Boston College
UMass - Hockey East Quarterfinals
Hockey Downs Massachusetts, 5-1, To Advance To Conference Semifinals
March 12, 2005 | Men's Hockey
March 12, 2005
Sophomore forward Joe Rooney registered two goals and one assist to pace Boston College to a 5-1 victory over Massachusetts and advance the top-seeded Eagles to the semifinal round of the Hockey East playoffs.
BC defeated UMass, 3-2, in overtime on Friday night to gain a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three quarterfinal-round series.
Boston College (23-6-7) scored on 3-of-5 power-play chances, while also converting one shorthanded goal. Massachusetts (13-23-2) was scoreless on five power-play opportunities.
For the second straight night, Massachusetts got on the board first. Freshman forward Matt Burto netted an unassisted goal 42 seconds into the contest.
BC senior captain Ryan Shannon evened the score with a power-play goal at 14:18 of the first period. Shannon took the pass from Brian Boyle at the point and hit a low slapshot at Massachusetts goaltender Gabe Winer. The shot cruised past the right skate of Winer and into the net.
Junior assistant captain Patrick Eaves put the home team on top with a shorthanded tally at 16:31. Andrew Alberts started the play in BC's zone. Alberts, in clearing the puck, found a rushing Shannon down the left half boards. In a foot race, Shannon beat his man wide and dished the puck to Eaves along the right post, who netted the puck for his 19th goal of the season.
Rooney scored the only goal of the second period, beating Winer on the power play at 4:45. Eaves took the puck from the left slot and shot a hard pass to Rooney who was camped at far post. Rooney banged home the wrister.
Senior assistant captain Ryan Murphy gave BC a 4-1 cushion, netting the Eagles' lone even-strength goal at 8:20. Rooney set up Murphy in similar fashion, dishing the puck to him at far post for the easy tally.
Rooney's power-play tally at 11:08 completed the scoring. He broke out of a scrum, made a quick rush at the net and beat Winer top-shelf.
Eaves and Shannon joined Rooney in the three-point club. Each player added two assists to his goal. Senior assistant captain Andrew Alberts and sophomore forward Brian Boyle each tallied two assists.
Freshman Cory Schneider returned to the BC net for the first time since suffering a knee injury against Harvard on Feb. 14. Schneider made 16 stops to raise his season record to 10-0-4.
Winer made 21 saves in 52:41. Senior Tim Warner stopped two shots in the final 7:19.
Fifth-ranked Boston College returns to action in the Hockey East Tournament's semifinal round on Friday, March 18.
