Nov. 7, 2008

Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. - Sophomore Colin Wilson netted his second goal of the game with 14.5 seconds left in regulation to break a 4-4 tie and lead the No. 3 Boston University men's ice hockey team to a thrilling 6-4 road victory over UMass Lowell on Friday night at Tsongas Arena. The Terriers scored half of their six goals in the final 2:14 to improve to 6-1-0 overall and 3-1-0 in Hockey East play. 

Wilson added a pair of assists to tie his career high of four points, while senior Chris Higgins tallied the game-tying goal with 2:14 left in the third before adding another with just six-tenths of a second left on the clock. Fellow senior John McCarthy recorded BU's first goal and added an assist.

Freshman goaltender Kieran Millan won his fourth straight start and tied his season high of 23 saves. The rookie netminder helped to trigger the comeback with a handful of standout saves in the final period.

UMass Lowell, which held leads of 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3, got a two-goal performance from senior Mike Potacco. Junior goaltender Carter Hutton stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced before leaving after the second period due to injury. The River Hawks fall to 3-3-0 overall with a 1-1-0 conference mark.

The Terriers rallied from a 3-1 deficit late in the second period with a power-play tally from Wilson and an equalizer by freshman Vinny Saponari at 9:13 of the third. The River Hawks regained the lead with 5:31 left in regulation, only to watch the visitors come through with the late three-goal flurry.

UMass Lowell scored the lone goal of the first period, as sophomore Maury Edwards punched in a shot at 5:44 on assists from classmate Ryan Blair and junior Jonathan Maniff. 

The River Hawks regained the lead at 11:59 of the middle stanza on Potacco's first goal of the contest. The home team earned its first and only multi-goal advantage less than two minutes later when freshman David Vallorani scored his first collegiate goal on his team's second power-play chance of the game.

The Terriers, who had entered the game having converted nine of their last 14 chances on the power play, wasted little time in converting on their first opportunity with the man advantage. Just nine seconds after a penalty to junior Ben Holmstrom, Wilson beat Hutton from the top of the right circle at 18:14 of the second on assists from sophomore defensemen Colby Cohen and Kevin Shattenkirk.

Down 3-2 entering the third, BU evened the score once again when Connolly found Saponari in front of the crease with just under 11 minutes left in regulation. 

Potacco ignited the home crowd at 14:29 of the third when he poked in a rebound to make it the score 4-3 in the River Hawks' favor.

Desperate to knot the game one more time, BU got that and then some in the final five minutes of play. 

With just over two minutes left, Wilson won a battle for the puck and passed up the ice to senior Jason Lawrence, who found Higgins all alone above the crease for an easy tap-in, making it a 4-4 contest.

Still using the momentum from their third game-tying goal of the night, BU put together sustained pressure in the Lowell zone in the final minute. 

From behind the River Hawks' net, sophomore Nick Bonino flicked the puck along the boards to senior Brandon Yip, who sent the puck to the point, hoping to find a teammate. Wilson skated in and collected the puck before wristing a shot past freshman T.J. Massie for the game-winner.

The Terriers added one more when Higgins stuffed in a shot near the right post in the final second off assists from Wilson and junior Brian Strait.

BU outshot the River Hawks, 34-27, and committed a season-low four penalties. Massie stopped just eight of the 12 shots he faced in the final period for the River Hawks.

The Terriers will close out a three-game road stretch when they return to action on Friday, Nov. 14, with a contest at No. 19 UMass. Game time is set for 7 p.m.