Terriers Skate To 6-4 Win Over Nebraska Omaha
October 25, 2002 | Men's Ice Hockey
| Game Statistics | Season Statistics |
The Terrier hockey team scored a pair of third-period goals and freshman goalie Stephan Siwiec had a successful collegiate debut as B.U. skated to a 6-4 win over the University of Nebraska Omaha in front of 3189 fans at B.U.'s Walter Brown Arena on Friday night (October 25th).
The victory improved B.U.'s overall record to 2-1-2, while the Mavericks slipped to a 2-3 record.
With the score knotted at 4-4 early in the third period, Terrier freshman John Laliberte stole the puck deep in the Nebraska Omaha zone, skated from left to right in front of Maverick goalie Dan Ellis, and lifted the puck high to the stick side of the goalie for what proved to be the winning goal at the 2:17 mark of the third period.
Terrier sophomore Brian McConnell added an insurance goal at 16:17 of the period when he scored while the Terriers were a man down.
B.U. had jumped to a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period on goals by sophomore Justin Maiser and junior Gregg Johnson. Johnson's goal came on a penalty shot after Nebraska Omaha's Greg Zanon threw his stick at the puck while Johnson was coming in on a breakaway. Scotty Turner scored the Mavericks' goal on the UNO power play, one of three goals they scored while skating with a man advantage.
Each team scored twice in the second period. Sophomores David Klema and Matt Radoslovich scored for the Terriers-Rodoslovich's was the first of his collegiate career. In the meantime, Nebraska Omaha countered with goals by Zanon and Mike Lefley, as the Terriers led by a 4-3 margin entering the third period.
When Aaron Smith scored for the Mavericks just 1:28 into the final period, the score was tied. However, it was short-lived as Laliberte put the Terriers ahead for good just 49 seconds later, at 2:17. All that was left was McConnell's icing-on-the-cake goal.
Siwiec, who was dressed but did not play in the Terriers' first four games, had to make just 16 saves in the B.U. goal. Ellis, a highly touted goalie when the season began, had 34 saves in the UNO goal.
"After the way we played at Merrimack on Tuesday night (a lackluster 5-3 loss by the Terriers), we all knew we had to bounce back tonight," Laliberte said after the game. "We knew we had to play better, and we wanted to get going."
Laliberte then reflected on his game-winning goal, which came less than a minute after the Mavericks had tied the game.
"On the bench, we just said let's get going again," he said. "Then, I got on the ice and got control of the puck deep in their zone. I skated and looked where I had to shoot. Coach (Parker) said to shoot high stick side on this goalie, and that's what I did."
Parker was pleased overall with his team's performance especially after its effort at Merrimack.
"This is the type of game we have to play," said the coach. "We controlled them in our zone and, with the exception of their power play, we didn't give them much shots."
Of the Mavericks' 20 total shots, five came on the power play.
"I liked our territorial advantage tonight," said the coach. "I thought all the forwards played hard tonight. It was night and day from the way they played at Merrimack. I told the team that when you don't respect your opponent, you are going to get beat.
"Tonight, I also wanted to see how Stephan (Siwiec) would play in goal," Parker continued. "I thought when the game got tight he come up with some big saves."
"I thought B.U. deserved to win tonight," said Maverick coach Mike Kemp. "From the opening faceoff, they had a real jump. We made some made some mistakes out there, and you can't do that when you play a team with the talent they have.
"But, I think we will grow from this," concluded Kemp.
