LIVE BLOG: Hockey East Semifinals

Welcome to the TD Banknorth Garden, where the University of New Hampshire has taken the ice for its Hockey East semifinal matchup with Boston College. This marks the third time in the last four years these teams have met in Boston, with the Eagles prevailing in each of the previous meetings. The top-seeded Wildcats, however, are looking to change that tonight, so stay with us for updates -- and, if you're following along, feel free to add your own comments or questions.

PREGAME

• As expected, John Muse makes his 39th consecutive start for BC, while Hobey Baker finalist Kevin Regan is in goal for New Hampshire.
• UNH's lineup is just as it's been for most of the season's second half, with Mike Radja, Matt Fornataro and Danny Dries starting for the Wildcats.
• The Garden is about a third full at game time, partially due to the early start and partially because BU and Vermont fans won't arrive until nearer the 8 p.m. start. But, judging by the reaction to introductions, the fans are mostly in favor of New Hampshire.
• The Rev. Robert Thompson just wrapped up a stellar rendition of the national anthem -- he brought his "plsyoff voice" according to Allen Lessels -- and we're ready for hockey.

FIRST PERIOD

• 15:22 -- Well, there was certainly no feeling-out process at the start of this one. The teams took the ice at a fast and feverish pace, chasing each other up and down the ice and totaling nine shots in less than five minutes. The best came from BC's Nathan Gerbe, who danced around Kevin Kapstad to put himself alone with Regan, but the Hockey East player of the year threw his right pad at the wrister and made the stop. In the battle for the rebound, BC picked up a penalty for tripping...
• 14:43 -- 1-0 UNH -- ... and it didn't take the Wildcats long to capitalize. Just 39 seconds into the man advantage, Bobby Butler picked up a loose puck at the side of the net, walked out front, and ripped one over Muse's blocker. As we said in this morning's preview, special teams could play a huge part -- and barely five minutes in, a power play goal is the difference.

SECOND PERIOD

• Well, we're back in business after some technical difficulties bumped us from the Blogosphere for more than an hour -- and, yeah, you missed a lot.
• UNH took a 2-0 lead before the first-period was finished, as Jamie Fritsch capitalized on a delayed penalty by carrying deeper in the zone, and then firing a low drive past Muse's right skate. The freshman was pretty lackadaisical in making sure his pipes were covered on that one, though from there, it's been all Eagles (but for a brief spell).
• Early in the second, BC pulled within one when Ben Smith whacked a Gerbe rebound out of the air past Regan, but UNH weathered the storm without giving up anything more before it could quickly strike twice.
• The first came when James vanRiemsdyk found Butler with a no-look, through-the-legs feed, and Butler bided his time before beating Muse past the right skate. Less than two minutes later, Greg Collins set up Thomas Fortney for a shorthanded score, and things were looking good for New Hampshire at 4-1.
• Not so fast, however. BC's Joe Whitney buried a one-timer from the point during an Eagle power play to make it 4-2, then Brian Gibbons took BC's baseball tactic and turned it into another score. Sliding his off-angle shot off the bottom of the net, he got the puck to pop up, and as it floated toward the front of the net he stuffed it home.
• So, as we go to the third, it's 4-3. BC owns a 36-21 edge in shots, including a 23-8 advantage in the second period. On one hand, it's good for UNH that it was so badly outplayed in the middle stanza and still owns a 1-0 edge. But on the other, momentum is certainly on the side of the Eagles.
• BC starts the period with 18 seconds left on a power play, so UNH needs to kill that, and then get moving forward again -- while staying out of the penalty box. The Eagles are already 2-for-3 with the man advantage, and have had plenty of opportunities around the net on those chances.

THIRD PERIOD

• UNH managed to kill the Dries penalty, then got a power play of its own when Dries was taken down in the offensive zone. But they failed to cash in.
• 15:07 -- 4-4 -- And we've got ourselves a 15-minute hockey game. Bearing toward the right wing circle, Matt Price just flipped a backhanded feed to the front of the net, where Dan Bertram was barreling toward the cage. Bertram didn't see the puck, but as it went between his legs, it redirected off the inside of his left skate and snuck inside the pipe. There was no kicking motion, so after a review the goal stood. It's a whole new puckgame.
• That last goal came on BC's 40th shot of the night; UNH is posted at 22. The teams each had 13 after a period.
• We're at the under-12 minute timeout, and we're still tied. BC continues to carry the play, though at this point neither side is sustaining pressure or possession.
• There's 8:55 to go, now. UNH has evened the play a bit, and though they haven't necessarily generated the Grade A chances, they have made Muse look shaky with a lot of bodies around him.
• There's 7:04 to go, and UNH is in trouble. Mike Radja was just called for charging, and so the Wildcats will be forced to fend off an Eagle power play. Good timing for BC, also, since the TV timeout coincided with the call and so they'll get rest for their big guns.
• For the power play, BC is using five forwards and zero defensemen.
• UNH dodges a bullet: the penalty is over.
• We're down to 3:45 left, and UNH is coming out of the timeout with its second line on the ice. They've been the WIlcats' best all night, with Butler scoring twice, and vanRiemsdyk (two assists) playing one of his better games in the last month.
• Regan just kept his team in the game, throwing his right toe on Whitney's uncovered rebound try from the low slot with 2:30 left.
• And for the second straight year we've got overtime in the first Hockey East semifinal. There'll be a standard 15-minute intermission, then a 20-minute, golden-goal extra session. Through three periods, UNH is being outshot 47-30, though the Cats did hold an 11-9 edge in the third, and evened out the play late.

OVERTIME

• Just in case you were curious, UNH hasn't lost this year after taking a lead of at least three goals. In fact, only once were they up by at least two and wound up losing, that coming against St. Lawrence in early January. That 6-5 setback is also the only time the Wildcats have scored at least four goals and lost.
• We're underway in OT.
• Lot of action early, as Regan against stoned Joe Whitney on a good chance, and then Mike Sislo had a decent bid go high at the other end. We've played 2:35 of extra time.
• Almost seven minutees have expired, and lately the play has been mostly in BC's offensive zone. The Eagles are doing a terrific job of getting traffic in front of Regan, and getting to the redirections after tips. It's making life very difficult, and dangerous, for Regan.
• Case in point; BC's Ben Smith just had two tips that nearly resulted in goals on an Eagle possession that lasted about a minute. The first forced Regan to make a stop with the butt of his stick, and the second went high. Dog tired, UNH's second line and second defensive pairing ultimately cleared the zone, keeping it at 4-4 with 10:29 left.
• With Kevin Regan's 50th save of the night, the teams have combined for 88 shots -- a Hockey East semifinal record. We've got 7:10 to go.
• Both sides just dodged a bullet, as BC's Tim Filangieri got away with an apparent hook at one end, and Regan stopped Gerbe's semi-break at the other.
• Kevin Regan just set a career high with his 53rd save.
• UNH's third line, typically its checkers, already has one goal tonight -- and just made a bid for No. 2. After sustaining pressure, Thomas Fortney chipped a rebound high.
• With 1:30 Boston College appeared to have the winner -- but not quite. Officials just waved off the apparent score because Kevin Regan's helmet had been knocked off not two seconds before the would-be winner, and after a lengthy review we play on. 
• And now we go to a second overtime...
• Here's what happened on the disallowed goal: After BC dumped the puck into the offensive zone, and retreating defenseman Craig Switzer whiffed on his attempt to whack it away, the rubber rolled into the slot. Regan came out to play it, but he and BC forward Benn Ferreiro were equidistant from the puck, and so the dives of each caused a collision. In that encounter, Regan's helmet was knocked off, but play continued, and so Matt Greene was given a golden chance. Finding the puck in the slot, with only defenseman Nick Krates protecting the net, he wasted no time in firing home. Soon, he was in the corner being mobbed by teammates -- while an irate Regan began screaming at head referee John Gravallese, and actually fired his blocker into his net. The initial signal was for a goal, but after a brief conference with his linesmen, he headed to center ice for a video review. Regan's contention was that his helmet flew off before the puck was in the net, and, indeed, it was off before Greene had even fired his shot. No whistle had been blown to kill the play, but after a few minutes on the phone with the official upstairs, Gravallese told the captains the game would continue. And, according to the rule book, the call was right. In the 2006-08 NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations book, it reads: "If a player's (including goalkeepers) mask and/or helmet is displaced, there shall be an immediate whistle."

  By that, he got it right.

SECOND OVERTIME

• And it's on to OT No. 2.
• The best chance early goes to UNH, with Craig Switzer's rush nearly setting up Danny Dries at the front of the net, but the freshman was up-ended before he could get a stick on the try.
• Almost four minutes in, we're still here. Shots are now 59-40 in favor of BC.
• We're down to the 12-minute mark, and after Regan made a huge pad save on Carl Sneep's one-time slap shot, UNH's second line has started buzzing. Both Butler and Jerry Pollastrone had decent bids, but both were denied, and we continue.
• With 9:11 left, we've just surpassed the previous record for longest Hockey East semifinal ever.
• We're down to 8:25, and UNH's second line is again making things happen, as vanRiemsdyk ripped a wrister into Muse's chest. The guess here is that it's either the Butler-Pollastrone-vanRiemsdyk combination, or Gerbe's line, that wins it. Some day.
• Mike Radja just collided with Muse, and the BC netminder is lying face down in his crease. This could pose a problem for the Eagles if he's forced to leave, since his backup hasn't played this year.
• Muse is up. And it seems he'll stay in the game, with less than seven to play.
• On BC's 64th shot of the night, Kevin Regan just got beat ... but the puck rolled wide, and so we play on with four to go.
• Danny Dries just put his team in a huge hole. After breaking his stick in the offensive zone, he followed the puck to the other end of the ice, and as it was loose he undercut Nick Petrecki away from the play, and put BC on the first power play of extra time. There are stupid penalties, and then there are STUPID penalties. We'll put this one in the latter category.
• For the first 65 seconds, at least, UNH has avoided disaster. And we're on to the third overtime.
• This is already the 12th longest game in NCAA history. BC has 66 shots on goal, while UNH has 46.

THIRD OVERTIME

• We've asked, and there is no curfew tonight, so the BU-Vermont semifinal slated for 8 p.m. will still be played. And, by rule, there must be a break of at least 45 minutes in between. With this one not set to resume until 9:50, that means that game won't start until 10:35 at the earliest -- and that's if someone scores in the first minute of the third OT.
• Just got the stats, and so far there have been a combined 54 blocked shots -- 28 attempted by BC, 26 by UNH. In most games, there aren't many more shots than that that reach the net.
• And, with 55 ticks to go in a BC power play, we're underway.
• They needed only 42 seconds of it. Benn Ferriero fired from the right point, it deflected off the stick of defenseman Craig Switzer, and jumped over Regan's glove as the goalie had already bent to play it on the ice. So that's it. 5-4 Eagles, and UNH will have to wait until Sunday to see if it still earns a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.