CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — In the span of 1:32, the night for No. 2 Boston College went from jubilant elation to sheer panic.
Like a stampede, trampling over anyone in its path, Michigan State ripped three straight goals past Thatcher Demko to tie the game after the Eagles climbed their way to a 4-1 lead.
Then Miles Wood, like a shepherd getting control of his sheep, righted the ship for the Eagles, burying a shot past Jake Hildebrand to give the Eagles back the lead following a late penalty taken by Joe Cox for interference.
The Eagles were able to weather the storm, eeking by the Spartans 6-4 despite letting up three unanswered goals.
“Disappointing is the word that I would use, ” Michigan State coach Tom Anastos said. “I was disappointed that you climb back in … on the road, you’ve got to be disciplined. You can’t put yourself in a situation where that call can be made. And we did.”
Despite outshooting the Spartans 17-6 in the first period, the Eagles had nothing to show for their offensive efforts. Hildebrand faced all 17 shots and turned away each shot.
The second period was where the action began to pick up. Colin White, with the puck right in front of the crease, put a shot on Hildebrand. Hildebrand made the original save, but a second chance effort by White led to the puck trickling into the net, and the Eagles had the early lead.
A possible foreshadowing to the quick ruthlessness of the Spartans’ third period onslaught, the Eagles lead did not last long. Just 11 seconds after the White goal, Mackenzie MacEachern’s shot went off the iron past Demko, ending his shutout streak at 208:26.
The Eagles, or rather Colin White, responded later in the period. White, on a breakaway chance, rifled a backhand shot over Hildebrand’s left shoulder from the faceoff circle, and the Eagles finished the second period up 2-1, despite getting outshot 16-8.
The third period saw the Eagles begin to increase the scoring margin. First it was Ryan Fitzgerald scoring on a counter-attack play to increase the lead to 3-1. Then it was Alex Tuch, scoring his first non-empty-net-goal of the season, increasing the BC lead to 4-1.
Then the Spartans began the fight back.
It started with a JT Stenglein shot from the faceoff circle, a shot that went over Demko’s glove side shoulder. Then, just seconds later, Ryan Fitzgerald lost his footing at the blue line, causing a Michigan State counter-attack. Brennan Sanford beat Demko, and the lead became just one. The tying goal didn’t come quite as rapidly, but when Mason Appleton tied the game three quarters of the way through the period, BC coach Jerry York thought it was the right time to take his timeout.
“I just [told them to] keep their composure,” York said. “They’re a good team, they made good plays, they got back in it. Let’s just play hockey. ”
The Eagles found an opportunity to get back into the game. Following the Eagles killing an Ian McCoshen tripping penalty, Cox drew an interference penalty, and the Eagles had an opportunity to improve upon their previously 0-for-5 power play. The Eagles set up pressure around Hildebrand, and eventually the puck trickled past, and the Eagles had the lead once again, this time a 5-4 lead.
Anastos made reference to plays late in the game costing the Spartans.
The Eagles sealed the game with a Fitzgerald empty-net goal and the Eagles extended their winning streak to eight games, while the Spartans lost their three-game unbeaten streak.
