BU outworks Bears for win

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BOSTON – The Boston University Terriers looked like anything but a team that lost six games in a row recently.

The Terriers spotted the University of Maine Black Bears the game’s first goal before storming back for an impressive 3-2 win over the Black Bears Friday night.

BU has now won three in a row and improved to 5-8-1 overall, 4-4-1 in Hockey East. Maine fell to 6-5-4, 3-2-2 in league play.

The Bears also lost the services of center and scoring leader Chris Heisten, who suffered a left knee injury that will sideline him for at least five weeks. He was victimized by a center ice leg check thrown by BU’s Freddy Meyer 1:19 into the third period.

Maine, which has three other injured regulars, will dress just 19 players for Sunday’s game against visiting Boston College.

“They outworked us,” said Maine senior left winger Dan Kerluke.” We outplayed them for some five-minute stretches but you’ve got to do it for 60 minutes.”

“Marty Kariya played a terrific game but, with our injuries, we needed more guys to play like that and we didn’t get it,” said Maine coach Shawn Walsh.

Kariya scored the game’s first goal on the power play and set up Matthias Trattnig’s goal with 7:47 left.

But the Terriers received a gift goal from Mike Pandolofo created by a puckhandling mistake by goalie Matt Yeats with 1:22 left in the first period; Maine nemesis Carl Corazzini set up Frantisek Skladany’s go-ahead goal in the second period and Meyer scored what proved to be the game-winner 5:12 into the third period.

Walsh said the late first-period goal by Pandolfo was the turning point in the game.

“I made two mistakes and it cost us the game,” said Yeats.

In actuality, BU was the better team on this night as the Terriers’ speed and physical play dominated most of the game. BU finished its checks all over the ice and stifled Maine in the neutral zone to prevent the Bears from creating rush opportunities.

“We couldn’t get any speed going. BU played very well defensively,” said Walsh.

Meyer said this was one of BU’s best games of the season.

“We came out flying,” said Meyer.

BU coach Jack Parker said his team got better as the game went along.

“I was really pleased with our overall team effort. We played well defensively and Jason Tapp was sharp in goal. He was poised,” said Parker. “We did a real good job penalty killing after their first goal.”

Parker added that his team’s third period was its best.

Skladany’s goal resulted from a Corazzini rush as he put on a burst around Maine defenseman Cliff Loya and was able to establish a passing lane to the front of the net where Skladany jammed it home.

The Terriers took control of the game in the third period and, although there was no call on Meyer’s hit on Heisten, the Bears received a pair of power-play opportunities soon afterward including a 20-second two-man advantage.

Maine’s Doug Janik was called for holding during the second power play and Meyer capitalized on the four-on-four.

After a furious flurry in which Yeats came up with several great stops, including one off a Corazzini breakaway, the puck bounced to the left faceoff circle where Meyer one-timed a slapper that beat Yeats to the short side.

“I got spun around but I thought I had time to get up. He shot it while I was getting up,” said Yeats who felt he should have made the stop.

“I knew he was out of the net and I just wanted to get the shot off quickly,” said Meyer who was remorseful about the hit on Heisten. “It was an accident. I know the kid. I wish I could apologize to him.”

Trattnig made things interesting by taking a Kariya pass and flicking a quick shot past Tapp. But BU kept its composure and Tapp made a critical stop on Kerluke’s 16-footer with 38 seconds left.

“I don’t know what happened. The far side was open. I don’t know if it got blocked or what,” said Kerluke.

Kariya opened the scoring by finishing off a beautiful passing play involving Niko Dimitrakos and Francis Nault. Dimitrakos slid the puck back to Nault who fed a diagonal pass to Kariya, who one-timed a 12-footer past Tapp.

BU tied it when Nick Gillis flipped the puck into the zone and Yeats, in trying to play it over to the far side, fanned on the puck. Pandolfo just poked it between his legs.

“We had some guys over there but I fanned on it,” saaid Years.

Both goalies saw 25 shots with Tapp stopping 23 and Yeats rejecting 22. Yeats faced more testers, especially in the third period.

Maine returns home Sunday to play Boston College.

TERRIERS 3, BLACK BEARS 2

Maine (6-5-4) 1 0 1 – 2

Boston Univ. (5-8-1) 1 1 1 – 3

First period – 1. Maine, Kariya 5 (Nault, Dimitrakos), 6:42 (pp); 2. BU, Pandolfo 6 (Gillis), 18:38; Penalties: BU, Meyer, interference, 6:16; Maine, Shaneberger, interference, 15:06

Second period – 3. BU, Skladany 2 (Corazzini, Baker), 6:24; Penalties: Maine, Loya, holding, 1:37; BU, Corazzini, interference, 3:31; BU, Baker, hitting after whistle, 3:31; Maine, Clauson, hitting after whistle, 3:31; BU, Collins, holding, 6:49; Maine, Trattnig, high-sticking, 8:07; Maine, Loya, holding, 16:35; BU, Meyer, unsportsmanlike conduct, 17:29

Third period – 4. BU, Meyer 3 (Cronin, Pandolfo), 5:12; 5. Maine, Trattnig 6 (Kariya), 12:13; Penalties: BU, Priem, interference, 2:13; BU, Bussoli, slashing, 3:54; Maine, Janik, holding, 5:02; BU, Magowan, interference, 7:59; Maine, Trattnig, boarding, 14:34; BU, Sabo, hitting after whistle, 20:00

Shots on goal: Maine 11-8-6-25, BU 9-5-11-25

High-percentage scoring chances: Maine 9-4-5-18; BU 8-4-5-17

Goaltenders: Maine Yeats, 5-3-1, (25 shots, 22 saves); BU Tapp, 3-5-1, (25-23)

Power-play opportunities: Maine 1 of 5; BU 0 of 6

Attendance: 3,603