ST. PAUL, Minn. – After grinding out a 1-0 lead in the first period, top-ranked Boston College gave itself some breathing room in the second period on Thursday night.
The Eagles scored two late 4-on-4 goals to give themselves a 3-0 lead over Michigan after 40 minutes of play in their Frozen Four semifinal game at Xcel Energy Center.
The Eagles led 1-0 after the first period, thanks to some big saves from goaltender Jacob Fowler and an early goal from Will Smith and their vaunted freshman line.
BC got an early highlight-reel goal from Smith after his teammate Gabe Perreault picked up a loose puck deep in his own zone and hit Ryan Leonard with a cross-ice stretch pass deep behind the Michigan defense. Smith also snuck in behind the Michigan defenders and easily beat Michigan goaltender Jake Barczewski to finish off the bang-bang-bang play just 1 minute, 20 seconds into the game.
But in general, Michigan seemed to control the pace of the game and had a few more grade A scoring chances. The Wolverines outshot the Eagles 9-6 in the first 20 minutes, with Fowler flashing some nice leather a few times to keep Michigan scoreless.
Boston College got a chance to extend its lead a little later in the period when Michigan’s Mark Estapa was called for a boarding penalty midway through the first. That opportunity was short-lived, however, as Leonard was called for a hook on Michigan’s Tyler Duke 35 seconds into their man advantage. Neither team was able to generate much on their brief power-play chances.
BC got another power play shortly after this, when Estapa again went to the box, this time for a trip. However, Michigan’s penalty kill unit, which came into the game ranked 45th in the country, held the Eagles off the scoreboard.
The Eagles had an early chance to go up 2-0 early in the second period. About 90 seconds into the middle frame, Leonard was able to carry the puck into the slot and escape a number of defenders but Barczewski made a sprawling save to deny Leonard.
The Wolverines, who came into the game having converted on 34.5% of their power plays, had their first real chance on the advantage in the second period. BC’s Cutter Gauthier was called for interference but BC’s penalty kill, which also happens to be the best in the country, was up to the task and didn’t let the Wolverines have any good chances.
Michigan’s failure to convert on that power play chance was costly later in the period. Although the Wolverines got their second power play chance a few minutes later when BC’s Drew Fortescue was called for a trip, that chance was short-lived. About 30 seconds after Fortescue went into the box, Michigan’s Duke was also whistled for a trip, negating the power play and opening up a lot of 4-on-4 ice for the dangerous Eagles offense.
BC made Michigan pay. First, Smith scored a goal that is the definition of “lucky bounce” when he skated around behind the Michigan goal and sent the puck into the slot for what was an attempt at a centering pass. However, the puck missed its intended target (Gauthier) and instead hit a Michigan defender before trickling in between Barczewski’s legs.
Less than a minute later, BC struck again. This time Gauthier stripped the puck from a Michigan defender at the blue line and took it coast-to-coast for a no-doubter.
The Eagles went into the intermission up 3-0 and had also turned the tables on Michigan’s momentum, outshooting them 8-6 in the second period.