ST. LOUIS – The No. 10 Boston University men’s hockey are Ice Breaker Tournament champions for the second time in three years, after defeating No. 19 University of Notre Dame 5-4 Sunday at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in spectacular fashion.
Sophomore defenseman Sean Escobedo netted the game-winner with just 67 seconds left on the clock in the third period. Escobedo looked for a deflection in front of Notre Dame goalie Steven Summerhays, but instead found the top left of the net to give the Terriers (2-0) their second win of the season. The goal immediately followed a faceoff win by freshman center Sahir Gill, who fed Escobedo for his third assist and fourth point in just the second game of his collegiate career.
“Obviously a game that goes down to the wire like that, it could go either way,” said BU coach Jack Parker. “I thought we made a big play when we had to in winning a faceoff. . . It was a great play by Gill.”
Escobedo’s netter provided the only noise in a third period that was much quieter than the game’s other two. The Terriers and Fighting Irish (1-1) combined for eight goals in the championship’s first 40 minutes.
Gill got the scoring going after junior defenseman David Warsofsky &- who now has five points (two goals, three assists) in his first five games &- led an offensive charge that resulted in a juicy rebound that the freshman simply had to poke into an open net.
BU and Notre Dame alternated on the next four goals before the Irish were finally able to break the streak with 4:10 left in the second.
Following a hooking penalty on freshman defenseman Garrett Noonan, the Terriers penalty kill could not clear the zone, despite an astonishing five blocked shots by redshirt sophomore forward Ross Gaudet. As a result, the four BU penalty killers were forced to stay on the ice for a lung-burning, legs-tiring three minutes. Just 37 seconds after the penalty was officially killed, Notre Dame defenseman Shayne Taker was able to pot a rebound off BU junior goalie Grant Rollheiser to tie the game at three apiece.
The Irish took their first lead of the contest 1:14 later when a flustered Rollheiser misplayed a Nick Larson pass from behind the crease and let the puck hit his stick before floating through his five-hole for the goal.
However, before the period could come to a close, the Terriers swung the momentum back their way. Gill again found an open junior forward Kevin Gilroy, who fired past Summerhays’ glove hand, to knot the score again at four.
The star of the third period, though, was Rollheiser, and it was by a Missouri country mile.
The netminder &- who has spent most of his three years in scarlet and white as a backup to fellow junior Kieran Millan &- made 10 saves in the period. He faced three separate power plays, including a five-on-three two minutes in, but didn’t allow a single rubber biscuit to pass.
On one three-on-one, Rollheiser stoned the Irish attack with his left leg after being left out to dry by his defense to keep it a tied game with just half a period left.
“If the boys go out and have a couple cocktails tonight, Max Nicastro better buy him a couple of beers,” Parker said. “Most important, he was poised. His demeanor out there was excellent.”
The Terriers’ blood-pumping win Sunday was their second in three nights after the team had already defeated No. 15 University of Wisconsin 4-3 Friday evening. Senior captain Joe Pereira netted two goals, including the game-winner two minutes into the third period, in the opening-round win as BU came back from an early Wisconsin (1-1) two-goal lead. Millan saved all nine shots in the final frame to seal the BU victory.
Given the string of too-close-for-comfort games BU has endured to start the season, it’d be easy to think that this isn’t the way Parker wants to finish out games, but following his eventful summer, he’ll take two wins any way he can get them.
I’ve got a new heart,” Parker said. “I’m not worried.”
Notes: The Terriers jumped four spots in both major polls following the tournament win. In the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, BU finds itself tied with St. Cloud State University for the 10th spot in the rankings. . .Warsofsky and Gill each took home conference honors for their efforts. The junior was named Hockey East Player of the Week while the freshman received his first Rookie of the Week award.
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