FRIDAY ROUNDUP: Del Gaizo’s OT game-winner completes comeback from 2-0 down as No. 9 UMass upsets No. 1 BC, 3-2; Merrimack knocks off No. 8 BU; No. 2 North Dakota scores late to skate past No. 11 Omaha

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UMass junior defenseman Marc Del Gaizo scored while being tripped on a breakaway at 1:59 of overtime as the Minutemen completed a comeback from 2-0 down to upset No. 1 Boston College, 3-2 (File photo: Rich Gagnon)

Marc Del Gaizo’s goal at 1:59 of overtime completed the comeback as No. 9 rallied from 2-0 down to knock off the nation’s top team, Boston College, 3-2.

The goal came on a wild play and only after a video review. Boston College defenseman Drew Helleson tripped down Del Gaizo, who was in the clear behind the Eagles defense. The immediate signal was for a penalty shot, but after video review, was ruled a goal as Helleson brought the puck into the net with him as he slid into goaltender Spencer Knight.

The Del Gaizo game-winner capped a wild game in which Boston College jumped to a 2-0 lead at 15:27 of the second on goals by Matt Boldy and Jack McBain only to allow UMass to climb back into the game just five seconds later.

Bobby Trivigno’s goal off the ensuing faceoff gave UMass life and in the third, a bouncing puck hit Carson Gicewicz on the back and rolled past Knight with 5:49 remaining to force the extra session.

The win for UMass lifts them into second place in the Hockey East Power Index, which will determine the seeding for the Hockey East tournament this season. The Minutemen trail only Boston College, which despite the loss holds onto the top position in the Index.

No. 2 North Dakota 4, No. 11 Omaha 2

Jasper Weatherby’s power play goal with 1:18 remaining broke a 2-2 tie and sent No. 2 North Dakota past No. 11 Omaha for the fourth win over the Mavericks over the last four games.

The power play goal was the third of the night for the Fighting Hawks, which also added a shorthanded goal by Judd Caufield into an empty net with 11.2 seconds remaining.

The victory comes a weekend after North Dakota swept Omaha to clinch the Penrose Cup presented to the NCHC regular-season champion.

The Weatherby goal extends Weatherby’s nation’s-best seven-game goal scoring streak. and gave the Fighting Hawks their 14th win in the last 16 games.

Mark Senden got North Dakota on the board at 7:29 of the first period. But Omaha had an answer 27 seconds into the second on Brock Bremer’s sixth goal of the season.

Jake Sanderson regained the lead for the Fighting Hawks but Jack Randi’s tally with 2:43 remaining evened the game and set up the dramatic finish.

Merrimack 5, No. 8 Boston University 2

Merrimack scored three goal in 2:11 midway through the first period and never looked back, upsetting No. 8 Boston University, 5-2, ending the Terriers four-game winning streak.

Regan Kimens and Declan Carlile started the offensive explosion for the Warriors, who are now 3-0-1 in their last four games after beginning the year 2-10-1. When Patrick Holway scored at 12:20 of the first, giving Merrimack a 3-0 lead, BU goaltender Vinnie Duplessis was pulled in favor of Drew Commesso.

Though the Terriers bounced back almost immediately after the goaltender switch and close the gap to 3-2, Merrimack’s Liam Walsh answered right back.

After a wild first period with six combined goals, both teams successfully shut down the opposition and Liam Dennison’s goal into an empty net was the only remaining tally.

With the loss, Boston University, which entered the day within striking distance of Boston College for the top spot in the Hockey East Power Index, dropped below UMass to third.

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