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Matt Fraser lifts Bruins past Canadiens, 1-0 in OT

By WTOP Staff

MONTREAL (AP) — Matt Fraser fantasized about a night like this as a kid in Red Deer, Alberta.

Making his NHL playoff debut after being called up Wednesday from Providence of the American Hockey League, the 23-year-old Fraser scored at 1:19 of overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

“It’s something I dreamed about many times on the outdoor rinks growing up,” Fraser said. “It’s every kid’s dream to score in overtime. … Words can’t even describe that feeling. I just watched the replay of it and I don’t even want to begin to try to explain that because it’s something I wish that every kid could feel.”

The goal tied the Eastern Conference semifinal series 2-2.

Fraser scored after Johnny Boychuk’s shot from the point took a high hop off the end boards and Price and defenseman Mike Weaver had trouble controlling the bouncing puck.

“It was bouncing around and I was just swatting at it as hard as I could and hoping it would hit something,” Fraser said. “Price is such a good goalie. He doesn’t give out a lot of rebounds. I might have got lucky there, but the puck wound up in the back of the net.”

Price lost sight of the puck.

“It came around on the other side and it bounced over my stick and I lost it,” Price said. “Somebody yelled ‘Over,’ so I looked over my left shoulder. Obviously, it wasn’t there. Then they poked it in on the other side.”

Game 5 is Saturday night in Boston.

“We knew how tight this series would be,” Boston coach Claude Julien said. “It doesn’t mean any more than that we’ve tied the series. It’s been tight every game.

“It was important to get back in the series, but I don’t think we’ve played our best hockey. We’ve played hard, but I’ve seen us play better. You hope the win here will help us get better and we’ll go from there.”

Fraser had two goals in 14 regular-season games for Boston and had 20 goals in 44 games for Providence. Julien didn’t hesitate to use the youngster in overtime.

“It was no doubt a little nerve-wracking for him but to me it didn’t show on the ice,” Julien said. “He was poised, made some good decisions, he was strong with the puck and in his decision-making. We were talking about him and I said he’s been really good for us tonight and there was no doubt he was going to play in overtime.”

Tuukka Rask made 33 saves for Boston, and Price stopped 34 shots.

“This was a hard-nosed game between two well-prepared teams,” Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. “We lost a battle in front of the net on the winning goal, but I’m pleased with our team’s effort. All the games have been close and it won’t be different next game.”

The teams played their first scoreless period in regulation time in the series in a tight-checking first marked mainly by icings and missed passes.

Boston’s Carl Soderberg had the best chance in the final minute after Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban’s blind back pass was intercepted, but Price got a piece of it as it went off the crossbar.

Another goal-less period followed as shooters misfired, particularly Montreal’s Max Pacioretty on a setup from Thomas Vanek, and both goalies held their ground. Each team went on the power play once, but even that failed to break the deadlock.

The Canadiens went on attack in the third, peppering the Boston net and outshooting the Bruins 14-7. But the Bruins got a power play and Reilly Smith hit a goal post, only to see Brian Gionta stoned by Rask alone in front of the net at the other end a moment later.

Notes: Fraser played in place of Jordan Caron. Matt Bartkowski stepped in on defense for Andrej Meszaros. … NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr attended the game.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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