Boston College 4, Vermont 1: Eagles Bounce Back, Drop Catamounts

Boston College Eagles hockey needed a win in the worst way. With the calendar having finally turned to February, at least for one night, BC put the unpleasantness of January behind them.

The Eagles claimed a 4-1 victory on Friday night over the visiting Vermont Catamounts to snap a brief losing streak. With the win, BC rises to 15-7-2 (12-6-1) on the season, now leading Hockey East with 25 points.

In this sorely-needed victory for Boston College, the home team went into the first intermission trailing despite having outplayed the Catamounts for the balance of the period. Vermont got on the board first with a goal just 4:14 into the game, scoring on Anders Franzon’s first goal of the season (assists Fallon, Brickley). The Catamounts then had another chance at a quick second goal, but video review confirmed a no-goal to keep the score at 1-0.

Franzon’s score was the only time the Catamounts would slip the puck beyond BC’s Parker Milner on the evening. Boston College took over from there in the second, tying the game at the 10:30 mark of the middle frame with his 12th goal of the season (assists Linell, Gaudreau). As it turns out, the Eagles would then go on to take the lead less than a minute later at 11:17 on an accidental goal: after a play around Vermont’s net, a Catamount player inadvertently sent it into his own goal; Quinn Smith was credited with his second of the year (assists Doherty, Dyroff). Still, BC was far from out of the woods, but shortly after the second goal, the Eagles killed off a Vermont 5-on-3 which secured their momentum.

In the third, two familiar faces rounded out the scoring: Steven Whitney (8:05; Sit, Arnold) and Johnny Gaudreau (14:46; Linell, Mullane). For Whitney, it was a terrific goal that he shot at from his knees and his 16th of the season, while Gaudreau netted his 13th.

For much of the game, Vermont had a substantial advantage in shots on goal, but the Catamounts’ offense, near the bottom in Hockey East, could not capitalize on the opportunities they gave themselves. To their credit, Vermont’s lowest-rated penalty kill did not give up a power play goal.

The next time Boston College takes to the ice will be Monday night in the Beanpot semifinal against Harvard at the TD Garden. They will do so with some forward momentum.