Cole Eiserman scored his first goals since Dec. 6, Tynan Lawrence scored his first NCAA goal and Mikhail Yegorov made 36 saves, including on a penalty shot in the third period, but the Terriers ultimately couldn’t steal the game. The Friars, who beat BU for most of the opener of this crucial series, won 4-3.
Mick Frechette and Sascha Boumedienne combined for a costly turnover in the defensive zone with less than three minutes to play, and PC easily capitalized to win the match, with sophomore Aleksi Kivioja burying the match winner. Moments later, BU captain Gavin McCarthy took a costly penalty to end BU’s hopes of a comeback.
It was a frustrating end to a third period in which both Lawrence and Eiserman tied the game with beautiful shots and in which Yegorov made several stunning saves. Although Jay Pandolfo’s team was defeated 40-18, it was ultimately a series of shots to the foot that cost BU the game.
Moments after the game, the Terriers were ranked 20th in the NPI. They started on day 17.
Here are three takeaways:
Tynan Lawrence did what BU brought him in to do.
Some questioned the need for Lawrence’s addition at the start of the semester. Did BU Real do you still need a young, high-end attacker?
It turns out – yes, sort of. The Terriers may have a comical number of very talented players, but they have been lacking in game drivers not named Cole Hutson (who is a defenseman). Enter Lawrence, who, according to consensus scouting reports and Pandolfo’s evaluation, is exactly that. In all six of his appearances, he was the center of BU’s second line.
It also helps that he has a pretty bad shot. It came through when BU needed it most: Lawrence could have (and probably should have) passed to Nick Roukounakis on a 2-on-1 early in the third, but the NHL Draft’s top prospect opted to go it alone. He won’t regret it.
Pandolfo admitted that Lawrence was called in to help. The 17-year-old would be hard-pressed to find a more useful first goal. – Sam Robb O’Hagan
Cole Eiserman got the monkey off his back (sort of?)
That was perhaps the most bizarre match of Eiserman’s career. The top sophomore, who is known for automatically being in front of the net, missed three Class A chances from open play, including a one-timer from point blank range that would have given BU a third-period lead. To make matters worse, PC took the lead minutes later.
But Eiserman made up for it by tying the game immediately after a faceoff with just over seven minutes to play on a cartoonish wrister. It was almost identical to the goal he scored in the second period, which gave the Terriers some much-needed life after falling behind 2-0.
For a moment it looked like Eiserman had the jitters. Then he seemed to shake them off. Then it seemed he had the yips again… and then he shook them off again.
Eiserman will probably feel like he should have finished with five goals on Friday. – Robb O’Hagan
The Friars came out excited with the power play.
It took Providence just 16 seconds to crack BU’s penalty, and for good reason. The Terriers could not impose any advantage opportunities on the Friars man to start the match.
Both of Providence’s goals came on the power play from the exact same spot.
BU couldn’t cover low near the crease. Providence would rotate two players around the circle closest to Yegorov’s glove side. On the Friars’ first count, sophomore forward Logan Sawyer started at the top of the circle and passed ice to John Mustard. Mustard then passed the slot to Roger McQueen. As McQueen shot, Sawyer and Mustard switched positions in the circle, and BU left Sawyer open to bury a wide-open rebound.
Something similar happened on Providence’s second play, where forward Hudson Malinoski hit five-hole from the crease on Yegorov’s glove side.
Providence scored shot after shot on Yegorov on their first two power plays, with numerous top-line chances from a wide-open glove side.
The Terriers were fortunate to come out of the first period only two goals down. — Hannah Connors
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