MANCHESTER, N.H. — Maybe Boston University should have just let Yale score a goal as soon as the puck dropped Friday afternoon.
The Terriers struggled through the better part of two periods against a physical, disciplined Bulldogs team, and the key to getting untracked seemed to be giving up the first goal with about seven minutes left in the second period. From then on, BU outshot Yale dramatically, scoring twice in the third period before winning it in overtime.
[scg_html_ne2015]Danny O’Regan scored the game-winning goal and an added an assist to lead No. 1 seed BU to a 3-2 win in the first of two Northeast Regional semifinals. Ahti Oksanen and Evan Rodrigues also scored for the Terriers, while Yale goalie Alex Lyon stopped 39 of 42 shots, showing why he has the best save percentage in the nation.
For the Terriers, it was a familiar script from this season — an iffy first period, signs of life in the second and a big finish to pull out yet another tight game.
“This game in a lot of ways is a microcosm of our season,” BU coach David Quinn said. “We looked nervous early, and give a lot of credit to Yale. They were just a half a step quicker, winning a lot of battles.
“And then it was funny. Once we went down 1-0, I thought we just started playing better. It was almost like the pressure was off. We’re a lot more comfortable being down than we are being up for some strange reason.”
After struggling to get Grade A chances all afternoon, the winner was an easy one. Jack Eichel’s shot from the left point hit Lyon’s pad, and the puck went on O’Regan’s tape.
“The way the game was going, I thought I could’ve put it over the net, maybe,” O’Regan said. “I definitely had a number of chances early, and the goalie kind of had my number. I think I caught a post.
“That net was just pretty gaping, and I got a lucky bounce for us. That’s a nice open net for me.”
For Yale, it was a heartbreaking loss after a valiant effort.
“It was a hard-fought game,” Yale coach Keith Allain said. “I think that this team has overachieved [this year], and they’ve been consistent in their game performances because of the consistency of their day-to-day approach.
“I can’t think of two practices in the last six months where I wasn’t happy with the effort, with the energy and mental preparation that they brought to practice.”
Although there weren’t many great chances early on, Yale had the best one at 6:20. Playing four-on-four, Yale forward Frankie DiChiara found himself all alone with BU goalie Matt O’Connor. DiChiara shifted the puck onto his backhand, and O’Connor went down, only to have the left wing flip the puck up high, hitting the crossbar.
[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000Uo9q_tijxT8″ g_name=”20150327-BU-Yale” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_bbar=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”500″ height=”375″ bgcolor=”#AAAAAA” bgtrans=”t” btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” trans=”xfade” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_fullscreen=”f” f_constrain=”f” twoup=”f” f_topbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_htmllinks=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”f” f_show_watermark=”f” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” wmds=”llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.f22AFMQkjQ698OGxrZ4tgkyGYFoYqL7tXBTom7_R.v59NX7q8rw–” ]Scoring chances continued to be rarities for much of the second period, but DiChiara had a clear 15-footer stopped by O’Connor’s pad at 10:34. Then, 18 seconds into a power play, Yale finally scored.
Freshman Nate Repensky took a shot from the point as DiChiara streaked across the crease, screening O’Connor. The puck went straight in for Repensky’s third collegiate goal.
BU responded well to the goal but even a late-period power play could not help it get on the scoreboard.
After the teams played the first two periods close to the vest, the third period featured plenty of excitement. After BU’s third line came close to tying it up, its second line finally did so at 8:21.
Cason Hohmann whacked at a puck in the crease, and the puck popped out to Ahti Oksanen for an eight-foot shot to beat Lyon at long last.
Less than three minutes later, BU took a 2-1 lead. O’Regan passed to Rodrigues out near the left-wing boards, and his low shot surprisingly got through Lyon.
Some thought that the game might be over at that point, but the Bulldogs thought otherwise. At 13:12, DiCharia was finally rewarded with a goal on his third chance of the game, burying a high wrister from just inside the top of the right-wing circle.
Shortly after that, the crowd roared as Eichel raced in on a breakaway, only to have Lyon sprawl for the game-saving save on the backhander.
In the last 10 seconds of regulation, with BU on a power play, O’Regan thought he had the game winner, even lifting his stick in celebration. But his sharp-angle shot from the left-wing side appeared to hit the corner of the post, and the game went to overtime.
Yale survived an early power play in the extra session, only to have O’Regan end it at 7:27.
While BU (25-7-5) moved on to the regional final, Yale hanged up its skates with an 18-10-5 season.
Asked to reflect on his last game with his senior teammates, Trent Ruffalo struggled to contain his emotions.
“I don’t know I can explain that,” he said. “My classmates are some of my best friends at school. It’s definitely hard to go out like this, but that’s what makes it so special — that we are such a close class. I’ll definitely miss ’em.”
