wanted it to be, but so proud of our team coming back,” Terriers head coach David Quinn said after the game. “Down 2-0, digging yourself a hole against that team and that goalie, you can get a little bit demoralized, but we never quit. You’ve got to show mental toughness. You have to have resiliency. This time of year, you don’t win games without those characteristics. Obviously, our goalie was great in overtime. These two guys to the left of me [Curry and Greenway] competed hard from the drop of the puck, as did everyone else.”

The Terriers will take on the Providence College Friars in the championship game on Saturday night. The Friars played a strong defensive game in their win Friday night. If the Terriers get down two goals like they did against the Eagles, it could mean a different outcome. But the Terriers are tenacious, so they should never be counted out until the end of the game.