The Boston College Eagles had scored just five goals during a four-game losing streak entering Friday night’s Hockey East quarterfinal game against the defending Hockey East tournament champion University of Maine Black Bears.
But it took the fourth-seeded Eagles just 5:28 to score a pair of goals and they went on to post a 5-0 victory over fifth seed UMaine in their Hockey East quarterfinal at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
Sophomore center Teddy Stiga opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season 4:49 into the game and sophomore left wing James Hagens notched his 22nd just 39 seconds later.
Senior left wing Oskar Jellvik provided the Eagles with a valuable insurance goal 1:34 into the third period and sophomore Dean Letourneau scored an empty-net goal with 4:35 left in regulation before Hagens added another empty-netter.
Freshman goalie Louka Cloutier made 18 saves in posting his fourth shutout of the season.
UMaine came into the game averaging 33 shots on goal per game.
UMaine freshman Mathis Rousseau finished with 21 saves.
It was the sixth time UMaine has been shut out this season.
Boston College, now 20-14-1, will move on to next Friday’s semifinals at the TD Garden while UMaine concluded a disappointing 18-14-3 campaign and will have its string of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances stopped at two.
Stiga, a second round National Hockey League draft pick of the Nashville Predators, scored off assists from Luka Radivojevic and Drew Fortescue.
The puck was fired into the UMaine zone and came off the boards behind freshman goalie Mathis Rousseau and bounced to the onrushing Stiga in the faceoff circle to Rousseau’s left.
Stiga was able to corral the bouncing puck and flip it into the short side corner past Rousseau’s glove.
Hagens, a first round draft pick of the Boston Bruins and the seventh overall selection, extended the lead off an assist from Lukas Gustafsson.
Gustafsson passed it to Hagens, who broke in down the left wing and took a quick wrist shot.
His shot was blocked by a Black Bear but the puck landed back on his stick and he wristed it past Rousseau’s blocker side into the near corner from 15 feet out.
BC outshot UMaine 6-5 in the first period and neither team could convert on a power play chance.
BC outshot UMaine 10-9 in the scoreless second period.
Jellvik picked up his second goal of the season off some good work by University of New Hampshire transfer Ryan Conmy.
Conmy poked the puck off the stick of a Black Bear and chased it down behind the net before slipping a slick backhanded pass to the low slot where Jellvik one-timed it past Rousseau.
Letourneau’s goal was his 20th of the season.
He is also a first round draft choice of the Bruins, the 25th overall pick.
