By Scott Weighart, GoTerriers.com Staff Writer

BOSTON – If Boston University had lost this epic Beanpot semifinal, the Terriers would have been able to cite a long list of reasons why it just wasn't their night.

They went down 2-0 within the first eight minutes after the puck dropped.

After battling back to 2-1 in the second period, they gave up a deflating own goal late in the waning minutes of the period when a blind backhanded shot by BC left wing David Cotton bounced off the skate of freshman defenseman Alex Vlasic and into the net.

Still down 3-1 with under eight minutes left in regulation, BU roared back with three goals capped by freshman Robert Mastrosimone's apparent game winner with 1:42 left—only to have Patrick Curry sent to the penalty box on a questionable call, leading to BC tying it up on the subsequent power play with just under a minute left.

Even on the game winner in overtime, persistence was the key ingredient.  An initial shot by Alex Vlasic was followed by a rebound attempt from Alex Brink before freshman Wilmer Skoog finally buried it to end one of the wildest games in recent Beanpot history for the Terriers.

For senior Gabriel Chabot, the dramatic win set him and his classmates up for a final chance to win the tournament before graduation. "That was a crazy game with the highs, the lows, our end-of-game push, the late-game penalty, and then overtime," Chabot said. "It was one of the crazier games I've been a part of, and I'm so excited we won it."

"It was a wild game, for sure," BU coach Albie O'Connell said outside the BU locker room as the players blasted music in celebration. "I think that BC had a good game plan. They just kept putting pucks behind us, and then we sat on their wings with our D in the third period—got a little more aggressive on the forecheck and turned some pucks over."

The first beneficiary of BU's more aggressive third-period play was junior defenseman David Farrance, who made it 3-2 with 7:24 remaining.  "Just keep pushing," Farrance said of the attitude in the locker room when the team was down 3-1. "We knew going into the third period that we were two shots away from tying the game up. It was just a positive group in the locker room, and we couldn't be happier with the outcome."

The tide turned quickly and repeatedly in the final 10 minutes of regulation. BU had to kill a penalty on junior Logan Cockerill, but BC helped them out when Luke McInnis was called for interference on the ensuing Eagle power play. There was only 11 seconds of four-on-four play, but Patrick Harper made an outstanding play to get the puck to the net before his nifty backhand pass set up Farrance.

"Huge momentum change getting that first one before the four-on-four ended," Farrance. "Just a huge momentum shift after that first goal, and we needed it."  Sure enough, Harper sniped a high shot for the equalizer on the power play just 70 seconds later.

Curry acknowledged that the players were none too pleased through 40 minutes, so it was particularly satisfying to see the team overcome the adversity. "We knew we weren't beaten, but we needed a lot more out of everybody in there," Curry said. "It was good to see everybody step up to the plate. Our goaltender was great. We got the opportunity with the power play. Our power play is lethal. We think that every time we step on the ice, we can score. We hit 'em twice with two quick goals and just changed the outlook of the game."

Mastrosimone played like a man possessed just about all night, so it was fitting to see him rewarded with the go-ahead goal when freshman Trevor Zegras threaded a terrific pass from the right-wing boards to Mastrosimone crashing the far post.

"He was dynamite," O'Connell said of Mastrosimone. "He was bouncing off the walls before the game. You could tell that he was going to have a lot of energy tonight."

Although freshman Ashton Abel gave up four goals tonight, he also came up with 37 saves, including a few five-star stops in the second period. It's easy to forget that this was only the freshman's sixth collegiate game after joining the program in time for second semester. He got stronger as the game progressed and kept his team in it when they struggled to muster strong chances.

Likewise, another second-semester arrival was the overtime hero. This was only the eighth collegiate game for centerman Wilmer Skoog, so it's slightly mind-blowing that he has already notched two overtime game winners in his short stint to date as a Terrier—as well as a highlight-reel lacrosse-style goal. No wonder the players were chanting "Skoooooooog!" in the high-spirited postgame locker room.

"I mean, what a pickup by Albie at the Christmas break, right?" Farrance said. "I mean, wow. He's making a big name for himself, and I couldn't be happier that we have him on our side."
Curry said that the Beanpot semifinal win over archrival BC was his most satisfying moment as a Terrier—thus far at least. "Probably the best game so far—just the swings, the emotion, seeing the smiles on the guys' faces at the end of the game. It's something that you're never going to forget."

Of course, the Terriers still face a formidable opponent in two-time defending Northeastern next Monday night. But after tonight's win, the team's confidence is the highest it's been all season. "The belief in the room is awesome right now," Chabot said. "We're super-excited for every opportunity we get. We believe that we only need a couple of minutes to change a game, and we changed the game tonight."

"I think it will be a great game," Curry said. "I think that there will be a lot of energy in the building. I think we kind of owe them one. They got us in overtime in the [Beanpot] semifinal [last season] and in the [Hockey East] championship, so I think it's payback time."

So next Monday it will be the Terriers looking to top the Huskies for a dog-meet-dog Beanpot title. 

While it often seemed that it wouldn't be their night during the semifinal, it now seems like it could be their year in this one-of-a-kind tournament.