Nieto, Maguire fire Terriers past Vermont

Junior Matt Nieto’s hat trick provided the offense and freshman Sean Maguire rejected 49 of 50 shots to lead BU to a 3-1 win over Vermont at Agganis Arena.

Nieto, a second-round San Jose draft pick in 2011, scored a goal in each period—two on the power play—to register the Terriers’ first hat trick since Brandon Yip netted three against Providence on March 6, 2009. The speedy left wing has been on a tear of late, with seven goals and three assists in the past seven games.

The Catamounts drew first blood when Chris McCarthy banged home a loose puck in the BU crease, but the Terriers' California Connection knotted the score when Nieto scored off a Ryan Santana feed with 25 seconds left in the opening period. Danny O’Regan and Evan Rodrigues assisted on the second-period game-winner and E-Rod set up Nieto’s early third-period goal on a 2-on-1 rush.

The Catamounts poured pucks on Maguire trying to get back into the game, but the Powell River, B.C., native stopped all 22 shots to preserve the 3-1 margin.

The win put BU into a third-place tie with Providence, a point behind New Hampshire and two points behind Lowell and BC.

 Nieto, whose parents are visiting from California, has scored BU’s last five goals, having tallied the final two in Tuesday’s 5-2 win against Merrimack.

Terriers was absolutely dominant on faceoffs, winning 41 of 62 draws, with Cason Hohmann accounting for an off-the-charts 18 of 20.

In addition to the strong efforts by Nieto and Maguire, Coach Jack Parker praised the play of Rodrigues, Santana and defenseman Ahti Oksanen.

BU and UVM concludes their season series tonight with puck drop at 7 p.m.

● GoTerriers.com recap, comprehensive box score

● Video highlights
● Post-game comments: Jack Parker, Nieto/Maguire

● Boston Hockey Blog recap, analysis, Three Up, three down, slideshow 

● College Hockey News’ Takeaway

● WTBU Sports recap

● USCHO recap

Looking back

In a matchup of former BU blueliners, both of whom wore #3, Ryan Whitney collected his first goal of the season for Edmonton, but Kevin Shattenkirk’s power play goal was the game-winner in the Blues’ 4-2 win.

Looking ahead

2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon’s shorthanded goal ignited a four-goal second period outburst as Omaha routed Des Moines, 5-1.

Women’s Team

The #4 Terriers’ quest for a third Hockey East tournament title in four years begins today with a quarterfinal game against UConn at Walter Brown Arena at 3 p.m. BU swept the Huskies last second and took all three games of the regular season’s series. BU also has won six of its last seven Hockey East tournament games.

BU is 17-2-2 in its last 21 games, has 11 players with double figures in points, led by junior Marie Philip Poulin (45), and seniors Isabel Menard (38) and Jennelle Kohanchuck (37)

A win tomorrow would send BU to the conference semifinals in Hyannis, Mass. on March 9.

● GoTerriers.com preview, game notes, Game Tracker, Terrier TV Webcast, WTBU Radio Webcast, Twitter Updates