The second Hockey East semifinal of the night was a rematch of the 2014 Benapot championship, BC won that game 4-1. Northeastern changed that outcome on Friday night at the TD Garden with a 5-4 victory.
Ryan Ruck got the start in net for the Huskies opposed by Thatcher Demko for the Eagles. The Eagles wasted no time as Miles Wood scored just 15 second into the game, Chris Brown and Steve Santini got the assists. The Eagles controlled the game early on and continued to test Ruck.
The Huskies found their footing as the period continued and started to test Demko. With under seven minutes left in the period Zach Aston-Reese tied the game on a goal assisted by Nolan Stevens and Garret Cockerill. The Huskies jumped on the Eagles after the goal and continued to pound the Eagles net and their defense.
Adam Gaudette crushed the Eagles faithful with a goal with 1 second left, Mike McMurtry and Dylan Sikura got the assists. The first period ended with the Huskies leading 2-1 in goals and 10 to 4 in shots. The second period was more of the same.
Colin White scored just over a minute into the second, Matthew Gaudreau got the only assist. Steve Santini got called for hooking giving the Huskies the man advantage. Nolan Stevens scored on the power play for the Huskies assisted by John Stevens and Gaudette.
The Eagles defense looked shaky at times in the second period with many bad giveaways. Casey Fitzgerald was called for holding, putting the Huskies back on the power play. Again the Huskies scored, this time off the stick of Eric Williams, Kevin Roy and Sikura got the assists on the goal.
But a slashing penalty to Lincoln Griffin gave the Eagles new life in the ladder stages of the second. The Eagles scored on the power play on a goal by Wood assisted by Ryan Fitzgerald and Teddy Doherty. Both teams went into shut down mode and were able to keep most of the chances to the outside.
The second period ended with the Huskies leading 4-3 and the shots 22 to 11. The game seemed to settle down more in the third period. Both goalies stood on their heads at the beginning.
Demko and the Eagles defense seemed to be more comfortable in the third period and seemed to settle into a groove. But a terrible behind the back give away by Colin White gave the Huskies another two goal lead. Lincoln Griffin scored the unassisted goal for the Huskies giving them the 5-3 lead.
The Eagles continued to get chances, but the Huskies defense kept all second chance opportunities out of harms way. Alex Tuch scored for the Eagles to get them back within a goal. Zach Sanford and Santini were given the assists on the goal.
But that was a close as the Eagles would get. After a long night at the garden, the stage has been set for the championship. The two underdogs Umass Lowell and Northeastern will face off tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
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