The man with the ripe-tomato-red hair hidden under his goalie mask picked the right time to become Cory Schneider again.

That is to say — for Boston University fans, it was the wrong time. As wrong as it could be.

When Boston University scored four times on 22 shots in a 4-1 win over BC last Wednesday, there was little visible trace of the first-round draft pick and former U.S. National Junior goalie — the same goalie who holds the Boston College record for shutouts and saves in a season (8 and 1,088 last year, respectively).

In that game, Schneider lived up to BU fans’ chants of “sieve.” On Saturday, in BC’s 5-2 win over BU at Agganis Arena, he was a sheet of steel.

“I thought Cory played terrific in net,” said BC coach Jerry York. “We always talk about good special teams, good goaltending and we had check-marks on both of those.”

Schneider has bounced in and out of character this season. Games like Saturday’s (38 saves) bring back memories of his freshman and sophomore seasons, in which he made a habit of making the BU faithful wince.

But this year, for every game like Saturday’s, there have been games like Wednesday’s (four goals, 18 saves), Notre Dame on Oct. 20 (6 goals, 24 saves), New Hampshire on Nov. 22 (6 goals, 26 saves) and even Vermont on Jan. 20 (3 goals, 14 saves).

His goals-against average, at 2.33, is the highest it’s been since he came to The Heights for the 2004-05 season. It’s not that high. But it’s definitely not Schneider. Regarded before the season started as one of the best goalies in the country, let alone Hockey East, he’s fallen to sixth in the conference and 20th in the country in goals-against and seventh in Hockey East in save percentage (.917).

During his freshman year, he allowed 1.90 per game. As a sophomore last year, when he had a stretch of 242:19 straight minutes without allowing a goal, he averaged 2.11.

Not to rely too much on numbers, but after enough games, “puck luck” evens itself out — flukes go both ways and the numbers tell an accurate enough story.

Granted, BC’s defense has not been the fire blanket it was during Schneider’s first two years – especially in his rookie season. But for a goalie that’s counted on to keep BC among the nation’s elite, the numbers have come up more than a bit short of where they should be.

“It’s a big lift,” Schneider said of his performance against BU. “I know how I’m capable of playing, and when I don’t play up to my standards, it’s really frustrating. I’m my own biggest critic. For this team to succeed, I need to be a big part of that. I know that, I understand that and that’s how it should be.”

On Wednesday, two BU goals came with Schneider out of position. Chris Higgins scored from behind the net by bouncing the puck off Schneider’s back, then the pipe, then his back again, then in the net. Pete MacArthur’s tough-angle slapper from the right boards found a hole between the post and Schneider, who did not square himself to the shot.

“Wednesday night, I let in a couple goals I’d like back,” Schneider said.

Outclassed by John Curry at home on Wednesday, Schneider took those goals back on Friday. And more.

“With Curry, it’s been amazing to watch how much he’s progressed in his four years here,” Schneider said. “Like coach said . . . I gotta out-play their guy every night. I thought Curry outplayed me the other night – not even close.”

The 40 shots on Friday were a season-high for the Terriers, and they weren’t weak ones, either. Many were cannonballs from in-close which Schneider just absorbed with every available pad or body part.

“I thought he played extremely well,” said BU coach Jack Parker. “I thought he’d have a terrific night after he had on Wednesday night — I don’t think he was anywhere near the goaltender he wants to be on Wednesday . . . We had opportunities, he made some good saves, some good in-tight saves.”

His most impressive sequence came before BU’s first goal. On a 5-on-3 power play, the Terriers attacked Schneider. In the hockey equivalent of a public stoning, the shots came from everywhere and from everyone. A rough estimate from York had the shot-count around eight in the barrage, and he probably lowballed the number.

Schneider turned all of them away — slappers, wristers, jams — until Matt Gilroy finally lifted a shot through traffic over the sprawled-out goalie.

With BU down, 3-2, in the third period, Schneider was at his best. Previously open sides of the net closed fast. With 3:18 gone in the third, Chris Higgins’ shot from the middle deflected to the left, right to Gilroy in front of an open net. Gilroy shot, and right before the puck could cross the crease, Schneider stuck a leg out to kick it away.

He faced 15 shots in the third alone. And as BU gathered momentum, Schneider cut out its legs.

“I expected him to come back after Wednesday and play his best game,” Curry said. “Definitely in the third period it was working for him.”

The next night, he relapsed, if only for a bit. UMass-Lowell scored three times on Schneider in four minutes, but his 11 third-period saves allowed BC to climb back for the 4-3 win.

The fate of BC hockey rests on his shoulders — he’s sixth in the nation in minutes played, at 1,442:15 — on a team that’s had some trouble scoring. And if Schneider keeps showing up like he did on Saturday, BU will feel some pressure for the second spot in Hockey East.

If not, things could get (red) hairy at The Heights.

“The past couple games have been a little frustrating,” Schneider said after the BU win. “Some puck-luck, not focusing on the puck the way I should be, but to get it going the way I did tonight is a really good feeling. I want to keep it going, and extend it into March and April.”

TURNAROUND IS FAIR PLAY

UMass-Amherst goalie Jon Quick’s more or less own goal against BU on Saturday may have involved a little bit of karma.

In the Minutemen’s 4-2 win over Merrimack on Jan. 6, Quick was credited with the game-winning goal after a Merrimack defensive miscue. With UMass on a delayed penalty, the Warriors pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. But a bad pass out to the point slid all the way across the ice into the unoccupied net. Quick was the last person to touch it — done before the penalty was called — and thus got credit for the goal, the first of his career.

“As I said about last night’s game, maybe turnaround is fair play,” said BU coach Jack Parker.

SCHAEFFER THE

SCORING THREAT?

Kevin Schaeffer’s two goals at UMass gave him six on the year, the most he’s had in any season at BU. He had five as a freshman, in which he tallied the first hat trick for a freshman defenseman at BU, and hasn’t come close since. In fact, he only scored six goals combined over his sophomore (2) and junior (4) seasons.