Boston College
16-10-1, 12-7-1HE
New Hampshire
9-14-2, 6-11-1HE
Almeida's OT Goals Lifts BC Past UNH, 3-2
January 28, 2012 | Men's Hockey
Jan. 28, 2012
DURHAM, N.H. - Senior alternate captain Barry Almeida broke a 2-2 tie with a power-play goal at 3:27 of overtime to lift seventh-ranked Boston College to a 3-2 Hockey East victory over New Hampshire - and a three-game regular-season sweep of the Wildcats - before a sellout crowd of 6,501 fans at the Whittemore Center.
With New Hampshire forward Kevin Goumas in the penalty box for tripping, Almeida gathered a loose puck in the slot and beat goaltender Casey DeSmith (34 saves) with assists to senior captain Tommy Cross and junior forward Chris Kreider with 1:33 left in the five-minute overtime session.
Almeida, who also scored the game's first goal just three minutes, 24 seconds into the game, scored Nos. 15-16 on the season while Kreider also tallied two points - one goal and one assist - for Boston College, which captured its first three-game series sweep of the Wildcats since the 1989-90 campaign.
BC captured a 5-1 victory over New Hampshire in Durham on Oct. 15 and earned consecutive one-goal wins - a 4-3 win in Chestnut Hill last night and a 3-2 win in Durham tonight - to earn the three-game sweep.
Boston College led 2-1 after the opening period on even-strength goals from Almeida (3:24) and Kreider (16:08).
New Hampshire scored its first goal of the game - a man-advantage tally - at 8:05 from defenseman Brett Kostolansky. The host Wildcats evened the score on the only goal of the middle period at 18:48 on Mike Borisenok's fifth goal of the year.
The Eagles outshot the Wildcats, 37-33, with a 19-10 advantage in its scoreless middle frame.
Junior goaltender Parker Milner made 31 saves to capture the victory, his second in as many nights and his 12th of the season.
BC finished 1-for-4 with a man advantage while New Hampshire went 1-for-6 on the power play.
Next, Boston College will face Northeastern in the first round of the 60th annual Beanpot on Monday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m.
Team Records: Boston College 16-10-1, 11-7-1 Hockey East; New Hampshire 9-14-2, 6-11-1 HE
Game Notes: Senior defenseman Edwin Shea notched the primary assist on Almeida's first-period goal and finished a game-high +2 ... BC attempted 19 second-period shots and finished scoreless on three power-play opportunities ... The team improved to 5-0-2 in its last seven games at the Whittemore Center ... BC's senior class improved to 9-3-2 in 14 previous meetings against New Hampshire in the last four years.
