18 January

1986: Boston University defeated Northern Michigan, 8-7, in overtime, at Walter Brown Arena in front of 2,262 fans. It was the third straight overtime game for the Terriers, as they defeated Northeastern on 14 January, 5-4, and the Wildcats the previous day [17 January], again by a 5-4 score. It was also the third of four straight games between the Terriers and Wildcats that went to overtime, as the two teams played overtime games on 29 December 1984 at Lakeview Arena and again on 15 November 1986 at Walter Brown Arena, both NMU victories.

The game was raucous and unbridled from the start and at 7:16 of the first BU’s Scott Shaunessy and NMU’s Joe West squared off for the first fight on the evening’s card. Both players received fighting majors and game disqualifications and as Shaunessy had already received a game disqualification earlier in the season he was suspended for the next two games. After the game resumed Clark Donatelli scored when he tipped-in Ed Lowney’s shot at 16:56 of the first. In the second period the Wildcats tied it up on the powerplay on a shot through a screen by Daryl Olsen at 11:47. The Terriers retook the lead less then two minutes later when John Cullen scored at 13:42 of the period. The lead, however, was short-lived, as Northern’s Rod Poindexter tied it up again at 17:22 of the period.

The third period turned into a slugfest, both on the scoreboard, as 10 goals were scored, and on the ice. The Wildcats took their first lead of the game when Troy Jacobsen scored on a breakaway just 1:52 into the period. Sixty-three second later BU’s Tony Majkozak tied it when he scored on a rebound of a Brad MacGregor shot. Northern responded immediately and retook the lead on Kory Wright’s backhander 29 seconds after Majkozak's goal. The Wildcats opened up a 2-goal lead, 5-3, on Poindexter’s unassisted goal, his second, 25 seconds later. The goal scoring then took a short break and at 6:49 NMU’s Jeff Grade and BU’s Paul Gerlitz squared off for the second fight on the evening’s card. As in the earlier fight, both players received fighting majors and game disqualifications.

When the game resumed the Terriers wasted little time in closing the deficit to one when Lowney scored a questionable goal from a mad scrimmage in the crease at 8:31. Just over two minutes later Gary Emmons gave Northern Michigan a 2-goal lead again when he scored at 10:43. Scott Young and Mike Kelfer worked together for a pretty goal when Kelfer cut to the post, took a perfect pass from Young and put it in the net at 12:51. The Wildcats responded with just under four minutes left in the third when Emmons took a pass from Olsen and went in alone on Terrier goalie Bob Deraney, beating him to give NMU a 7-5 lead at 16:04. BU, however, was just getting warmed up and with 2:43 left in the third Kelfer knocked a clearing pass out of the air with his stick, collected it and shot it into the far corner of the net to make it a one goal game. Northern’s Dave Randall took a hooking penalty 16 seconds later and BU took advantage of the opportunity. Young took a pass from Jay Octeau and put it into the net with 1:43 remaining for the tying goal.

In overtime Cullen won a faceoff from Emmons in the Wildcats’ zone and Lowney tipped it back to Octeau on the right point. Octeau blistered a shot to the far post that beat Northern’s goalie Dennis Jiannaras 23 seconds into overtime for the game-winner.