Jan. 16, 2009

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, MA - Nick Schaus' goal with 44 seconds left in overtime was the difference as UMass Lowell rallied for a 4-3 victory over No. 12 Boston College Friday night in Hockey East action at the Conte Forum.

The River Hawks improve to 9-11-0 overall and 6-7-0 in Hockey East. The win snapped a six-game losing skid for UML. The Eagles lost for the second straight time and fall to 9-7-3 overall and 5-6-3 against the league.

The game-winning goal was made possible by a late-third period tally by Scott Campbell (Navan, Ont.) and a major penalty to BC's Nick Petrecki (Clifton Park, N.Y.).

With the net empty at the other end Campbell banged home a loose puck with just 45 seconds left in regulation. The goal, Campbell's eighth of the season, set up the River Hawks first OT period of the season.

Ten seconds after Campbell tied the game, Petrecki was whistled for a five-minute major penalty for hitting from behind.

The River Hawks used almost all of the five minutes on the power play before David Vallorani (Hamilton, Ont.) found Schaus to the left of the net with a cross-slot pass. Schaus finished off the play with a tough angle shot to the left of the net.

The two teams traded goals and leads before Schaus and Campbell provided the late-game heroics. Kyle Kucharski (Saugus, Mass.) of Boston College and Patrick Cey of UMass Lowell each scored first period goals.

Kucharski opened the scoring at 4:58 of the first period from Tim Filangieri (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) and Andrew Orpik (East Amherst, N.Y.). Cey netted the equalizer at 13:35 of the first from Jeremy Dehner (Madison, Wis.) and Jonathan Maniff (Revere, Mass.).

Maury Edwards (Rocky Rapids, Alta.) gave the River Hawks their first lead of the night when he scored his seventh goal of the season at 14:52. The goal came on the power play and was assisted by Vallorani and Dehner.

Freshman Barry Almeida (Springfield, Mass.) answered 69 seconds later - at 16:01 - with his third goal of the season to knot the game, 2-2.

Brock Bradford (Burnaby, B.C.) gave the Eagles a 3-2 lead with his 15th goal of the season, an unassisted goal after a turnover behind the net, eight minutes into the third period. The goal was unassisted.

Carter Hutton (Thunder Bay, Ont.) snapped a personal four-game losing streak with the win. Hutton made 28 saves to improve his 2008-09 record to 3-6-0.

John Muse (East Falmouth, Mass.) made 36 saves for Boston College, but took the loss. He is now 9-7-3 on the season.

The River Hawks were 2-for-6 with 10 shots on the power play. The Eagles were 0-for-3 on the man-advantage.

UMass Lowell out-shot Boston College 40-31 for the game, including a 7-0 edge in overtime. The 40 shots are a season high for UML.

"It would be a clear understatement if I said we needed that game," said UMass Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald. "It was a great victory for the players against a very good team. We were fortunate to get some power play opportunities and converted on them. Having Mark Roebothan back gave us a lot of grit and allowed to get the puck on the tying goal.

"We've been playing very well lately, but have been losing a lot of one-goal games. It's not because of systematic breakdowns, its just one individual turnover. That almost defined the game [Friday]. The players get all the credit [for the win Friday]. That's such a player's victory."

The River Hawks return to the ice Saturday night when they host Massachusetts (7:00 p.m.). The Eagles are next in action Saturday night when they travel to Boston University (7:00 p.m.).

Notes:

Jeremy Dehner tied a career-high with three assists in the game ... This was the River Hawks first overtime game of the season ... The overtime winning goal was the first of Nick Schaus' career ... The River Hawks scored two power play goals in the game, the sixth time they have done so this season (6-0-0).