Looking back--BU's first Hockey East championshp

Some of the biggest tournament victories in BU hockey history have taken place at the Providence Civic Center. The 1977-78 squad completed its remarkable 30-2 season there, beating BC, 5-3, in the only NCAA championship game between the two Commonwealth Avenue schools. In 1995, the Terriers won their fourth national champion at the Civic Center, thumping Minnesota, 7-3, in the seminfinal, and Maine, 6-2, in the title game. And, 25 years ago tonight, BU won its first of seven Hockey East tournament championships, drubbing the arch-rival Eagles, 9-4, with co-captain Peter Marshall’s hattrick leading the way. Blog contributor mh82 has chronicled the 1985-86 season—from a slow start to a dominant second half and post-season heroics—in another of his Terrier Tales features.

The 1985-86 Terriers: BU’s First Hockey East Champions

By mh82

For the Boston University hockey team, there was the troubling probability that history was going to repeat itself. Another season cut short. Another postseason trophy denied. Another NCAA Tournament bid rebuffed.

In the inaugural Hockey East Tournament, held at the Providence Civic Center in March of 1985, the second-seeded Terriers were beaten by host and third-seeded Providence College 5-2 in the semifinal round, thereby ending BU’s season (save for a consolation game against Lowell the following day) and any ambitions the Terriers had of making a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

BU had secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament the previous year by advancing to the championship game of the 1984 ECAC Tournament (a 5-2 setback against RPI) in its final season in that league before moving over to Hockey East. Playing in the NCAAs for the first time since winning it all in 1978, the Terriers, the No. 2 East seed, suffered a bitter defeat to Jerry York’s Bowling Green Falcons in the two-game total goals series played at Walter Brown Arena. BU looked to be in good shape after winning the opening game 6-3, but then the Terriers were outplayed the next night and dropped a 4-1 decision to even the series. The teams played into overtime for the right to advance to Lake Placid for the Final Four and a 40-foot shot through a screen by defenseman Mike Pikul resulted in a series-clinching goal for Bowling Green. The Falcons, the No. 3 West seed with a lineup that included future NHL players Gino Cavallini, Dave Ellett and Garry Galley, went on to defeat Michigan State 2-1 and Minnesota-Duluth 5-4 in a four-overtime marathon to capture the school’s only NCAA hockey title. MORE