An instant classic

March 17, 2021. St. Patrick's Day.

A day I won't soon forget. I've covered hundreds of college hockey games since 1989, but Wednesday's UMass Lowell-Boston College deserves a special category.

Top-ranked Boston College led 1-0 after one period, 3-0 in the second period and then 4-1 after two periods. With Spencer Knight in the nets for BC, this game was all but over. But UMass Lowell didn't get the memo.

Goals by Reid Stefanson, Andre Lee and Lucas Condotta scored to make it 4-4. But then BC's Marc McLaughlin scored a power-play goal with just over two minutes left to again put the hosts ahead in the Hockey East semifinal. Game over? Not quite. With UML's goalie pulled for a sixth skater, defenseman Anthony Baxter scored his second goal of the game with just over a minute left.

In overtime, BC thought it had won it. But, after a long video review, the goal was disallowed due to offsides. UML had new life. The pressure mounted. Fatigued began to set in. Afternoon turned to night. The game went to a second overtime. Finally, with exactly eight minutes left, Matt Brown batted a puck out of mid air and swatted it past Knight. The Conte Forum was nearly empty, but I was lucky enough to be there, covering the game for The Sun and calling the game on WCAP with the legendary Bob Ellis.

Brown slid on his knees as the weary River Hawks mobbed him in celebration. UML had kept its season alive. The River Hawks will look to win their fourth Hockey East playoff championship Saturday at UMass Amherst. A win would put UML into the NCAA Tournament.

Stranger things have happened. Like Wednesday. A day UML hockey fans won't soon forget.

UMass Lowell players leave the ice after beating BC in an instant classic March 17.