Oct. 27, 2012
Box Score | Video Highlights
AMHERST, Mass. - Senior Sean Escobedo scored off a rebound with 1:22 left in regulation to lift the No. 13 Boston University men's ice hockey team to a thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind road win over Massachusetts on Saturday evening at the Mullins Center.
Faced with a 2-0 deficit just over a minute into the second period, BU was able to make it a 2-2 game heading into the third before Escobedo's late heroics.
The Terriers completed a weekend home-and-home sweep to improve to 3-1-0 both overall and in Hockey East play. UMass falls to 1-3-0 on the year with a 0-3-0 league mark. Head coach Jack Parker did not make the trip to Amherst, as he is still recovering from a back injury that kept him from being on the bench in Friday's 5-2 victory at Agganis Arena.
The winning goal came on a rush set up initially with a pass from senior Matt Nieto to freshman Danny O'Regan, who skated up the left side before firing a shot that was initially saved by UMass netminder Kevin Boyle.
O'Regan and Escobedo charged in towards the rebound and Escobedo - who was celebrating his 22nd birthday today - chopped at the puck and popped it over Boyle and into the net for his first goal of the season.
Freshman goaltender Matt O'Connor turned in another impressive performance, stopping the last 25 shots he faced as part of a career-best 34-save performance.
In addition to assisting on the game-winner, Nieto provided the game-tying goal. O'Regan and junior Garrett Noonan each recorded two assists on the night and Escobedo registered a game-high five blocked shots.
For the first time this season, BU did not get on the board first. UMass earned that honor when freshman Shane Walsh scored his first collegiate goal off a power play with 3:11 left in the first.
After a save by O'Connor, the Terriers struggled to get a clear and the puck made its way to Walsh, who converted from the left circle.
Looking for an equalizer on a power-play chance of its own early in the second, BU instead gave up a shorthanded breakaway to senior Rocco Carzo that senior Wade Megan thwarted at the cost of a penalty shot.
Carzo took the penalty shot after being taken down on the tripping call and he converted it, beating O'Connor stick side at 1:06 of the second.
BU started its comeback on a wild scramble in front of the UMass goal, as Megan poked in the puck to stretch his goal-scoring streak to three games. Noonan and sophomore Evan Rodrigues got the first shots off to pick up assists on the play.
The Terriers used a power play to knot up the game at the 14:46 mark of the second. Skating on a rush, O'Regan moved in on the right before sending a pass to the slot, where Nieto was there for a tip in that eluded Boyle.
Boyle finished the night with 32 saves. BU was 1-of-4 on the power play while the Minutemen were 1-of-6 with the man advantage.
The Terriers return to action next weekend when they head west to face No. 4 North Dakota in a two-game weekend series. The opener on Friday will start at 8:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on NESN and Fox College Sports Central.
