Thanks to a hat trick from senior Chris Collins and a pair of tallies from rookie defensemen, Boston College holds a 5-2 lead over North Dakota through two periods of play in the opening semifinal of the 2006 Frozen Four.
Boston College pulled in front, 3-0, in the opening period despite being outshot, 12-5, in the frame.
Brett Motherwell got the Eagles on the board at 7:43 with a wrist shot through a screen from the left faceoff circle. Then Collins, a Hobey Baker “Hat Trick” finalist, tacked on two more goals — the first of which came shorthanded — at 12:34 and 18:18, respectively.
BC netminder Cory Schneider stopped all 12 shots he faced in the period, while North Dakota counterpart Jordan Parise saved just two of five shots.
Eagles captain Peter Harrold left the game early with an ankle injury, but returned to action at the start of the second.
North Dakota finally struck early in the second, scoring its own shorthanded marker at 4:23. Sophomore Rastislav Spirko buried a loose puck just inside the left post after with Schneider down and out.
The Sioux had a chance to pull closer at 6:44 when they were handed a 51-second 5-on-3 advantage. The Eagles’ penalty kill, though, stood tough, allowing just two shots on the two power plays combined.
At 13:26, North Dakota finally did draw within one. As a penalty to BC’s Andrew Orpik expired, Rylan Kaip buried a pass at the left post between the legs of Schneider to pull the Sioux within one at 3-2.
This time, BC would answer. As a penalty expired to North Dakota’s Chris Porter, rookie defenseman Anthony Aiello fired a bad-angle shot through the five-hole of Parise at 15:38 to give BC a 4-2 lead. It was Aiello’s first collegiate goal.
Collins completed the hat trick and when he scored on a breakaway with 22.7 seconds remaining. On the power play, Schneider caught the Sioux in a change with a home-run pass to Benn Ferriero, who found Collins all alone charging through the slot.
BC pulled closer on the shot chart, outshooting the Sioux, 16-11, in the period.
