CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Friday was a night of firsts for the Boston College Eagles, but the way it ended was anything but a first.
Defenseman Kevin Lohan scored his first two goals at BC while Casey Carreau began the third period ― the second of back-to-back three goal periods for the hosts ― with his first collegiate goal, lifting the Eagles to a 6-3 win over Maine at Conte Forum and their 16th Hockey East regular-season championship in program history.
After being picked to finish sixth in Hockey East prior to the season, the Eagles opened the year with just one win in their first seven games. BC’s best effort came during Hockey East play, though, as it enters Saturday’s season finale with a 17-6-0 league mark and as winners in three consecutive outings since falling in the Beanpot consolation game.
“Something we pride ourselves on is chasing trophies; it’s been a year of ups and downs for our club, but to close with an outright trophy for Hockey East, we really feel very proud of that fact,” BC coach Jerry York said. “Maine pushed us really hard because they’re trying to secure a home-ice bid, but our team really responded.”
The Black Bears scored the game’s first goal at 8:05 as sophomore Mitchell Fossier fed the puck to freshman defenseman Veli-Matti Tiuraniemi, who slid inside the left circle and placed a perfect wrister over the shoulder of BC sophomore goaltender Joseph Woll for his second goal this season.
In search of at least a share of the Hockey East crown for the fifth time in the last seven years, the Eagles quickly recovered with two goals in the first six minutes and three total goals in the second period to take a two-goal lead.
Logan Hutsko continued his strong freshman season for BC, tying the game just 39 seconds into the middle frame. His 11th goal of the year came at the end of a great individual effort as he drove down the right wing, cut to the slot, and beat Maine’s Jeremy Swayman with a backhand shot in tight.
“I think we have a lot of offensive defensemen, guys who can hop into the play and contribute. It’s great to see guys leading from the back,” BC junior captain and defender Casey Fitzgerald said. “This was a big character win for us tonight. I thought everyone did their job and we came out with two points and the No. 1 seed in Hockey East.”
Lohan netted the Eagles’ next two goals. A Maine defender’s stick tipped home his attempt to feed the puck out to the front of the net at 6:07, while his second marker was a hard wrister from the high slot off defense partner Michael Kim’s feed at 14:25.
The graduate transfer from Michigan, who missed six games in January and earlier this month after suffering a broken jaw as the victim in an assault on Boylston Street in Boston, had scored just twice in his first 81 collegiate games entering the night.
“(Lohan) is one of the best character guys we have in that locker room,” Fitzgerald said. “And with the adversity he faced this year, it was great to see him get that. He’s such a good kid and a good leader for us that everyone was so happy.”
Woll was tested in a big way in the second period, recording 18 of his 32 saves. Perhaps his best stops of the night came in quick succession with less than five minutes to play, as he denied Tim Doherty and Nolan Vesey and the end of a 2-on-1 break.
Five of the nine game’s nine goals came in the final frame. A product of nearby Thayer Academy, Carreau posted the game-winner at 3:15 after taking a feed from rookie classmate Zach Walker, who drove down the right wing and then fed a cross-ice pass.
“The offense came from unusual sources,” York said. “When you can get goals up and down your lineup, it’s huge for us. It’s a big confidence boost for those players, but also we don’t have to rely on one line or one player. All year long, we’ve thought this going to be goals by committee. It’s good to see it pay off like that.”
Emil Westerlund cut Maine’s deficit to 4-2 on a deflection past Woll at 5:35, but junior JD Dudek allowed BC to reestablish its three-goal advantage at 8:28 as he finished off a great pair of passes from David Cotton and Hutsko.
Fitzgerald gave BC its largest lead of the game with a blast from the top of the left circle with 8:52 to play. Maine’s Patrick Shea, a Marshfield, Mass., native added a goal 3:01 later to equal the final three-goal buffer.
“It’s special to get a trophy, especially a trophy that says the whole season depends on this trophy,” York said. “It’s not a three-game, get hot in the playoffs. It’s a battle from October through late February. Our first goal when we start the year is to get home ice, and then try to chase that trophy.”
