It had to happen eventually.
Proud owners of a hard earned three-game unbeaten streak since Dec. 30, the Boston University men’s hockey team succumbed to its first lackluster effort of the “second season” last night against Dartmouth College, dropping a 3-2 decision in front of 4,446 fans at Agganis Arena.
Following a dominant opening 40 minutes in which the BU built a 2-1 lead on a 19-8 shot advantage, the Big Green rallied for a two-goal third period to stun the Terriers (6-11-3).
“Dartmouth played a real smart road game,” said BU coach Jack Parker. “As the game progressed, they played harder and harder and harder, and as the game progressed, we didn’t play hard enough.”
“We let them hang around all night,” said newly reinstated BU co-captain Brian McGuirk. “We made a few mental mistakes and they capitalized. You can’t let teams hang around; you’ve got to finish them. We didn’t do that tonight.
“Tonight we took a step back.”
The victory marked Dartmouth’s first win over BU since January 1982, as the Terriers entered the contest riding a nine-game unbeaten streak over the Big Green (7-8-1).
The win’s historical significance came as a surprise to Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet.
“I’m not much of a history buff,” Gaudet said. “I didn’t realize it to tell you the truth. I was pleased that our guys were able to get a road win. BU is a very good team that plays their butts off for every play of the game.”
With the score tied at two and 1:38 left in regulation, Dartmouth leading scorer J.T. Wyman claimed a loose puck in the neutral zone and raced to the goalmouth before unloading a wrist shot through BU goaltender Brett Bennett’s five-hole.
“That was a big time goal by Wyman,” Parker said. “That was a great goal. He just blew by our defenseman and drove it — he’s a good player.”
Wyman’s game-winner came mere moments after a goal from BU freshman Joe Pereira was nullified due to an offsides call.
Sophomore Rob Smith backhanded a wrap-around bid past Bennett 5:24 into the second, but BU’s Jason Lawrence (6:16) and Bryan Ewing (10:48) responded with unanswered goals later in the session. Lawrence swooped in from behind the net and jammed the puck between the left post and the skate of Dartmouth goaltender Mike Devine (31 saves), while Ewing powered home a high-arching wrist shot from the slot.
Defenseman John Gibson beat Bennett with a slap shot from the point 7:15 into the third, setting the stage for Wyman’s strike nearly 11 minutes later.
“When we started the third period, we got jumpy with the puck,” Parker said. “We started worrying about losing.”
Parker pulled Bennett (14 saves) with 1:21 remaining, but the presence of the extra attacker proved inconsequential.
As the Terriers chip away at their Hockey East-heavy schedule over the final two months, McGuirk identifies the team’s recurrent lapses in focus as a major concern.
“As a team we need to understand the significance and importance of each game,” McGuirk. “We just gave away two points. We had two points, but we let them slip away.
“We let off the gas tonight and it bit us.”
NEWS ‘ NOTES
The setback marked the 400th loss of Parker’s coaching career . . . The Terriers were without junior center Chris Higgins, who suffered from flu-like symptoms before the game. Parker expects the forward to return to the lineup Friday at Merrimack College . . . Senior goaltender Karson Gillespie, who sustained a high ankle sprain in practice last week, will be out of action for three to four weeks, Parker said.
