BC vs. UNH hockey final score: Eagles cruise from start to win pivotal Hockey East battle, 5-2

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- After allowing an early goal in the first period, the No. 3 Boston College Eagles pulled away and cruised to a 5-2 victory over the fourth-ranked New Hampshire Wildcats on Friday night at Kelley Rink to jump ahead in a crucial Hockey East home-and-home weekend series.

The Wildcats were fast out of the gates in the final period as junior Kevin Goumas cut the deficit to 5-2 just 37 seconds in, taking the pass out front from rookie Brett Pesce for his ninth strike of the season.

Despite holding a shots on goal advantage in all three periods, totaling 33-25 for the game, the Wildcats were only able to beat BC senior Parker Milner twice as he posted 31 saves en route to his 13th victory of the season.

UNH now stands at 13-4-2 and 8-3-1 in Hockey East, including just a 2-3-1 mark in its last six games. Sophomore Casey DeSmith stopped 12 of the 17 shots he faced in the first 40 minutes, while Reading, Mass. junior Jeff Wyer made just his fifth-ever appearance and stopped all but one of the nine shots in the final period.

With the victory, BC is now 3-1-2 in its last six games and stands four points ahead in the Hockey East standings as the series shifts to Whittemore Center on Saturday evening. In his return from the World Junior Championship, sophomore Johnny Gaudreau posted a goal and two assists to pace the offense.