Nathan Gerbe scored his only goal of Boston College’s 4-1 win over the Massachusetts hockey team with less than a minute left in the game. But that is not to say that the 59 minutes before that did not belong to the 5-foot-5 winger.
Gerbe assisted on BC’s three other goals as the Eagles defeated UMass for the first time this season. The Minutemen are now 1-7-1 in their last nine games while the Eagles are 6-1-2 in that same span.
As the third period began with the score tied, 1-1, the Minutemen killed off the final 17 seconds of a cross-checking penalty to freshman Marc Concannon. But at the 5-minute mark, redshirt senior defenseman Patrick Dineen went off for high-sticking.
“I didn’t see it, but I was told he was just batting a puck out of the air and made some contact with the head,” said UMass coach Don Cahoon. “It was unlike some of the penalties in the past and was untimely if anything. We did a good job killing penalties against them; but if you keep giving them whacks at it, they’re going to get you.”
Entering the game, the BC power play converted at 24.6 percent, the highest in Hockey East. The Minutemen killed off the two penalties they committed prior, but the Eagles didn’t hesitate in converting on their third chance.
Freshman Joe Whitney found Gerbe who quickly found a seam in the UMass defense and fired across ice to Dan Bertram. UMass freshman goaltender Paul Dainton struggled to see pass through the screen set in front of him. Bertram one-timed the shot, which quickly beat Dainton to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
UMass had chances to tie the game after BC took the lead but failed to consistently create dangerous scoring chances. BC’s Anthony Aiello gave UMass its best chance when officials whistled him for a boarding call at 12:26 of the final period.
BC’s penalty kill stifled the UMass power play; however, the Minutemen’s lone shot during the two minutes was a slap-shot from Martin Nolet that BC net minder John Muse brushed away.
Cahoon wasn’t pleased with the power play after the game but commented that a few minor adjustments were all the Minutemen needed to change the outcome of the game in all phases.
“We have to be a lot more thorough in the way play,” he said. “[BC]’s first goal was just a breakdown on a situation. The speed of the athlete put you in that situation, but we had him we just didn’t make the play. The second goal was the power-play situation. Stay out of the box, and don’t take the penalty. The guy that allowed that goal just made an error, but he made at least 10 saves that maybe should have been goals.”
Gerbe struck again with fewer than five minutes remaining in the game on another play where the Minutemen failed to complete their assignments. The puck slid outside of the BC zone and Gerbe picked it up and quickly raced down the ice.
The line of Concannon, sophomore Brett Watson and junior Chris Davis drew the task of shutting down BC’s top line, but there was not much UMass could do to silence Hockey East’s leading scorer. Gerbe blew past Davis and gained the UMass zone without stopping. Sophomore defenseman Justin Braun was next in his path, Gerbe took the puck wide on Braun, and senior David Leaderer pinched over from his spot parallel to Braun for support. The three players converged on Gerbe and took him out of the play. But he tapped the puck into the slot where sophomore Ben Smith charged forward and lifted it past Dainton to give the Eagles some breathing room.
UMass freshman Michael Lecomte’s goal at 2:47 of the second period came at a time when the Minutemen were going shot for shot with Eagles, with the goaltenders keeping their teams in the game. Dainton made 30 saves for the Eagles while Muse turned away 26 UMass shots.
Game Notes
Freshman winger Chase Langeraap left the game in the second period after suffering an undisclosed injury
