Ryan Leonard stayed red-hot with his second hat trick in a week on Friday night. The 20-year-old winger potted three goals against no. 8 UMass Lowell in no. 1 Boston College’s 4-0 shutout win. He now has nine goals in his last five games and 22 on the season, which is top in the NCAA.
Leonard scored his first of the game just 3:04 into the first period, reaching the 20-goal mark for a second-straight year. After James Hagens found Drew Fortescue with a soft pass in the neutral zone, Fortescue hit a streaking Leonard for a backdoor strike past goaltender Beni Halasz.
The goal stood as the game-winner, giving Leonard eight game-winning goals this season, which leads the nation. After Gabe Perreault put the Eagles up 2-0 at the end of the first period, Leonard would finish off his hat trick with two third-period tallies.
His first goal in the final frame came with just 13 seconds off the clock, a slingshot wrister from the right circle assisted by Andre Gasseau.
Leonard wrapped up the hat trick with his prettiest goal of the three. After being forced behind the net, Leonard curled around towards the slot, put the puck between two defenders, and finished high glove on Halasz.
BC’s win is their seventh in a row after losing their first game post-holiday break to Merrimack on January 10. Leonard’s three goals give him 30 points (22g, 8a) in 24 games this season.
Leonard took the overall lead in NCAA goal-scoring from Michigan State’s Isaac Howard. Howard, a junior, has 21 goals in four more games played than Leonard this season. They are the only two college players to cross the 20-goal plateau so far this season.
Friday’s game was Leonard and BC’s last before they kick off this year’s Beanpot tournament against Northeastern on February 3 inside TD Garden. The Eagles have not won the midseason tournament since 2016.
