BU stops BC for title shot
Curry wins it in OT
Boston University sophomore left winger Patrick Curry buys into the Terriers’ overtime drill. Last night it produced the signature goal of his college career.
Curry scored his third of the season at 15:50 of overtime to lift the Terriers to a 4-3 victory over archrival Boston College in the Hockey East semifinals at the Garden.
BU advanced to its 12th Hockey East title game and will face the winner of last night’s semifinal between Providence and North- eastern, which ended too late for this edition.
“We kind of just stick to it and be resilient,” said Curry. “We never are afraid to go to OT because we are very confident and we just stick to what we are doing and continue to get pucks to the net and attack wide and make it hard on teams, and it’s been working for us.”
BU (20-14-3) needs to win the Hockey East championship to advance to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Terriers were a longshot to make the tournament but are now one game away from attaining the improbable.
“Our team has done everything in our power to continue to play into the postseason and I couldn’t be happier for this group of guys,” said BU center Jordan Greenway, a U.S. Olympian and Minnesota draft pick. “We’ve been battling for a while and to go there and face adversity like we did tonight and to come out with a win in overtime against a really good team.”
The loss essentially eliminated BC’s chances of making the NCAA tournament. BC won the Hockey East regular season title but could not overcome starting the season 1-5-1.
“From my viewpoint that was a classic rivalry game, BC vs. BU,” said Eagles coach Jerry York, who was named the Hockey East Coach of the Year on Thursday. “There were high stakes in a major venue and I’m very proud of how our team played, and we seemed to get better as the game went on.”
BC had several scoring chances in overtime before Curry applied the dagger. Junior right winger Bobo Carpenter set up Shane Bowers who circled the cage on an attempted wraparound shot on BC goalie Joe Woll (41 saves). Woll stuffed the play but allowed a rebound to find Curry’s stick at an unguarded part of the crease.
“I was coming off the bench and there was a good change in the O-zone,” said Curry. “I went to support Bowers on the cycle and I kind of beat my man and decided to go back toward the net. He tried to stuff it and it landed on my stick and I put it in the back of the net.”
Woll made the save of the game on Terriers right winger Drew Melanson at 4:54 of the third period to maintain the 2-2 deadlock. Woll caught a huge break at 5:15 when Greenway’s goahead score from the slot was disallowed for goalie interference.
‘We kind of just stick to it and be resilient. We never are afraid to go to OT.’ — PATRICK CURRY, who scored BU’s game-winner against BC in the Hockey East semifinals
BC went ahead 3-2 during a chaotic play in the BU crease at 14:41 of the third period. Left winger Graham McPhee collected a blocked shot and made a bad angle backhand shot that hit the post and settled in the crease. Junior right winger Christopher Brown arrived on the scene and poked the puck by BU goalie Jake Oettinger (36 saves) for his ninth of the season.
BU tied the game at 15:26, just 45 seconds later, when Greenway made a move behind the net and fed the puck in front. Melanson was positioned at the doorstep and flicked the puck between Woll’s pads for his fourth of the year.