CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — No. 9 Massachusetts hockey trailed 2-0 late in the second period but rallied to score three unanswered goals, capped by an overtime game winner from junior Marc Del Gaizo, to defeat No. 1 Boston College, 3-2, on Friday night at Kelley Rink. The win moves the Minutemen to 13-5-3 on the season, while the Eagles fall to 15-4-1.
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“I didn’t think we were very good in the first period and I thought, as the game went on, we got better and better,” said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. “I thought we turned over too many pucks and it led to their best scoring chances and goals, but I give our kids a lot of credit, they just kept grinding and playing hard. Great job by our guys. It’s a tough place to win a game. Outside of the first period I was really happy with the way we played.”
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Boston College broke up a scoreless deadlock at the 7:28 mark of the second period with Mike Hardman sending a puck past Filip Lindberg from Alex Newhook, which redirected off a UMass body in front.
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The Eagles then doubled their lead 15:27 into the second with Jack McBain finishing off a one-timer from Nikita Nesterenko and Michael Karow.
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Just five seconds later, UMass pulled back to within a goal at 2-1. Freshman Josh Lopina won the center ice faceoff and junior Garrett Wait set up classmate Bobby Trivigno’s wrister that put the Minutemen on the board.
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With the clock ticking down in the third, senior Carson Gicewicz had the puck deflect off his upper body and in past Spencer Knight for his team-leading 12th goal of the season at the 14:11 mark when Jake Gaudet flung a tough-angle shot towards the net. Senior Oliver Chau picked up an assist on the play, as well.
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Then in overtime, Del Gaizo was hauled down after freshman Aaron Bohlinger sent him off to the races on a breakaway, but the offending Eagle, Drew Helleson, carried the puck over the goal line while sliding in to Knight for the deciding tally at the 1:59 mark.
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UMass out-shot BC 39-31 in the contest and went 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Eagles were 0-for-1. Lindberg made 29 saves to pick up the win and Knight finished with 36 stops.
Here’s the OT winner (and subsequent review) in all its unconventional and wonderful glory…#NewMass | #Flagship ? pic.twitter.com/1hzKmgubrY
— UMass Hockey (@UMassHockey) February 27, 2021
