Boston College Athletics
Boston College
6-5-0, 2-3-0HEA
Massachusetts
3-6-0, 1-5-0HEA
Men's Hockey Downs Sweeps UMass in 5-3 Win
November 21, 2014 | Men's Hockey
AMHERST, Mass. - The Boston College men's hockey team used a pair of goals by sophomore Chris Calnan and a three-point performance by sophomore defenseman Noah Hanifin to pick up its second-straight road victory after downing Massachusetts, 5-3, on Friday night at the Mullins Center.
In victory, head coach Jerry York became the winningest coach in Boston College hockey history. Heading into Friday's contest, York was even with his former coach John "Snooks" Kelley at 501 total victories. Following the 5-3 decision, York holds the claim as both the winningest coach at his alma mater (502-244-15) and in college hockey history (969-582-102)
Calnan and Hanifin found the back of the net along with seniors Cam Spiro and Quinn Smith in the Eagles' second Hockey East triumph of the season
Sophomore goaltender Thatcher Demko did not face much rubber but still turning in a strong 18-save performance to anchor the BC defense. Boston College outshot UMass, 30-21.
Both clubs finished 1-for-5 on the power play while Calnan's marker at 15:24 of the first frame represented the Eagles' extra-man strike
Despite the Eagles dominating the majority of the contest, UMass jumped out of the chute and lit the lamp first 46 seconds after the opening draw to post a quick 1-0 lead.
The Minutemen won the draw and Steven Iacobellis slipped a pass through a couple Eagles to Ray Pigozzi on the blue line. With a step on his pursuers, Pigozzi tricked Demko with a quick snap shot to the right side of the net.
Following Massachusetts' opening strike, Calnan answer the call on the power play 14 seconds after a Frank Vatrano hooking callk at 15:10. Hanifin quarterbacked the blue from just within the blue line and deferred to sophomore Scott Savage for the one-timer blast. Calnan positioned himself on the far post and redirected Savage's slapshot past UMass goaltender Henry Dill at 15:24 to tie it up, 1-1.
With momentum of its side, Boston College took its first lead of the night exactly a minute later after Spiro's heavy forechecking yielded a 2-1 Eagles' lead.
Hanifin dumped the puck back up the ice into UMass territory and Spiro collapsed on the play. As Massachusetts tried to wheel it back around, Spiro forced an errant pass right on his stick atop the left circle. Spiro took two strides and crafted a nifty wrist shot over Dill's glove at 16:24.
The second period was more of a defensive standoff as the teams combined for 11 shots, total, but Smith used some puck luck to give the Eagles' a two-goal lead at 15:44.
Sophomore Austin Cangelosi aided Hanifin in busting up a play in the Eagles' end. Hanifin gathered the loose puck and turned it up ice, leaving it off for Smith on the red line along the half wall. Smith continued up the left side and tried to connect with Hanifin flanking through the center of UMass' zone, but Smith's puck bounced off of Oleg Yevenko's skate towards the net. The carom duped Dill and gave BC a 3-1 advantage heading into the third period.
Massachusetts cashed in on a sophomore Matthew Gaudreau hooking call at 3:12 of the third period to make it a one-goal game once again.
Troy Power stood in front of Demko and redirected a Ben Gallacher blast from the point at 3:50 to cut into BC's lead, 3-2.
Just over two minutes later, sophomore Adam Gilmour stood tall in front of a Minutemen attempt and flung the carom up ice to Calnan along the wall. Calnan went from blue line to blue line, and once he reached UMass' zone, he put his head down and crashed the net. Calnan got a shot off just in front and beat Dill at 6:00 to reclaim a two-goal edge, 4-2.
Smith hooked up with Brendan Silk in the neutral zone and curling around and hitting Hanifin with the pass, the rookie defenseman took over from there. Hanifin accepted the pass in stride, crafted a quick deke and roofed brisk wrist shot to close out UMass, 5-3.
With the victory, Boston College swept the regular-season series against UMass. Including tonight's win, BC defeated UMass, 4-1, on Oct. 25, 2014, at Kelley Rink.
The Eagles return home to host Maine in the first meeting of the season tomorrow night at Kelley Rink. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Game Notes
- Jerry York is now the winning coach of all-time in Boston College history, claiming his 502nd win on The Heights in his 21st as head coach at BC.
- Chris Calnan not only recorded his first-career two-goal game, each variety of goal was also a first for the sophomore. Calnan scored his first-career power play late in the first period while his strike midway through the third period stood as BC's game-winning goal, also a career first.
- Freshman defenseman Noah Hanifin registered his first-career three-point performance as an Eagle. The Norwood, Mass., native has dominated UMass as his first-career multi-point performance occurred in the form of two assists against the Minutemen on Oct. 25. Hanifin's second-career goal coupled with two assists marks a seaon.
- Quinn Smith logged his seventh-career two-point performance with a goal and an assist on Friday night. The last time Smith registered a pair of points was at Northeastern on Nov. 2, 2013.
