University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
5-5-2
Boston College
8-2-1
UConn Battles Back for Shoot-Out Win at No.1 Boston College
1/22/2021 8:11:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The UConn Huskies scored three goals in the third period, twice in the final 3:01, to get earn a 3-3 tie and then post a shoot-out Hockey East win at No. 1 Boston College Friday afternoon. Junior Jonny Evans (North Delta, British Columbia) scored the game tying goal with 1:00 left in the third period and then scored the clincher in the shootout.
The Huskies take home two points on the night and are now 5-5-2 on the season. Boston College is now 8-2-1 on the year.
BC held a 2-0 lead after two periods on goals from Marc McLaughlin and Harrison Roy. UConn finally cracked BC netminder Spencer Knight early in the third period as sophomore defenseman Yan Kuznetsov (Murmansk, Russia) scored his first goal on the season to pull within 2-1.
After an Eagles goal by Casey Carreau pushed the lead back to two goals, the Huskies kept the pressure on and evened the game up late. Junior Marc Gatcomb (Woburn, Mass.) got UConn to within 3-2 at 16:59, putting home a rebound and Evans found the equalizer with the goaltender pulled at 19:01 to send the game to overtime.
In the shootout, sophomore Vladislav Firstov (Yaroslavl, Russia) scored to get things started and junior goaltender Tomas Vomacka (Trutnov, Czech Republic) followed with a save on Logan Hutsko. Evans buried his chance and BC's Mike Hardman missed wide to give UConn the extra point.
Vomacka made 31 saves while Knight turned in 39 stops. Both teams were a combined 0-for-9 on the power play while shots favored the Huskies, 42-34.
1st period:
The Eagles took the lead at 8:34, scoring just as they finished up a power play opportunity. Marshall Warren blasted one on goal from the just inside the blue line on the left side and McLaughlin was able to get a tip in a crowd in front of Vomacka for his sixth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
2nd period:
The Huskies got three power play chances in the second period and put a total of 17 shots on Knight in the period but couldn't find the back of the net. BC made it a two-goal lead at the 12:37 mark as the rookie Roy got his first collegiate goal. Danny Weight had the puck behind the net and flicked it out front where it was deflected by a UConn player. Roy was in the slot to clean up the loose puck and put it in the top-right corner for a 2-0 lead.
UConn kept the BC lead at 2-0 late in the second, killing off a pair of penalties including 1:09 of a 5-on-3 for the Eagles.
3rd period:
UConn quickly jumped back into the game early in the third as Kuznetsov made it 2-1 at 2:43. The puck cycled to the sophomore defenseman on the left side just inside the blue line and he sent a laser of a wrist shot through traffic to beat Knight in the top right corner for his first of the season.
?? UConn GOAL!!!
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) January 22, 2021
Huskies on the board! Yan Kuznetsov with a laser of a wrister through some traffic for his first of the year. UConn cuts the lead to 2-1#IceBus pic.twitter.com/qKOQSRLlLj
BC answered at 5:38 as Carreau scored with a wrist shot to the left corner from the high slot to push the lead back to two goals. The Huskies chipped away and got back within one at 16:59 on Gatcomb's fourth of the year. Sophomore defenseman Carter Berger (North Vancouver, British Columbia) carries into the zone and rifled one onto net from the right half boards. The carom found Gatcomb coming up the left wing and he quickly buried it before Knight could recover.
UConn pulled Vomacka in the closing minutes and hit for the tying goal at 19:01 as Firstov sent a beautiful cross-ice pass to Evans in the left circle who buried the one-timer before the defense or Knight could get over to knot the game up at 3-3.
?????? UConn GOAL!!!
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) January 22, 2021
OH JONNNNYYYY!!!! Huskies tie it up as Evans just buries a beauty of a pass from Vlad Firstov. 3-3 and here we GO!#IceBus pic.twitter.com/uT52WGWVZ8
Up Next:
The Huskies and Eagles close out their weekend series on Saturday afternoon with a 4 pm puck drop. Saturday's game will be televised across Connecticut on Fox affiliate CW20.
