Boston College men’s hockey has the best penalty-kill percentage in the country.
Put simply, the Eagles don’t give up power play goals. It’s just not who they are. But in this weekend’s series against Merrimack, that normally ironclad piece of BC’s identity fell short—not once, but twice.
Two of the three power play goals that BC has let up this season came this weekend to Merrimack, as the Eagles let up one each night to the Warriors. On Friday, the Warriors’ power play goal represented just one of BC’s mistakes that ultimately allowed Merrimack to score five goals —tied for the most goals BC has given up in a game this season—and ultimately defeat the Eagles 5–2 on their home ice.
Saturday was different, though.
“Tonight, we skated better,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “We were much more assertive through the neutral zone. We made plays when we had them and didn’t get greedy to try and force things when we didn’t have plays.”
On Saturday night, Merrimack’s third period goal from Nick Pierre on the power play was the only time Jacob Fowler and the Eagles (13–4–1, 7–3–1 Hockey East) let up a goal all game.
“We had to up our whole level of compete, our intensity, our skating,” Brown said.
After a quiet first period from both teams, BC scored three goals in the second period and eventually defeated the Warriors (8–11–1, 4–6–1 ) 4–1 on the road to split the weekend series.
The score was 0–0 at the end of the first period. James Hagens was called for roughing in the final minute of the frame, though, so Merrimack headed into the second at an advantage.
“They had good tempo both last night and tonight,” Brown said of Merrimack’s team. “They were a threat.”
BC proved effective during that power play opportunity, stopping Merrimack from getting any shots off. The first shot of the second period didn’t come until more than five minutes in. It didn’t go the way the Warriors would have liked. For Ryan Leonard, that first shot couldn’t have gone any better.
Leonard proved to be the breakthrough BC needed after the silent first 20 minutes. Five and a half minutes into the second period, he hit a one-timer from the left side to put BC ahead. He is the Eagles’ leading goal-scorer with 13 this season—six more than Gabe Perreault in second place.
But the one-point cushion was precarious. One little mistake, and the game could be tied. It was an opportune time for a goal, and freshman Jake Sondreal responded by netting his first of the season.
The Eagles sped up the ice in transition. Will Vote sent the puck over to Sondreal, who took a few touches and launched the puck past the left glove of Max Lundgren, putting the Eagles up 2–0.
“We thought we were playing well and pushing all the time, but when it’s a one-goal game, it just takes one little break or one little bounce to get even,” Brown said. “So for us to get that second goal was huge.”
The Eagles went on to score two more goals—one apiece from Brady Berard and Teddy Stiga. Berard’s goal with just over a minute left in the second frame was his second goal in two games and cemented the Eagles’ lead.
Once again, BC let up a power play goal, though—a score from Pierre at the 8:29 mark in the third period.
“It was a great shot, top quarter, short-side,” Brown said. “They put a lot of stress on our penalty kill so it was good that we only gave up the one, especially when we took the five-minute penalty late in the game.”
This time, though, giving up a power play goal was inconsequential as BC clung onto its two-goal cushion.
The Eagles were able to thwart another power play opportunity for the Warriors when Sondreal got called for cross-checking at the end of the game, a five-minute major penalty.
Stiga tacked on an empty-net goal at the 17:48 mark to close out the Eagles’ 4–1 win.
“It was a better effort—energy-wise, and also mentally—we were sharper tonight,” Brown said.
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