By Aidan Wohl
Boston University News Service
Taking 14 more shots on goal than Boston College, Boston University men’s hockey had many more opportunities to score compared to its arch-rival. However, the Terriers were unable to make the most out of these attempts, which proved costly against the 13th-ranked Eagles in the 299th edition of the Battle of Comm. Ave.
BC goalie Louka Cloutier delivered 33 saves to help the Eagles hand the Terriers their third straight loss, beating them 4-1 Friday night at Agganis Arena.
“We didn’t do enough to win a hockey game, that’s what it really came down to,” BU head coach Jay Pandolfo said following the loss. “… [BC] capitalized on their chances; we didn’t. We’re having a hard time right now.”
BU (12-13-1, 8-10 Hockey East) struggled offensively to start things off with a number of whiffs on the puck and miscues that, if not made, could have resulted in points. After allowing the Eagles (14-8-1,10-5 HE) to score a goal within the first four minutes of the contest, the Terriers played better defensively, stymying the Eagles from scoring another goal for the rest of the first period.
Despite having a power play and numerous other opportunities to tie the game, the Terriers were still not able to produce offensively in the second period and even dug themselves into a larger hole when BC’s Dean Letourneau scored a wrap-around goal with 3:07 remaining.
BU junior forward Jack Harvey did stop a little bit of the bleeding by scoring a goal 37 seconds into the final period to cut the lead to two, giving the Terriers life. But BU again, with many opportunities to score around the net, came up empty-handed.
Regarding the Terriers’ offensive puck management woes, Pandolfo suggested that a solution to fix this issue is to possibly take ice time away from his players to send a message. He also noted that he may not have sent a strong enough message to certain players who tend to make consistent mistakes on the ice, and that keeping positive energy with them is key for improvement.
The Terriers will look to get back on track when they take on Northeastern (12-11, 7-8 HE) on Monday in the first round of the Beanpot Tournament at TD Garden.
Pandolfo noted that his team is aiming to put this game behind them and to focus ahead with the quick turnaround for their next game.
“[If] you’re gonna keep dwelling on what’s happening right now, it’s not going to help us,” Pandolfo said. “We all know where we are at this point, so it’s a good opportunity for our group to win a game on Monday and have a chance to play for a championship.”
