Led by two goals from sophomore Ross Gaudet, the Boston University men’s hockey team rolled to a 6-2 win over the No. 14/15 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Friday night at Agganis Arena.
The multi-goal effort was the first of Gaudet’s career. The Burlington native now has seven goals on the season ‘-‘- the first seven of his career after missing all of last season due to injury.
‘I came into the year just wanting to get into the lineup, and then hoping to work my way in,’ Gaudet said. ‘The fourth-line player is a grinder, and that’s how I started out. Things have been working out for me. I’ve been fortunate enough to get a few goals here and there.’
BU (9-11-3, 7-9-2 Hockey East) junior Nick Bonino added three assists for the Terriers, giving him 100 points for his career. Junior Colby Cohen added a goal and an assist for BU, while sophomore goalie Kieran Millan made 39 saves against the Minutemen (16-10-0, 11-8-0).
Friday marked the first time that Bonino centered a line with Gaudet and junior Joe Pereira at his wings. The line generated two even-strength goals, and compiled a combined plus-7 rating.
‘I think [Bonino’s] the type of guy where he needs some energy guys to play with,’ Parker said about putting Bonino between Gaudet and Pereira. ‘By giving Nick the two other guys, he’s playing with a lot more pace.’
Bonino assisted on the first two goals of the game ‘-‘- both scored by Gaudet ‘-‘- and added a third assist on a shorthanded goal by senior Luke Popko in the third period. The third assist put Bonino at the century mark for points in his college career
‘He’s a terrific offensive performer,’ Parker said. ‘He’s had his struggles. He got hurt earlier in the year and that set him back.
‘His skill is his biggest enemy because he’s so talented with the puck that he wants to play with his hands and beat guys dangling, and he can do it, but he’s much more effective when he’s dangling while he’s moving his feet. He’s much more effective when he’s getting into people and getting the puck instead of reaching for it.’
‘There were three or four instances [Friday] where he was five feet away from the guy and decided to go right through the guy and get his stick right on the puck instead of trying to be cute with it, trying to grab it. I think that pays off for him and it obviously pays off for us.’
Bonino picked up his first assist late in the first period, when he took in the puck in the right corner of the UMass zone. The junior brought Minuteman Chase Langeraap to his knees with some fancy puck work, then passed to senior Eric Gryba at the right point, who ripped a shot at net.
UMass goalie Paul Dainton (31 saves) stopped the initial shot, but couldn’t control the rebound, which bounced out to the low-slot. Gaudet found the puck there, and with Dainton stuck to the right post, lifted a shot into a wide-open cage for his sixth goal of the season.
Gaudet’s second tally came with 4:33 left in the second period off a faceoff win by Bonino. The draw came back to Gaudet in the upper third of the left faceoff circle, where the sophomore rocketed a shot off the crossbar that bounced down into the goal area.
Gaudet’s second goal kick started a 2:56 span in which BU scored three goals and UMass added another. Cohen followed Gaudet’s tally with a power-play score, and then after Minuteman Brian Keane put home his second goal of the season, BU struck again with another power-play goal, this one off the stick of sophomore Vinny Saponari.
Game Notes:
Friday’s win marked the fourth consecutive game that BU allowed their opponents 35 or more shots on net. Terrier opponents have averaged 41.25 shots per game over that span . . . BU’s 16 points in Hockey East leave them in sixth position, two points behind the No. 16 University of Massachusetts-Lowell, who the Terriers play Friday night.
