BC 4, Icecats 1

The UNH hockey team didn't deliver the rebound performance it had hoped for, dropping a 4-1 decision to Boston College on the heels of last week's 7-1 loss to Providence and continuing a slide that's seen them win just one of their last five games.

UNH (23-8-2, 18-6-2)  0-1-0 -- 1
BC (21-11-1, 17-8-1)   2-0-2 -- 4

GOALIE SAVES
Kevin Regan (UNH), 8-14-12 -- 34
Cory Schneider (BC), 11-10-10 -- 31

The Eagles struck first with less than four minutes remaining in the first, when Matt Greene got to the rebound of a Benn Ferriero shot and slid it through Kevin Regan's pads.

The lead grew to 2-0 with 37 ticks to go in the frame, when another rebound slid past Regan. This time the goalie stopped two shots before the puck found reigning Hockey East player of the month Nathan Gerbe and he fired it home on the power play.

UNH finally got on the board with about six and a half minutes to play in the second, when an effective forecheck hemmed the puck in the offensive zone until Chris Murray took it in the high slot. He fired a wrister through traffic from there, and it found the twine with assists to Trevor Smith and Jerry Pollastrone.

Gerbe added the first empty netter with 56.8 seconds left, then Ferreiero added a second with 39.3 on the clock to clinch it for good.

• Kevin Regan made his 10th straight start for the Wildcats, while Corey Schneider got the call for the 33rd consecutive start (encompassing the entire season) for the Eagles.
• UNH outshot BC 11-10 in the opening period, but was outshot in each subsequent period.
• BC has now won five straight, and seven of eight over the last month.
• Jacob Micflikier (who was serving a one-game suspension) was awarded the team's most popular player award during the first period for the third straight season.
• Micflikier was also selected to compete in a skills competition at next month's Frozen Four. 
• UNH Coach Dick Umile was infuriated by the absence of a call when Josh Ciocco was dropped while steaming up the ice on a short-handed rush, so incensed he climbed down from his perch to scream at referee Jeff Bunyon as he skated by. The Eagles got Gerbe's goal on the ensuing rush at the other end, which further angered the UNH coach, who again got in Bunyon's face before play resumed. According to Ciocco, Bunyon deemed the captain was in control of the puck so the check was not interference.
• If it makes you feel any better, UNH fans, Providence scored a touchdown again, pounding Merrimack 7-2. (Deering's Jon Rheault had a goal and two assists.)
• Smith's assist on Murray's goal gave him 40 points on the season. BC's Brian Boyle had two assists tonight, however, so the two are tied in the league scoring race with only a game to go.
• BC's first foul of the night came with 2:20 to play in the second, earning Bunyon a standing ovation from the home crowd. UNH did not convert the chance, which proved the only Wildcat power play when the Eagles' only other penalty came with a Wildcat infraction to match.
• After committing 12 penalties last Saturday against Providence, UNH committed only three last night.
• Umile used captain Josh Ciocco in Micflikier's spot on the UNH first line. The modified trio of Ciocco, Brett Hemingway and Mike Radja finished minus-2 for the night.
• UNH called timeout with 1:04 remaining, hoping to use an offensive zone faceoff to set up for the winning score. Instead, the Wildcats lost the draw and BC put the puck in the empty net. "The faceoff play at the end of the game with the goalie pulled was - obviously they won the draw, it was a good play on their part - but we've got to win the draw," Umile said. His team, however, has lost more faceoffs than it's won in each of the last five games.
• The win solidified the Eagles' position as far as the postseason is concerned. With the win, BC moved into a tie for seventh in the PairWise Rankings.
• UNH slipped to third in the PWR, while Maine moved down to 11th after a 3-1 loss to Massachusetts. The Minutemen, meanwhile, are on the brink of contention at No. 13.
• Half the matchups are set for the Hockey East tournament. They will be:
• No. 8 Providence at No. 1 UNH
• No. 7 Northeastern at No. 2 BC
• No. 6 Vermont/Maine at No. 3 BU
• No. 5/4 Maine vs. No. 4/5 UMass
• Vermont can move into fifth with a win and a Maine loss on Saturday. Otherwise, the Catamounts will be sixth and play at BU.
• Maine can clinch fourth with a win at UMass, since it will then own the tiebreaker over the Minutemen.
• Massachusetts can clinch home ice with a tie or a win.