Ryan Leonard’s hot streak continued for Boston College as he recorded three points (1g, 2a) in a 5-4 loss to the unranked UConn Huskies, Friday night.
The 19-year-old winger scored his sixth goal of the season with 19:29 left in the third period. Rifling a wrist shot from the top of the left circle, Leonard beat UConn goaltender Thomas Heaney to narrow UConn’s lead to 3-2. The goal came while the teams were playing four-on-four.
Leonard capped off his big night with primary assists on goals from Andre Gasseau and Aidan Hreschuk — though it was not enough for the victory.
BC’s six-game winning streak was snapped in part because Jacob Fowler, the team’s starting netminder, was ejected from the game in the second period. After a goal against had some contact in the crease, Fowler, a 2023 third-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, threw a blocker punch that connected with UConn’s Tristan Fraser.
The 19-year-old backstop received a five-minute major for roughing and a 10-minute game misconduct. Hockey East suspended Fowler for one game on Saturday afternoon.
While Boston College’s record fell to 7-2-0 this year, Leonard has continued to raise his level of play as the season has worn on. Leonard has recorded 11 points (6g, 5a) in nine games, ranking second on BC in scoring behind linemate Gabe Perreault (13 points).
His 52 total shots are double that of Perreault (26), who ranks second on the team. Leonard leads the team in goals, with Perreault (5) trailing him by one.
Leonard is currently on a three-game goal streak after scoring in two games against Maine last week; his longest goal streak last year was four games, which he achieved twice during his 41-game freshman campaign. He fired another six shots on goal in the defeat, marking his sixth game with five or more shots this season.
The three-point effort was Leonard’s biggest of the season.
