By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Rochester Institute of Technology’s dream of making waves in the NCAA hockey tournament came to an abrupt end on Thursday evening.
Talent-laden Boston University withstood an early surge by the Tigers and then took control, scoring twice in each period to defeat RIT 6-3 in the regional semifinals at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The loss to the tournament’s No. 2 overall seed ended the RIT season at 27-11-2, just five days after the Tigers had earned a national tournament berth by winning the Atlantic Hockey championship.
“When you lose like this at the end of the year, it happens so suddenly,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said in the post-game press conference. “When it ends, it ends; it’s over and it just stings.”
The Tigers were by no means intimidated by the stature of BU and actually could, or should, have built a first-period lead. They outshot BU 13-6 in the opening 20 minutes, and that included three Grade A chances in the first 10 minutes. But goalie Mathieu Caron was up to the challenge and the Terriers eventually built a 2-0 lead midway through the period.
“That changes the script of that game,” Tigers alternate captain Carter Wilkie said. “If we’re up a goal, maybe they get on their heels.”
RIT twice pulled to within a goal – to 2-1 on a power-play goal by Elijah Gonsalves at 15:40 of the first period and 3-2 when Gianfranco Cassaro scored on a breakaway at 15:21 of the second – but BU simply had too much firepower.
Just 100 seconds after the Gonsalves goal, Boston University regained the two-goal margin. Tic-tac-toe passing between Dylan Peterson, Nick Zabaneh and Macklin Celebrini produced the game-breaking goal as Celebrini, a freshman and the presumptive first overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft, steered home Peterson’s pass for his 32nd goal and a 4-2 lead.
When Jack Harvey darted down the right of the slot on a breakaway and chipped the puck over the poke check of goalie Tommy Scarfone just 1:29 into the third period, BU had a comfortable 5-2 lead.
“That was the dagger,” Wilson said. “We knew it was an uphill fight from there.”
RIT pulled Scarfone for an extra attacker with just over five minutes remaining but Peterson hit the empty net with 4:14 left. Cody Laskosky, back in the Tigers lineup after suffering a shoulder injury in the quarterfinals against AHA Robert Morris, completed the scoring with 56 seconds to play.
Celebrini, Peterson and Lane Hutson each scored one goal and set up another for the Terriers, who have 14 NHL draft picks on their roster.
“You look at that score, it’s not a 6-3 game, we had plenty of chances,” said Cassaro, who leads the nation in goals by defensemen with 18. “I’m so proud of this group in that locker room and at the end of the day we’re champion and we’re going to hold that with pride.”
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