The Boston University men’s hockey team improved its record to 5-1 after two home wins against the University of Maine. The Terriers bested the Black Bears with a 3-2 overtime win Friday before thumping Maine 5-1 Saturday.
Terrier senior defenseman David Farrance did not waste any time getting the scoring started. Not even two minutes into the game, Farrance glided into a shooting position before rifling home the puck from the point. The shot proved to be too much for Maine’s freshman goaltender Victor Ostman and BU grabbed an early lead.
The Terriers were looking to add to their advantage with a power play goal late in the first period. Meanwhile, Maine had other plans. Junior forward Adam Dawe galloped into BU’s zone and controlled the puck on the near face-off circle. Dawe whipped a shot past freshman goaltender Drew Commesso — the attempt appeared to catch Commesso off guard, and the puck snuck past him to tie the score at one a side.
Early on in the second period, BU was looking to use its speed to get past Maine’s defense. Sophomore forward Sam Stevens delivered the puck right to Farrance’s stick, who then laid an outlet pass to sophomore forward Markus Boguslavsky. Boguslavsky finished right under the bar off the rush to give the Terriers a 2-1 advantage.
In the middle of the third period, Black Bear freshman forward Brad Morrissey rocketed the puck past Commesso to tie the contest at two apiece. The freshman’s blast would be the last score of regulation, and either team would need an extra period to take the game. Skating three against three, BU was looking for its second overtime win — their first being last week’s game two match against the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
With more ice to work with, sophomore defenseman Domenick Fensore went on a tour of BU’s offensive zone. After luring two defenders toward him, he dropped the puck to sophomore forward Robert Mastrosimone near the blue line.
With nothing but space to skate into, the sophomore gained some momentum before firing the puck into the back of the net from atop the right circle. Mastrosimone’s first goal of the season gave BU another overtime win, this time by a 3-2 final.
Commesso finished the game with 23 saves on 25 shots. The penalty kill proved to be a strong point for BU — the Black Bears came up empty five times on the man advantage.
“Obviously it’s awesome for me getting my first [goal] of the season out of the way,” Mastrosimone said in a post-game interview. “But, more importantly, it’s a huge goal for the team, huge win for the team. We battled that game and we stuck with it all the way through.”
Both teams were back for round two at Walter Brown Arena Saturday afternoon. With just over six minutes into the first period, the Terriers would again strike first.
Freshman forward Nick Zabaneh corralled the puck on the near wall and delivered a pass to Farrance, who snuck down from the blue line. Once Farrance got control of the puck, he found forward Dylan Peterson through a maze of Black Bears. The freshman then buried a shot top shelf to give BU another first-period lead.
Peterson has scored in three of his past four games. Each of his goals so far have been in the opening 20 minutes.
BU began the second period leading 1-0. The Terriers then headed to the power play looking to give themselves an insurance score. Farrance drew attention from Maine by cutting closer to the middle of the ice.
He then softly laid a pass behind his back to a waiting Jay O’Brien. The sophomore forward then rifled a goal from the point, giving BU a 2-0 advantage. The O’Brien blast would be the lone power play score the Terriers would muster against Maine in 10 chances over the series.
Before the second period ended, Mastrosimone capped off an impressive individual effort with a score off the rush. The sophomore’s tally would swell BU’s lead to 3-0 heading into the final period of the weekend.
Not yet a minute into the third, the Terriers had their foot on the gas looking for their fourth goal of the contest. Mastrosimone again showed his speed, as he busted through the neutral zone.
While the forward avoided a check and kept possession of the puck, he slid a pass over to his linemate, Luke Tuch. From the left circle, the freshman forward snapped home a goal off the rush. BU’s lead expanded to 4-0 with 19 minutes remaining.
Looking to spoil a shut-out for Commesso, Dawe added his second score of the series on a wrap-around goal while the Black Bears were on the power play.
Less than a minute later, O’Brien gained the red-line before burying an empty net attempt. The score ballooned to 5-1, which was the final tally of the contest.
Commesso finished with 30 saves on 31 Black Bears shots. He was terrific on the penalty kill, sliding across the crease and dealing with traffic in front of him.
Farrance has started the season in an offensive groove. He has tallied 14 points in the first six Terrier contests. The BU alternate captain is again in the running for the Hobey Baker Award.
The Terriers concluded the weekend with back-to-back home wins. They have not lost since Commesso was pulled in a 7-3 defeat to Providence College in BU’s season opener. The Terriers do not currently have their next matchup scheduled.
