FRIDAY ROUNDUP: No. 1 Boston College survives against UMass Lowell, 3-2; No. 9 BU knocks off No. 3 North Dakota; No. 5 Wisconsin keeps rolling, 5-4, over No. 4 Michigan

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No. 9 Boston University downed No. 3 North Dakota, 3-2, in the opener of a two-game series against the Fighting Hawks at Agganis Arena (Photo: BU Athletics/Jon Rather)

Luke Tuch’s power play tally with 15:41 remaining in regulation broke a 2-2 tie as No. 9 Boston University opened a two-game home series against No. 3 North Dakota with a 3-2 victory.

Each team scored goals in the first and second period, sending the game to the final frame tied a 2. Dylan Peterson scored for the Terriers just 51 seconds after Jackson Blake gave the Fighting Hawks a 1-0 lead in the first.

North Dakota’s Ben Strinden had an equally quick answer to Lane Hutson’s goal in the second period, tallying at 13:07, 24 seconds after the Terriers took the lead.

Mattieu Caron was impressive in net for the Terriers stopping 32 shots, including 16 in the third period.

No. 1 Boston College 3, UMass Lowell 2

Newly-minted number one Boston College survived a tremendous effort from UMass Lowell, getting a third-period goal from defenseman Aram Minnetian, his first collegiate goal at 1:19 of the third period in a 3-2 victory over the River Hawks.

Boston College proved its offensive prowess early with rookie Ryan Leonard burying a goal 51 seconds into the game and Cutter Gauthier one-timing a puck on the power play at 9:49 of the opening frame.

Filip Fornaa Svensson pulled Lowell within a goal 41 seconds after Gauthier’s tally. And Scout Truman buried a rebound goal 1:20 into the second.

UMass Lowell pressed the top-ranked Eagles in the second, outshooting them, 13-8, but BC net minder Jacob Fowler was strong after allowing the tying goal. Fowler finished with 27 saves.

The two teams meet again in Lowell on Saturday.

No. 5 Wisconsin 5, No. 4 Michigan 4

One of the biggest early surprises from the 2023-24 season, Wisconsin, remained red hot on Friday, scoring the game’s final three goals including two in a 29-second span late in the third to shock the Wolverines in front of 10,114 at the Kohl Center.

Michigan grabbed a two-goal lead on tallies by Gavin Brindley at 15:07 of the first and a quick pair by Frank Nazar and Brindley less than two minutes apart in the second.

Cruz Lucius responded with a goal 64 seconds later, at 15:04 of the second. Simon Tassy had the tying goal on the power play with 4:15 left and Owen Lindmark netted the game-winner with 3:46 remaining to ignite the Kohl Center crowd.

Dartmouth 2, No. 8 Quinnipiac 2 (F/OT, Dartmouth wins shootout, 1-0)

Last weekend, the Dartmouth Big Green were on the wrong side of the longest shootout in men’s Division I college hockey history, unable to score in 18 attempts.

Combined with attempts on Friday, Dartmouth had missed 20 straight. But Nikita Nikora’s shootout goal, the only one scored between the Big Green and defending national champion Quinnipiac, gave Dartmouth the extra point in the ECAC standings on Friday, after a 2-2 tie.

Quinnipiac never trailed in the game jumping to a 1-0 lead at 8:18 of the first on Travis Treloar and another go-ahead goal from Christophe Tellier at 1:39 of the second.

Dartmouth’s Luke Haynes evened the game with 4 minutes left in the second and the two teams exchanged chances in the third period in overtime to force the shootout.

No. 6 Minnesota 5, No. 14 Minnesota Duluth 1

The Golden Gophers bounced back from a lost weekend against Wisconsin with a five-goal explosion against in-state rival Minnesota Duluth, a 5-1 victory.

Bryce Brodinski scored twice and Rhett Ptilick added a goal and an assist in the victory.

Goaltender Justen Close needed just 14 saves to earn the victory against a Bulldogs squad that is shorthanded due to injury.

No. 2 Denver 6, Colorado College 1

A record 7,021 fans at Magness Arena had plenty to cheer about as Denver scored the game’s final six goals in a 6-1 rout of rival Colorado College.

Evan Werner gave the visiting Tigers an early lead, scoring a 6:09 of the first. But that’s where the positives ended for Colorado College.

Jack Devine scored twice and 15 different Denver skaters registered points on the evening and the second-ranked Pioneers improved to 5-1-1 on the season.

The two teams will face one another in Colorado Springs on Saturday but then won’t finish their four-game series for the Gold Cup until the final weekend of the regular season.

 

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