In the next seven games he played leading up to BU’s matchup with Cornell at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, Eiserman scored just once: a first-period goal in an 8-4 loss to UConn on Oct. 24.
The 2024 first-round pick, who scored 25 goals last season, suffered a lower-body injury the following night, missed four games and had not recorded a single point in the three games since his return.
But under the bright lights of MSG, Eiserman was phenomenal, providing a primary assist and the winning goal, giving the No. 19 Terriers to a much-needed 2-1 win over No. 17 Cornell lifted on the latest episode of Red Hot Hockey.
“I love these big games. I love the big lights,” Eiserman said.
His head coach, without specifically mentioning Eiserman, has asked for more from his veteran players and finds himself constantly praising BU’s gritty, non-star forwards.
“We have plenty of guys who played a lot of college hockey, and we need more from them. A lot more,” Jay Pandolfo said after last Friday’s loss to Northeastern at Matthews Arena.
Saturday night, Pandolfo got the production of his biggest offensive player as Eiserman delivered the heroics for an audience of 17,478 – the largest crowd for Red Hot Hockey since 2013, and also the last time BU posted a victory in the biennial event.
“When you get into these big games, the sticks get tight, and I actually want to loosen my other guys’ sticks for them,” Eiserman said. “If I can do it for them, they’re a little more relaxed and they don’t have to have that weight on their shoulders. And I’d like to have it on mine.”
Eiserman, named as the game’s first star, provided the primary assist that put BU on the board early, just 6:17 into the game and nine seconds after the first power play opportunity.
Sophomore forward Kamil Bednarik won the draw on the man advantage and BU cycled the puck to Eiserman in his patented right circle, where he happily rips a one-timer.
This time he found Bednarik alone in front of the net, who tipped the puck past freshman netminder Alexis Cournoyer.
“They’ve been on my one-timer a lot this year,” Eiserman said. “If I can pass it on to him in some way, it will make the other defenders think.”
“And some other looks are opening up other guys,” he added, “which is good.”
In the third period, when it looked like BU was on the ropes after giving up a precious one-goal lead late in the second and struggling to generate consistent offense, the Terriers found Eiserman’s stick.
Freshman defenseman Charlie Trethewey went from blue line to blue line. Eiserman gathered up the bouncing puck, skated to his favored right circle and found Courmeyer’s five-hole to give the Terriers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish with 14:37 to go.
After circling the target, he dropped to one knee, waved his stick above his head and stuck out his tongue in celebration.
“Obviously it’s hard to come back and try to get a grip on things again, so when you get a goal like that it definitely feels good and you relax a little bit,” Eiserman said of his first goal since his injury.
The importance of Red Hot Hockey to BU’s tournament chances cannot be understated. Eiserman knew it. And he delivered.
“It’s huge,” the second forward said of Saturday’s victory. “With the new NPI, or whatever, I heard [Cornell is] up there, and we need these big wins.
The Terriers were ranked 37th in the NPI, the benchmark that determines the 16-team NCAA tournament field, entering Saturday’s game. Cornell finished all the way in third place.
After the win over MSG, BU moved up ten spots to 27th, still well outside the tournament field, but an important step in the right direction.
The Big Red fell to 12th, but for a Terriers team whose previous best win was against UConn (one spot above BU in 26th), a signature non-conference win was crucial.
And beyond the numbers, a signature win gives BU credence. That much became clear as Eiserman, second-year goaltender Mikhail Yegorov and Pandolfo sat happily on the podium in MSG’s crowded press room.
“This helps enormously,” says Eiserman. “Just gives the guys an identity. Now we kind of see what it feels like to win, especially a tough game and a big game.”
“It’s just a big, big, big win for our guys,” Pandolfo added. “They should gain confidence from this. And you know, start believing in themselves a little more.”
Eiserman was everywhere on Saturday. He was clearly BU’s most dangerous offensive player. He had the puck on his stick and carried it confidently into the neutral zone. He drew defenders towards him before making flashy passes to an open Cole Hutson to break away from a crowded area.
And when BU, which recorded just 17 shots on goal, needed its star to regain its form, he found the back of the net.
“It was great,” Eiserman said of playing at MSG. “It was something I will never forget.”
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