With Boston College men’s hockey coming off a stretch of four straight top-10 matchups and having the first of its two Beanpot games on the horizon, Hobey Baker candidate Jacob Fowler was given his much-needed rest.
That meant Slovakian goaltender Jan Korec took the ice for his second start of the year—his two previous appearances came after Fowler’s ejection and suspension from a punch to UConn’s Tristan Fraser.
His last performance in BC’s overtime win over Providence was made up of 24 saves and a win. For Korec, who doesn’t often get opportunities to start with Fowler in the mix, every opportunity to show what he can do is crucial.
“[Jan] takes his craft very seriously,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “He’s an incredible student in the classroom and at hockey, and so it was great to see him be rewarded.”
Backed by the No. 1 Eagles’ (19–4–1, 12–3–1 Hockey East) two goals in the first period, Korec held his own between the pipes, silencing No. 8 UMass Lowell (13–8–3, 6–6–2) for a 4–0 victory and the Eagles’ seventh straight win.
“Most of the night, we were doing smart things,” Brown said. “Whether it was breaking pucks out or moving through the neutral zone.”
The first period started with BC quickly turning around a killed penalty into a 1–0 lead just 15 seconds after Oskar Jellvik was released for his roughing call.
Drew Fortescue crossed the blue on the left side with Ryan Leonard on his shoulder. Fortescue fired a pass through the defender to Leonard, who shoved it home 3:04 into the game.
“I mean, [Leonard’s] a special talent in the league. I think he’s gotta be the best talent,” UMass Lowell head coach Norm Bazin said in praise of Leonard’s performance.
Although the Riverhawks led in shots on goal 12–10 after the first frame, BC generated a higher quality of scoring opportunities. Both Teddy Stiga and Leonard found their way to the net without a defender near them, but goaltender Beni Halasz shut down both chances.
Those chances didn’t work, but it turns out that some shots don’t need to be pretty to go in.
James Hagens threw a blind pass into the slot for it to be deflected off Gabe Perreault’s skate and into the back of the net with about five minutes left in the opening frame.
BC ended the first frame failing to convert on a 5-on-3 power play, but entered back into the two-man advantage seven minutes into the second period.
UMass Lowell was sent to the box five times throughout the night, but the Eagles were never able to capitalize.
“We just were never in sync, never on the same page,” Brown said about the power play. “If we did execute and get close, then the puck bounced over a stick or something.”
But Leonard’s even-strength heroics pushed the Eagles to a three-goal lead just 13 seconds into the third frame when his bullet from the top of the circles slid beneath Halasz for Leonard’s second score of the night.
Korec quickly followed that up with a sprawling save on Owen Cole’s shot. The backup net-minder finished with 22 saves and the second shutout of his collegiate career.
“Jan was outstanding for us tonight,” Brown said. “Got the start late, and just he’s such a professional every day, so it wasn’t hard for him to flip the switch and be ready.”
Leonard shut down any and all critics of his Hobey Baker campaign as he flashed nifty moves through defenders, found his way to the slot, and shoved it top-right for his seventh goal and second hattrick in the past three games.
“If we needed, you know, a matchup against the other team’s top players, he can do that,” Brown said. “He’s taken a lot of important faceoffs for us. So the goals have kind of always been there, but the rest of his game is really rounded out.”
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