The Massachusetts Minutemen seemed ready to break out of their four-game slump this weekend after beating Providence in the Mullins Center Friday night.
Not so fast.
One night after earning his 700th career win against arch-nemesis Boston College, Jack Parker earned No. 701 as Boston University ran over the Minutemen, 7-1, in front of 5,638 at the Mullins Center.
The Terriers improve to 9-6-0 on the season, with an 8-1-0 Hockey East record that puts them at the top of the conference. The foundering Minutemen fall to 7-9-1 overall, with an even 4-4-1 conference record.
Brad Zancanaro and Peter MacArthur led the Terriers with two goals apiece, including Zancanaro’s game winner early in the second. On the defensive end, John [nl]Curry was mostly untested after the opening period, and made 27 stops on 28 shots, allowing only a one-time goal by freshman David Leaderer at the 8:31 mark of the third.
By that time, however, the issue was moot, as the Terriers doubled their goal totals in each of the second and the third, scoring two in the middle frame and four in the final period to go with one in the first 20 minutes.
BU got things started with a Dan Spang goal just 4:01 into the game, and while the teams were even throughout the opener, things changed quickly in the second.
Zancanaro, who assisted on Spang’s goal, and MacArthur scored within 33 seconds of each other, starting at 5:54 of the second.
MacArthur added a shorthanded goal with Brian McConnell in the box for hooking 7:30 into the third, and while the Minutemen did take advantage of the power play with Leaderer’s second goal of the season, it was too late.
“I thought the third goal by MacArthur was the biggest goal,” Parker said. “That was a bit of a backbreaker, I thought, and it got a little bit easy for us after that.”
BU added three more goals in the third, including John Laliberte’s power-play tally that chased UMass starter Gabe Winer (24 saves) from the net in favor of sophomore Michael Waidlich.
Waidlich couldn’t stop the bleeding, though, as Zancanaro and Matt Radoslovich each scored in the final six minutes to top off the game.
“Going into the weekend, I certainly didn’t want to be Jack’s 700th [victory],” UMass coach Don Cahoon said, “but I can tell you it doesn’t feel any better whatsoever being number 701.
“It’s kind of a disheartening performance on our side. As well as BU played on the road coming off an emotional win, I thought they played a real smart game. It was more the self-destruction that put us away.”
