The Boston College men’s hockey team completed their weekend sweep of Vermont in dominant fashion on Saturday night, blowing out the Catamounts XXXX. After a few games where the depth scoring helped lead the Eagles to victory, it was the big names who came through in this one, with Andre Gasseau, Ryan Leoanrd, and Teddy Stiga all finding the back of the net.
The Eagles got on the board first in this one, scoring a shorthanded goal almost exactly halfway through the opening period. After Ryan Leonard was whistled for a holding penalty, BC was able to kill off almost the entire Vermont power play before Teddy Stiga found himself on a breakaway following a turnover near center ice. Stiga slid the puck through the goalie’s five-hole for his 11th goal of the season and team leading best third shorthanded tally to give his team a 1-0 lead. Andre Gasseau doubled the lead just about five minutes later when he stepped in and blasted home a slap shot off a great pass from Ryan Leonard to make it a 2-0 game. That was all the scoring in the opening 20 minutes for the Eagles, as Jacob Fowler looked sharp in net to allow BC to head into the first intermission with a two-goal lead.
Ryan Leonard made it 3-0 early on in the second period with the two teams skating at four-on-four after some matching penalties. Gabe Perreault gave Leonard a gorgeous pass that set the sophomore up on a breakaway in close, and Leonard made no mistake for his NCAA leading 27th goal of the season. After BC came up empty on their first power play chance of the night, Gasseau managed to give the team even more breathing room with his second goal of the night and third of the weekend. Gasseau fired off a wicked wrist shot that went in just under the crossbar for his 13th goal of the season to extend the lead to 4-0 after two period of play.
The third period was mostly uneventful, with neither team creating much in terms of scoring chances. Brady Berard did get a bit banged up after a big hit that lead to a huge scrum that ended with five different players getting misconduct penalties and Vermont got a late consolation goal, but for the most part, the Eagles were able to close this one out with relative ease.
After winning a game that was close until the very end on Friday night, this was a nice, stress free game from the Eagles. BC dominated this one and pretty much put it away before the third period even started. With Maine having dropped points last night, BC now controls its own destiny in terms of finishing first in Hockey East play heading into their final three games of the regular season. Up next is a home-and-home series against New Hampshire next weekend as the Eagles will look to keep rolling after their third straight win.