University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Boston College
Gophers Best BC for Lucia's 700th Win
11/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (GopherSports.com) - In a fitting twist of coincidence, Gopher Hockey head coach Don Lucia earned his 700th career win on Sunday against college hockey's all-time coaching wins leader as No. 8/11 Minnesota knocked off Jerry York and No. 4/3 Boston College by a 4-2 margin.
Vinni Lettieri led the way for the Maroon & Gold (6-4-2 overall, 0-0-0-0 Big Ten) with the game-winning goal and two assists while Jake Bischoff tallied a pair of assists for the second game in a row. Mike Szmatula and Brent Gates Jr. each added a goal and an assist while Tyler Sheehy picked up a goal as well for the Maroon & Gold.
With the win, Lucia becomes eighth head coach in NCAA history to win 700 games including a school record 421 victories with the Gophers. York's 1,023 career wins are the most in college hockey history.
After Northeastern scored in the opening minute of play on Friday, it was Minnesota's turn on Sunday as Gates scored his fifth of the year 34 seconds into the contest off a feed from Lettieri. Minnesota went into the first intermission up 1-0.
Boston College (11-4-1, 6-0-1 Hockey East) rallied with a pair of goals in the opening minutes of the second period. Moments after the Gophers killed a penalty, the Eagles maintained the offensive zone and eventually found the net to even the score at 1-1 with Colin White scoring at 2:10. Just over two minutes later at 4:34, Matthew Gaudreau gave Boston College its first lead of the day when he slipped in a shorthanded goal. The Eagles would get no closer.
The two teams traded chances for the rest of the second period, but it was Minnesota that found the back of the net twice although one instance would later be reversed after a goalie interference call. Lettieri appeared to score off a pass from Szmatula behind the goal line, but the officials decided that Lettieri interfered with the Eagles goalie on the play. Minutes later, Sheehy made it a tie game when he rifled in his fifth of the year off a nice feed from Justin Kloos and Bischoff at 18:08.
The Gophers, who outshot Boston College in the first and second period, were outshot 8-10 in the final stanza although the visitors came out of the period with two goals.
Lettieri's game winner saw the senior forward start the play with a draw in the defensive zone and end it with a streaking goal in the offensive zone at 11:10. His sixth of the year came off assists from Gates and Szmatula as the forward has now scored in two-straight games.
The final minutes of the third saw the Gophers survive an onslaught from the Eagles before Lettieri and Bischoff found Szmatula for the empty-net goal at 19:51.
Eric Schierhorn made 31 saves to pick up the win for the Gophers, moving to 6-4-2 on the season. Joe Woll took the loss to fall to 7-4-1, making 32 saves.
Minnesota outshot Boston College 36-33 while both programs were perfect on the penalty kill - the Gophers at 3-for-3 and Eagles at 4-for-4.
The three-time defending Big Ten champions kick off the conference schedule next weekend with a two-game series against Ohio State at Mariucci Arena. Tickets for the 2016-17 season are available at MyGopherSports.com or by calling 1-800-U-Gopher.
-Pride on Ice-
