Double trouble for BU

Vermont sweeps series at Agganis

The Boston University men's hockey team lived its own version of "Groundhog Day" this weekend. The second-ranked Terriers lost to No. 15 Vermont by a 4-3 score Friday night at Agganis Arena. Last night, it was the same outcome, same crushing disappointment for the Terriers.

It marked the first time BU (7-4-0, 4-4-0 Hockey East) has endured home losses on consecutive days to the same team since Nov. 20-21, 1992, when it dropped a pair to Maine at Walter Brown Arena.

The deciding goal (like on Friday) came in the third period. Senior right wing Corey Carlson took a pass from sophomore defenseman Dan Lawson and beat freshman goalie Kieran Millan (28 saves) at 8:07 with a wrister from the right circle.

"For our program to come away with two wins here, it's certainly a testament to our student-athletes," said Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon. "They played their hearts out for six periods of hockey and as a coach, I'm very proud of them."

The Catamounts took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. BU got on the board first with an even-strength goal at 10:55. Center Colin Wilson started the play when he won a faceoff back to defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk at the left point. Shattenkirk threw the puck toward the net and left wing Chris Higgins redirected it. Junior goalie Mike Spillane (32 saves) made the initial save but Higgins got to the rebound and rapped it in from the right post for his seventh goal of the season.

Vermont responded with a pair of strikes, both on special teams. The first was shorthanded at 12:20. With defenseman Patrick Cullity off for interference, the Catamounts made the most of the middle of the ice with a relay from sophomore blue liner Josh Burrows to junior wing Colin Vock, who moved it up to junior wing Viktor Stalberg. Stalberg charged toward the net and fired a shot as he ran out of room. He didn't get much on the shot from the right side of the crease but it was just enough beat Millan to the far post.

The second Catamounts goal came on the power play at the 19-minute mark. Vock set up Carlson for a shot from the right circle that Millan stopped. Senior center Dean Strong tried to score on the rebound but his shot was deflected out to Lawson, who beat Millan from the left circle.

Vermont (7-3-2, 4-3-1) added another power-play goal early in the middle period to make it 3-1. With Higgins off for tripping at 50 seconds, it took the Catamounts just 28 seconds to score. Junior center Brian Roloff had the puck atop the right circle and rifled it down to Stalberg in the corner. Stalberg saw sophomore center Justin Milo skating down the slot and put the puck on his stick, with Milo potting his sixth of the year at 1:18.

The Terriers pulled to within one with a shorthanded tally at 13:13. Sophomore defenseman Colby Cohen, perched high between the circles, dished the puck to Wilson in the left circle. Wilson threw it across the slot to freshman center Chris Connolly, who beat Spillane to make it 3-2.

BU fought all the way back at 1:13 of the third thanks to a fortuitous bounce. Senior left wing John McCarthy threw the puck at the net from the left side and Spillane tried to poke it away, but he put it right on the stick of senior right wing Brandon Yip, who tapped it in from just outside the right circle.

BU coach Jack Parker said the way Vermont clogs the middle was frustrating for his squad.

"They came in and got 4 points and dominated us in a bunch of different ways," said Parker. "They came in and dictated how the game had to be played on both nights. We aren't patient enough to play the way you have to play against a team that doesn't want to come at you, that wants to play five minutes at center ice and clog up the middle. Their style is tough for us to play. It makes it difficult for us to be who we want to be."

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell canbe reached at marrapese@globe.com.