In early game, BU answers wakeup call

NU's Dennis McCauley hits the boards and BU's Colby Cohen goes over them in the third. (Justine Hunt/Globe Staff)

Last night had nothing to do with consolation. For Boston University, it had everything to do with consistency.

Though there was a serious mixed bag of emotions - the Terriers went from a 2-1 lead to a 4-2 deficit in a second-period sleepwalk - in the end it was mission accomplished as BU stormed back to beat Northeastern, 5-4, in the consolation game of the Beanpot.

"I feel we're on the right track," said Jack Parker, who could have been excused had he arrived at the TD Banknorth Garden in an untimely manner. After all, he was coaching in the consolation game for just the fifth time in his legendary 35-year career.

While the scenario hardly pleased him, he made sure his players knew there was a lot to play for.

"It was a weird game," said Parker, who seemed to echo the sentiments of Greg Cronin, though the NU coach used a different adjective.

"Unique," is how Cronin put it, and both men were correct, because momentum switched ends all night long.

Having taken a 1-0 lead on Tyler McNeely's score 5:50 into the opener, Northeastern was down, 2-1, when it scored three times in a 3:53 span of the second period. Joe Vitale made it 2-2 at 7:07, then Ryan Ginand scored at 7:33 and 11:00 to put the Huskies in front, 4-2.

Considering that the Huskies are clinging to fourth place in Hockey East, just 3 points ahead of BU in the quest for the last of the four home-ice slots for the conference tournament, it was a "big game for us," said Cronin. Not because conference points were at stake (they weren't; the game only counts in the overall record), but because these teams will meet again Feb. 22-23, and gaining some sort of momentum is crucial this late in the season.That's why Parker shook his head about that second-period siesta. But it's also why he smiled later, because the Terriers roared back, thanks in large part to Colin Wilson, the heralded freshman who has started to assert himself.

Though he would score what proved to be the game-winner at 16:41, it was his first score, at 13:51 of the middle period, that turned things around. It started with a brilliant defensive play as Wilson saw the Huskies charging in with a two-on-none.

He broke it up thanks to a sprawling defensive play, then at the other end he converted a pass from Craig Sanders to beat Brad Thiessen (40 saves) with a blistering slap shot from the left faceoff circle.

It swung the momentum to BU, which tied the game at 9:18 when junior Matt Gilroy scored his 10th of the year.

Just over seven minutes later, Wilson tallied the winner, which wasn't without controversy.

With the Terriers applying pressure, defenseman Colby Cohen charged in off the blue line to keep the puck in the zone. Heading back, Cohen appeared to collide with NU defenseman David Strathman, whose stick was soon flying toward the rafters.

"There were two referees there, how could they miss it?" said Cronin, still steamed a half-hour after the game.

That was understandable, because the stickless Strathman was defenseless against Wilson, who took a cross-ice pass and buried it past Thiessen with just 3:19 left.

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