Higgins, Wilson propel Ice Dogs into NCAA title game

WASHINGTON ‘-‘- One year later, the situation presented itself once again.

There sat the Boston University men’s hockey team, trailing the University of Vermont in the third period with its season on the line. Playing against an opponent that rarely coughs up late-game leads, thinking back to last spring’s semifinal loss to the Catamounts in the Hockey East Tournament would have been a completely normal reaction for the Terriers.

As the final minutes ticked off the game clock at Verizon Center, they could have folded. They could have called it a season, one that has extended further than any over the last 12 years. But for a team that prides itself on desire, determination and the will to win, another helpless surrender to UVM was not in the cards. Not in a 2008-09 season that has become truly special.

Sophomore forward Colin Wilson scored the game-winning goal with 5:41 left in regulation to complete a furious third-period comeback as the top-seeded Terriers outlasted third-seeded Vermont, 5-4, Thursday night to advance to their first NCAA national championship game since 1995.

‘It was a great game for college hockey with the emotional swings and the tide turning one way or the other,’ BU coach Jack Parker said. ‘There were an awful lot of positive things going on out there. Sometimes big players make big plays, and there’s not much you can do about it.’

BU’s top line of Wilson and senior forwards Chris Higgins and Jason Lawrence combined for four goals and nine points in the victory, which was very much in doubt after UVM freshman defenseman Drew MacKenzie gave the Catamounts a 4-3 lead with 10:20 remaining.

‘Against a team that is very, very talented, unbelievably well-coached and has closed out a lot of games like that this year, to not let them close us out was a big plus for us,’ Parker said. ‘It was a real character-building game because it was such a test.’

The Terriers, who matched a school record for wins in a single season with their 34th victory, advanced to Saturday’s final against Miami University for the right to claim the fifth national title in program history.

‘This team thinks they’re pretty good,’ Parker said. ‘They’ve got some poise. We’ve got a lot of talent. You don’t have to worry about scoring goals. We know we can score goals.’

Sophomore defenseman Josh Burrows, sophomore forward Justin Milo and MacKenzie had two points apiece for UVM (22-12-5), which yielded two one-goal leads despite living up to its billing as one of the best teams BU has played all season.

What concluded as arguably the most exciting college hockey game of the year ‘-‘- until Saturday, that is ‘-‘- began with a one-sided first period that saw the Terriers double up Vermont in shots (14-7) and take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Wilson opened the scoring with a nifty redirect between his legs, and Lawrence followed by converting a give-and-go with Higgins.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘

The early two-goal deficit only served to fuel the Catamounts, who dominated the Terriers in a second period that included three goals on 16 shots for the East Regional champions.

UVM sophomore forward Wahsontiio Stacey halved the Terriers’ lead 3:50 into the stanza, setting the stage for Milo and Burrows to light the lamp during a 45-second span six minutes later. Burrows rifled home a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that eluded the outstretched glove of BU freshman goaltender Kieran Millan (23 saves), who uncharacteristically responded by raising his head in disgust.

‘It was a little bit out of character,’ Parker said. ‘It was certainly out of character that he gave up four goals. The puck just went by him a couple times, which doesn’t always happen. He’s not a kid that gets rattled.’

Suddenly on the short end of a 3-2 Catamount advantage, the Terriers countered by netting the equalizer at 18:39 of the middle period. With UVM junior defenseman Patrick Cullity in the box for interference, BU sophomore forward Nick Bonino found freshman forward Vinny Saponari with a pinpoint, cross-ice pass that the rookie one-timed over the right shoulder of Vermont freshman goaltender Rob Madore (23 saves).’

‘It was the biggest goal of the game, no question about it,’ Parker said. ‘That was huge.’

Nearly six minutes after MacKenzie’s power-play marker ‘-‘- the first goal of his collegiate career ‘-‘- 7:14 into the third put UVM up 4-3, the rookie blueliner erased that lead by inadvertently deflecting a pass from Higgins inside the left post of his own goal to tie the game at four.’ ‘

Higgins capped a night to remember 1:13 later by setting up the game-winner. After Wilson won a faceoff in the UVM zone back to Higgins, the veteran winger snapped a quick shot on net that was stopped by Madore. The rebound made its way to the goalie’s right doorstep, where Wilson charged in and powered the puck into a virtually wide-open left side of the net.