BOSTON COLLEGE SLIPS PAST BENTLEY

COLLEGE HOCKEY UPDATE:  Boston College ran into a stubborn defensively-minded Bentley University hockey team, and managed to slip past Bentley for the win.  Boston College sophomore forward Gabe Perrault, of Hinsdale, IL., scored the first goal of the game with three minutes left in the first for the 1-0 lead, the score at the break.  It wasn’t as if it looked that Boston College couldn’t win, it was simply that Bentley did everything possible to keep B.C. from scoring.  While B.C. had a 16-6 shots advantage in the first, they were often facing what looked similar to the battle formation the Spartans used at Thermopylae, which you might have seen in the movie 300.  Sort of five guys huddled in tight formation in front of the net.

Ethan Leyh converted a power play opportunity for Bentley three minutes into the second period to tie it at one apiece, the score going into the second break, making it clear to take these guys very seriously, which B.C. did.  B.C. again out-shot Bentley in the second, this time 12-9, but still a 1-1 tie at the end of two.  It did take a while to see the results for B.C. — a long, long while.  These two fought back and forth for nearly two periods (about thirty-six minutes) before James Hagens scored the game winner for B.C. with only a minute left in regulation, and then Ryan Leonard found the empty net to make the final 3-1, B.C.  B.C. out-shot Bentley 16-6 in the third.  Boston College advanced to play the winner of the late game between Denver and Providence, in a second round game on Sunday, March 30th, at 4:00PM Pacific Time on ESPN2.

[The Denver vs B.C. game has started as of the time of this posting, score:  Denver 1, B.C. 0, at the start of the second.]

The outcome of this game was not an upset in our pool, as all thirty-nine entrants picked Boston College to win it.

DENVER ZIPS PAST PROVIDENCE

COLLEGE HOCKEY UPDATE:  Denver seemed to get control of this game early on and to not let go of it at any point.  Connor Caponi capitalized on an error by the Providence goalie which sent the puck directly to Caponi in the crease as he was charging the open goal, giving Denver the 1-0 lead only two minutes into the game.  Providence did answer the alarms for the rest of the first, but did not manage an answer.  Both teams managed six shots in the first, which ended 1-o, Denver.  Zeev Buium scored a goal (assist by Carter King) only three minutes into the second for the 2-0 Denver lead, which would prove to be the game winner.  Sam Harris converted a power play opportunity with fourteen minutes left in the second for the 3-0 Denver lead, and the score going into the break, despite being out-shot by Providence 13-8 in the frame.  Aidan Thompson scored a goal four minutes into the third to extend the Denver lead to 4-0.  Austen May converted a power play opportunity for Providence with eight minutes left in regulation, narrowing the Denver lead to 4-1.  Carter King found an empty net with five minutes left in the game to make the final score 5-1, Denver.  Denver advanced to play Boston College in a second round game on Sunday, March 30th, at 4:00PM Pacific Time on ESPN2.

[The Denver vs B.C. game has started as of the time of this posting, score:  Denver 1, B.C. 0, at the start of the second.]

The outcome of this game were not an upset in our pool as thirty of the thirty-nine contestants picked Denver to win, compared to only nine who picked Providence to win it.

That’s all for now.  Stay tuned, and go Terriers !

— Tom