After suffering a 6-1 drubbing Friday evening at Boston University, it was anticipated that Providence College would come out flying when it hosted the Terriers Saturday evening.
It was the Terriers, however, who overpowered a seemingly confused Friars team. Boston University took advantage of Providence’s 16 penalties on the evening and scored six power-play goals while shutting out the Friars, 8-0. The game saw a total 60 minutes in penalty minutes — giving both teams plenty of power-play opportunities.
Matt Nieto took advantage of a holding call on Providence’s Matt Berglund within the first four minutes of the first period to get the Terriers on the board. It was Nieto’s tenth goal of the season. Max Nicastro and Sahir Gill respectfully added goals to give Boston University a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period. The Terriers had two scares near the end of the period, with Ryan Santana and Sean Escobedo suffering injuries against the boards. In Escobedo’s case, he went flying head first into the boards behind the Providence net and lay on the ice for a few seconds in obvious pain. He was able to skate back to the bench under his own power, and returned to play two minutes later.
The penalties continued in the second period, as Providence’s frustration grew. The Friars could not take advantage of the two-man advantage they had in the opening minutes of the period. Providence’s shots were stymied not just by one of Terriers goalie Kieran Milan’s most focused games of the year, but a Boston University defense not afraid to get in front of shots. Milan also controlled his rebounds far better than in previous games, taking away opportunities the Friars were expecting.
Garrett Noonan, Gill, and Wade Megan took advantage of Friars starting goaltender Alex Beaudry’s weak left side, scoring the Terrier’s three second period goals in very similar fashion.
The game turned a bit more chippy in the third period, with 10 penalties between the two teams. The Friars tried a change in goal as they did on Friday, replacing Beaudry (who finished the night with 11 saves) with Justin Gates. Gates made five saves on the night. Providence center Ross Mauermann took a hard hit against the boards, but was able to help himself to the bench. Megan and Alex Chaisson added insurance power-play goals for the Terriers during a period where it appeared that if the team could have taken a knee, they would have.
Millan stopped 26 shots in his third shutout of the season, and the eighth shutout of his college career.
