Dec. 7, 2007

Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. - The Boston University men's ice hockey team dropped a 4-3 road contest to UMass Lowell on Friday evening at Tsongas Arena. Freshman Nick Bonino scored a pair of goals for the Terriers, who fall to 4-10-2 on the year with a 3-6-1 Hockey East mark.

BU scored on the first shift of the game and Bonino recorded his first goal of the game early on in the second period to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. The River Hawks, however, reeled off four unanswered goals and held off the Terriers in the closing minutes to come away with the victory.

Freshman goaltender Adam Kraus made his collegeiate debut for the Terriers and made 23 saves, stopping the first 15 shots he faced before the River Hawks started their four-goal run. Sophomore Nevin Hamilton recorded 22 saves to pick up the win in goal for UMass Lowell, which improves to 6-4-4 overall with an even 4-4-4 league mark.

The River Hawks held a slim 27-25 advantage in shots. The teams were whistled for only five combined penalties and there were a total of three power play opportunities in the game. All seven goals came at even strength.

The Terriers wasted little time in securing a lead, as junior Chris Higgins backhanded a puck past sophomore netminder Nevin Hamilton on the first shift of the contest. Seniors Ryan Weston, who was moved up to the top line, and Pete MacArthur picked up an assists on the goal, which came 34 seconds after the opening faceoff.

Four freshmen teamed up to give the Terriers a 2-0 lead at 4:34 of the second. Kevin Shattenkirk passed the puck along the right boards to Joe Pereira, who dropped it off for Colin Wilson. Wilson found Bonino, who skated around the right circle before wristing a shot to the back of the net for his third goal of the season.

The River Hawks, however, were able to knot the game before the second period came to a close. Sophomore Kory Falite, who went on to score the eventual game-winning goal in the third, set up freshman Todd Bartelson's first career goal at the 11:03 mark of the middle stanza. The equalizer came with just 34 seconds left in the period, as freshman Todd Campbell tucked a rebound inside the left post.

Freshman Ryan Blair became the second River Hawk to tally his first collegiate tally when he put his team up for good at 11:19 of the third. Just 16 seconds later, Falite redirected an offering from freshman Maury Edwards to the top right of the net. It was Edwards' second assist of the night.

After being a bit stunned by the four-goal spurt by the River Hawks, the Terriers tried to get back into the contest and were able to cut the two-goal deficit in half with 4:29 left in regulation. Bonino intercepted a clearing attempt by Lowell and went all the way in to secure the first multi-goal game of his career.

That would be the final goal of the game, however, as UMass Lowell held off the visitors, including 1:09 with an extra attacker.

BU will return to action on Saturday (Dec. 8) when it welcomes the U.S. National Under-18 Team to Agganis Arena for a contest beginning at 7 p.m.