BU tops Vermont in overtime, 3-2

By Annie Maroon/DFP Staff

Facing a 2-1 deficit with less than two minutes to play, the Boston University men’s hockey team rallied to tie the game and beat the University of Vermont in overtime, 3-2, on a goal by freshman defenseman Alexx Privitera. The win clinched home ice in the Hockey East playoffs for the Terriers.

Vermont winger Connor Brickley struck first in the game, picking off a pass from the corner and firing a quick shot on goalie Kieran Millan that found a hole. BU had a few up-ice rushes broken up by Vermont defenders in the next several minutes before redshirt freshman forward Yasin Cissé was called for a hit from behind.

As Cissé’s penalty was about to expire, UVM forward Sebastian Stalberg took a backdoor pass from his linemate Nick Bruneteau and wristed it past Millan for the Catamounts’ second goal on eight shots.

After picking up two assists on Friday, sophomore forward Sahir Gill found his way back into the goals column with a dramatic play halfway through the second. Junior defenseman Sean Escobedo, jumping into the rush with the forwards, centered a pass to Gill that he knocked past UVM goalie Rob Madore while diving on his stomach.

BU thought they had tied it up a few minutes later, when sophomore forward Matt Nieto rang a shot off the left post and one of the Terriers pushed the rebound across the line. Upon review, though, the puck was ruled to have been kicked in and the goal was disallowed.

The decision on the goal seemed to energize the Terriers, as they picked up their pace in the last few minutes of the second but couldn’t add to Gill’s tally. In the third, they forced Madore to make a number of quality stops, but the goaltender was up to the task on his Senior Night, gloving a number of shots through difficult screens and stopping a one-timer that looked like a sure goal from Clendening at close range.

With 1:41 left in the third, Parker pulled Millan, and it didn’t take long for that move to pay off. Sophomore defenseman Garrett Noonan and junior forward Alex Chiasson each got a shot off on Madore as BU’s forward collapsed on Madore, and when a third or fourth chance bounced to junior forward Wade Megan in the slot, there was nothing Madore could do to stop his wrist shot. Megan’s 17th goal of the year tied the game 2-2 and sent it to a five-minute overtime.

Privitera sent a slap shot from the point past Madore with 1:58 remaining in overtime to win it for BU.