March 1, 2008

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. - The 16th-ranked Boston University men's ice hockey team had its nation-best seven-game win streak snapped on Saturday evening, dropping a 5-1 road contest against Massachusetts at Mullins Center. The Terriers remained in second place in the Hockey East standings thanks to Maine's win over Vermont and now stand at 15-15-4 overall with a 13-9-3 conference mark.

UMass, which improved to 11-14-6 (6-13-5) and mover closer to securing a spot in the Hockey East playoffs, got two goals and an assist from junior Cory Quirk. Classmate Alex Berry had a goal and an assist and freshman netminder Paul Dainton made 27 saves.

UMass got on the board first just 3 minutes, 21 seconds into the game on a redirect by Quirk on the game's first power-play chance.

The Terriers knotted things up with just 15 seconds left in the first on a power-play goal of their own. Junior Brandon Yip buried a slapshot from the left side on assists from senior Pete MacArthur and freshman Colin Wilson.

UMass took advantage of Terrier defensive miscues the rest of the way en route to the victory. The Minutemen scored twice in the second and never looked back, adding a shorthanded tally and an empty-netter in the third.

Sophomore Brett Bennett made 10 saves for the Terriers and was pulled for over four minutes in favor of an extra attacker in the late stages of the third.

The Terriers held a 28-15 advantage in shots, including an 11-2 margin in the third, but the Minutemen scored on both of those shots to close out their opportunistic evening.

The game was filled with penalties as each teamed had 61 penalty minutes. Eighty-six minutes were issued during a late-game scuffle.

BU will return to action on Thursday (March 6) when it kicks off a home-and-home series against Providence with a visit to Schneider Arena. Game time is set for 7 p.m. A win would seal home ice in Hockey East quarterfinals for the Terriers, who can finish no lower than fifth in the league standings.