BC 5, UNH 4

Hockey
Joe Meloni

BOSTON – Boston College defeated New Hampshire, 5-4, on a Benn Ferriero power-play goal 17 seconds into the third overtime of the first Hockey East Semifinal.

Ferriero wristed a shot from the right point toward UNH goaltender Kevin Regan. The shot sailed high, too high it seemed, before kicking off the body of a UNH defenseman and over the shoulder of Regan.

The goal was the second for the Eagles in the overtime period. The first was called back, however, because Regan’s helmet came dislodged after a collision in the slot with BC’s Dan Bertram. The collision sent both players sliding, leaving the net open. Matt Greene sailed into the high slot, collected the loose puck and fired it in.

As the BC players mobbed Greene in the corner to the right of the cage, Regan sprinted toward the officials who already knew his grievance. Officials reviewed the play and overturned. It was the fourth BC goal of the game that went to review.

UNH led, 4-1, with fewer than eight minutes remaining in the second period. BC coach Jerry York called a timeout with 6:38 left in the period and it was all Eagles from that point.

The game was the second-longest in Hockey East history; the longest was the 2004 championship between UMass and Maine.

National implications

BC’s victory hurt the chances of a third Hockey East team receiving a bid to the NCAA Tournament, as did Minnesota’s victory over Colorado College in the semifinals of the WCHA Tournament. The Golden Gophers win not only opened the door for the first-ever conference champion from the winner of the Sudden-Death Semifinal, but it made Minnesota State’s PairWise ranking even stronger than it was entering today.

So as it looks now, UNH and BC are both locks for the national tournament whether BC wins the conference tournament or not. Unless the winner of the Boston University-Vermont game wins tomorrow night’s matchup, Hockey East will receive no more than two bids.

For scores from the rest of the conference tournaments click here.