Game #13 Recap: BU 4, St. Lawrence 1

BU displayed a strong effort on Saturday night, with 11 different players registering a point, taking down St. Lawrence 4-1 at Agganis Arena.  Kieran Millan made 24 saves in the win.  John McCarthy led all scorers with 2 points, and Zach Cohen scored the game winner.

In the first, Boston University got on the board off a great give and go from Nick Bonino to Brandon Yip.  St. Lawrence would respond a little over seven minutes later off a tip in while Eric Gryba was in the box for cross checking.  The remainder of the period looked to be pretty even, but it was BU who would come out on top, as Zach Cohen tipped in a Matt Gilroy shot to put the Terriers up for good.

“I was just in front of the net and Vinny and [Luke] Popko were making a nice play in the corner, got it out to Gilroy,” Cohen said. “He took a shot, and I got a little stick on it, went off the post and in.” - USCHO

In the second period, Joe Marsh’s Saints generated plenty of opportunities, but were unable to break through Kieran Millan.  Instead, it would be the Terriers who put a few more on the board, with Colin Wilson burying a Chris Higgins feed on the power play, and John McCarthy and Kevin Shattenkirk teaming up for a shorthanded goal.  Chris Higgins earned his 100th career point on the power play, becoming the 75th Terrier to do so.

“It’s an honor just to be in such great company,” Higgins said. “I had a couple chances tonight. I figured when I missed that shot in the second period that maybe it’s not my night tonight, but I was glad to get it out of the way tonight so I can just start focusing on BC [next weekend] .” - USCHO

BU played a defensive game in the third, staying out of the penalty box and turning away St. Lawrence opportunities to earn their ninth win of the season.  On a night where a few regulars were benched, one who returned (Nick Bonino), seemed to play much better after taking a night off.

The Good

• BU generated many nice opportunities, passing well, putting the Saints on their heels.
• Kieran Millan looked very solid in net, and with Grant Rollheiser potentially out with a groin injury, he might be needed for two next week against Boston College.
• The defense seemed much more in control, taking care of things in their own zone much better.

The Bad

• The PK might need to be a bit sharper, limiting the shots that are allowed.  The SHG was nice, but some of the tip-ins in front need to be avoided, along with the screened shots.
• Boston College is better than any team BU has played recently… they’ll need to do better to beat BC.

None of the guys that I mentioned in the game preview ended up playing (doh!)!  It’s ok though, I was happy with the solid performance and win last night.  Next weekend provides a much bigger challenge with Boston College for a home and home.  The atmosphere will be electric, and I’ve already gotten my tickets.

Are.  You.  Ready?

Image Source: Hockey East Online

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!