BU vs. Cornell: a Tie That Almost Felt Like a Win
Third period goals salvage Saturday night in New York
In the slide show above, Terrier fans gather for Red HotHockey in Manhattan — and all things considered, celebrate a tie.
Late-game heroics — again.
But this time, playing Cornell before a raucous sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden Saturday night, the Boston University men’s ice hockey team clawed its way back only as far as a 3-3 tie, erasing a two-goal third period deficit and forcing a five-minute overtime that failed to break the deadlock.
Chris Connolly (CGS’10) scored the game-tying tally on a power play with 51 seconds left in regulation. Earlier in the period, Nick Bonino (CAS’11) closed the gap to 3-2 before assisting on the tying goal.
BU played from behind the entire game, spotting Cornell to a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period and entering the third down 3-1.
With multiple late-game power play advantages, plus a decision by coach Jack Parker (SMG’68, Hon.’97) to pull goalie Grant Rollheiser (CGS’10), for a short time the Terriers were skating six in the attacking zone to Cornell’s three defenders. When one Cornell penalty expired, BU maintained a two-man advantage, which led to Connolly’s score.
The Madison Square Garden event was the second Thanksgiving weekend Red Hot Hockey contest between BU and Cornell in the Big Apple. BU pulled off a decisive 6-3 win in the first, in 2007.The Terriers are undefeated in their last three games (1-0-2), improving a rugged early record to 4-7-2. Cornell, which has been ranked as high as seven in national polls, now stands at 6-2-1.
BU returns to home ice on Friday, December 4, to take on Vermont, beginning a four-game home stand. Game time at Agganis Arena is 7 p.m.
Nathaniel Boyle can be reached at nboyle@bu.edu. Seth Rolbein canbe reached at srolbein@bu.edu.
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