OT spells end for BU
FARGO, N.D. — Boston University ended the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s season in the regional championship in 2015. Last night, the Bulldogs returned the favor, knocking off the Terriers, 3-2 in overtime, in the West Regional final at Scheels Arena.
BU had stopped six power-play chances against North Dakota on Friday and the first two UMD man-advantages last night. However, the Terriers could not stop Adam Johnson’s power-play wrister, just 1:57 into overtime, that sent the Bulldogs to the Frozen Four in Chicago.
“Penalties weren’t the problem tonight, it was the timing of the penalty that was the problem,” BU coach David Quinn said. “I think we only had three minutes of power plays tonight, and I think we only had three minutes last night, which we could have a nice, lengthy discussion about that, but I’ll bite my tongue.”
It was the first time since the tournament moved to four regionals in 2003 that all three games of a regional went to overtime.
“They get the power play in overtime, which was the right call. It was a penalty,” Quinn said of Bobo Carpenter’s trip. “Our penalty kill has been great all year. We just weren’t able to kill the last one.”
BU senior defenseman Doyle Somerby tried to clear the puck around the boards, but UMD senior Alex Iafallo kept the puck in the BU zone, bouncing it off his chest at the blue line. Johnson’s one-timer was blocked by Somerby and bounced back to Johnson. He saw Somerby was shaken up, moved in and fired into the corner of the net.
“Doyle makes a great block and he gets a little bit staggered, and they smelled blood and they take advantage of it,” Quinn said. “That’s what great teams do, and that’s why they’re going to the Frozen Four.”
It was Johnson’s 18th goal of the season.
BU freshman Patrick Harper sent the game into overtime with a wrister from the right circle that went top shelf with 3:13 left in the third to things up at 2. Before Harper’s goal, UMD freshman Joey Anderson had the hero role. With 8:22 left in regulation, Anderson got loose and his wrister from the right circle was stopped by BU goalie Jake Oettinger, but his rebound was not.
Clayton Keller set up the overtime winner against North Dakota in the semifinals and the freshman opened the scoring against UMD with a backhander less than eight minutes in. Iafallo tied it with a wraparound with 17.3 seconds left in the first.
“Come a long way in my four years, first four years with coach Quinn,” Somerby said. “You get 10 wins your first year you don’t really know what to expect after that. To make the tournament three times in a row is pretty special. Obviously, I wish it ended better. You always want to write the right end of the script, but it was just a tough game.”