Jan. 31, 2014
Box Score | Video Highlights
AMHERST, Mass. - Sophomore Matt O'Connor made 46 saves as the Boston University men's ice hockey team skated to a 3-3 draw with Massachusetts on Friday evening at the Mullins Center.
BU scored to take a 3-1 lead early in the third but the Minutemen rallied back, drawing with one at 12:35 before getting the game-tying goal from freshman Ray Pigozzi on a redirect from the bottom of the left circle with just 50 seconds left in regulation.
Junior Cason Hohmann opened the scoring and added an assist while sophomores Ahti Oksanen and Mike Moran also found the back of the net for the Terriers, who will head into Monday's Beanpot semifinal with an overall record of 8-14-3 with a 3-8-2 Hockey East mark. UMass moves to 7-16-4 and 3-8-3 in Hockey East play.
For just the second time in their last 10 visits to Amherst, the Terriers got on the board first. Hohmann knocked home the puck at the left post 12:50 into the first with assists going to freshmen Nick Roberto and Dalton MacAfee.
The Minutemen used a power play to get an equalizer before the first intermission, as senior Branden Gracel scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season off a rebound with 54 seconds left in the opening period.
A UMass turnover allowed BU to regain the lead, as sophomore Matt Lane moved the puck up the left side to Hohmann to create a 2-on-1 rush with Roberto. With a UMass defender racing back to cover Roberto, Hohmann found Oksanen trailing before leaving a drop pass for the blueliner that he one-timed to the back of the net from between the circles at 7:44.
BU was unable to convert on a 5-on-3 advantage early in the third, but ended up getting a key insurance goal when the teams were back to even strength. Moran sent home his own rebound from the right circle to make it a 3-1 contest with 15:58 left in regulation. Freshmen Kevin Duane and T.J. Ryan earned helpers on the play.
After allowing a combined 38 UMass shots - of which 37 werew saved by O'Connor - in the first two periods, the BU defense didn't allow the home squad to register a third-period shot until over eight minutes into the stanza.
BU nearly made it a 4-1 contest, as sophomore Danny O'Regan sprung junior Evan Rodrigues on a breakaway. The shot by Rodrigues appeared to go off UMass netminder Steve Mastalerz and over the goal line before the net was knocked off its moorings when the two collided. The call on the ice was no-goal, however, and a video replay upheld the call.
Senior Conor Sheary made it a one-goal game with 7:25 left in regulation on a one-timer off a rolling puck from right above the hashmarks.
With Steve Mastalerz pulled in favor of an extra attacker, an attempt by senior Adam Phillips was tipped in by Pigozzi to send it to overtime.
Mastalerz made 19 saves for the Minutmen, who went 1-for-7 on the power play. The Terriers came up empty on seven chances with the man advantage.
BU will return to action on Monday (Feb. 3) when it takes on No. 2 Boston College in the first round of the 62nd Beanpot at TD Garden. Game time is set for 8 p.m.
