BOX SCORE
BOSTON ??? Kevin Schaeffer came up big for the Boston University men???s ice hockey team, scoring with 40 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Terriers over the U.S. National Under-18 Team, 3-2, in an in-season exhibition game at Agganis Arena on Oct. 29. Freshman Brandon Yip (Maple Ridge, B.C.) had a three-point outing for BU with a goal and two assists, while sophomore goaltender Karson Gillespie (Mankota, Sask.) made 24 saves in net.
After allowing Team USA to get a two-goal lead, the Terriers got on the board near the end of the second period and got the equalizer with just under 1:30 to go in the game to force the extra session. Joe Palmer had a strong showing in net for the United States, stopping 43 shots as BU out shot the U-18s, 46-26.
???Under difficult circumstances, I thought we played pretty well as the game progressed,??? said BU Head Coach Jack Parker, who was facing off against one of his own in John Hynes, head coach of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, who played under Parker from 1993-97. ???Difficult circumstances were that it was an exhibition game for us, but a big game for them.
???It gave us a chance to let some other guys play and I thought they played very well,??? continued Parker.
Not a minute into the game and Team USA had already given the Terriers reason to take the 17-year-olds seriously when Patrick Kane sent a pass from the right boards in the BU zone to Trent Palm at the point. Palm took a slap shot and Ryan Flynn tipped it in for the early 1-0 lead.
Kane assisted in getting his team another goal at 8:56 when he passed in front of the net to James O???Brien for a wrister from the left faceoff circle with the man advantage.
The U.S. lead lasted through the remainder of the first and much of the second period, until Yip put one in on the power play from the right post at 14:29 after junior Sean Sullivan (Braintree, Mass.) battled through the Red, White and Blue and fed the puck to the rookie who also scored in each of the Terriers??? last two games. The goal came at the tail end of a five-minute major, which also included a game disqualification, called on Jamie McBain. The penalty was one of 14 called on a physical Team USA throughout the game.
Freshman Chris Higgins (Lynnfield, Mass.) kept the Terriers in the game when he took a pass from Yip and put it five-hole from the right side at 18:35.
BU put the pressure on in overtime, out shooting Team USA, 8-2, and converting on the power play at 4:20. Yip got the puck from senior captain Brad Zancanaro (Trenton, Mich.) and dropped it back to Schaeffer at the point, who took a slap shot that beat Palmer high on his glove side for the win.
The Terriers were 2-for-10 on the power play, while Team USA was 1-for-6.
BU returns to action on Friday (Nov. 4) versus Hockey East???s new addition, Vermont, at 7:00 p.m. at Agganis Arena.
To purchase tickets for Terrier home games, or for more information, click here or visit the Ticket Office at 925 Commonwealth Avenue, Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., or call 617-353-GOBU (4628).
