By Jill Saftel, News Staff
Northeastern showed up in a big way to Agganis Arena on Friday night, netting six goals to upset No. 9 Boston University, 6-5. Despite a rally from the Terriers to overcome a three-goal deficit, former BU player and current Northeastern captain Vinny Saponari netted the game winner to seal it for the Huskies.
“I’m obviously pleased with the two points,” head coach Jim Madigan said. “Any time you can come to this building and get two points against a Jack Parker-coached team, we’re pleased.”
The eventful first period, complete with three goals in the first five minutes, began with senior assistant captain Robbie Vrolyk kicking off the night’s scoring at 2:03 with a long shot that bounced and beat Terrier freshman goaltender Sean Maguire. But the 1-0 lead was short lived for the Huskies, as they quickly got into penalty trouble.
With junior forward Braden Pimm in the box on an interference call for Northeastern, junior forward Matt Nieto tied it up for the Terriers with help from freshman linemate Danny O’Regan. O’Regan passed across the crease to set Nieto up at 4:21 in the first period to make it 1-1.
Freshman defenseman Colton Saucerman followed Pimm to the penalty box at 4:33 for hitting from behind and it took the Terriers just 15 seconds to capitalize on the power play opportunity. This time junior defenseman Garrett Noonan netted one for BU, putting the Terriers up 2-1 at 4:48 in the first.
O’Regan looked like he might have a chance of his own as he moved the puck from the neutral zone toward senior goaltender Chris Rawlings, but Saucerman knocked the puck away. The power plays continued as sophomore defenseman Dax Lauwers was called on interference, but the Huskies got the kill.
Northeastern mounted a rally late in the period, starting with a goal from sophomore forward Adam Reid who stuffed in a luckily-placed rebound. Freshman forward Kevin Roy followed suit with his tenth goal of the year unassisted just 41 seconds later.
Rawlings was tested halfway through the second when the Terriers got yet another power play opportunity and peppered the netminder, who had made six saves in the first period. He would make 14 more in the second period to keep BU scoreless in the middle frame.
Pimm put the puck in the back of the net amidst a scramble by the crease at 8:03 in the second. The play was put under review, but the goal was ruled good for the tie.
To make up for his tripping penalty 36 seconds into the second period, junior forward Cody Ferriero put on the moves for a highlight-reel worthy goal putting the Huskies up 5-4 to close out the second.
The Terriers came out swinging for the final period, with sophomore forward Evan Rodrigues netting two in a row to put BU within one goal. Another penalty was costly for the Huskies and in under seven minutes they had squandered their three goal lead and faced the remaining 13:24 of the game tied with BU at 5-5. The equalizer was scored by O’Regan, the third power play goal of the night for the Terriers.
Saucerman came up clutch, clearing the puck in front of Rawlings during sustained offensive pressure by BU with just over ten minutes to play.
The teams stayed locked at 5-5 until Saponari scored his second game-winning goal against his former team with two minutes and three seconds left.
“It’s always fun, I have a lot of friends on the team still,” Saponari said. “Pretty close with everyone so there’s always friendly banter back and forth. To get a game-winning goal in any game is fun, but against your friends and your former team it’s even more fun.”
The Huskies return to Matthews Arena Saturday night to host Boston College.
