#8/7 Terriers take on #7/8 UConn at TD Garden in the Hockey East semifinal as BU seeks to take another step toward an 11th Hockey East tournament title. BU and UConn play the early game with puck drop at 4 p.m. with the Maine-Northeastern semifinal following at 7:30. Both games will be stream on NESN+ and ESPN+.
Semifinalist comparison. Credit BU Hockey Stats
Terriers are in the semifinal for a record 28th time with a 14-13 record in the prior 27. They’ve won three of their last four semifinals, defeating BC in 2018, losing to Northeastern in 2019, defeating Providence in 2023 and defeating Maine last season.
Not only are the two teams bunched together in the polls, they finished third (BU) and fourth (UConn) in the Hockey East standings. And in the Pairwise, it's BU #6 and UConn #7. The odds, based on N=100,000 simulations, say this game is a toss-up.
This will be the teams’ third meeting. BU claimed a 4-2 back in October. Last month in Storrs, they tied with the Terriers taking the extra point in the shootout. Since then, BU has defeated Providence, Vermont and UMass by a combined 17-5 margin.
As was the case in the quarterfinal against UMass, the Terriers will be facing an opponent that is playing its best hockey of the season.
The Huskies are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and they’ve won four straight since the February overtime tie with BU. Their only regulation losses since Feb. 1 were to NCAA tournament-bound Providence and UMass, while they own recent wins over Maine and over Providence in the quarterfinal.
Over those 10 games, senior Tyler Muszelik and freshman Callum Tung have alternated in goal. If Coach Cavanaugh follows the rotation, it would be Tung’s turn. Muszelik has a 2.55 GAA against conference opponents and 2.20 overall; Tung’s numbers are 2.07/2.06.
Sophomore Joey Muldowney, a second-team All-Hockey East all-star, is the Huskies top point-getter with a 24-18-42 scoring line. Exactly half of his goals have come in those last 10 games. Another second team all-star, grad student Hudson Schandor, has produced 17 of 40 points since Feb. 1. Third-team all-star Jake Richard has 38 points followed by Ryan Tattle with 30.
Sophomore John Spetz anchors the defense along with freshmen Trey Scott and Kai Janviriya.
While Quinn Hutson, Cole Hutson, Ryan Greene, Shane Lachance and Cole Eiserman have been the Terriers' top point scorers, Coach Jay Pandolfo pointed out the important contributions from skaters throughout the line-up, including senior Jack Hughes:
"He’s been real good for us. That’s when he’s at his best. When he’s playing that way, when he’s moving his feet. He’s got a great stick. He’s really good at turning pucks over. His offense comes from him working, creating turnovers and then he makes the high-end skill play. He made a heckuva play on the rush the other night [on Boumedienne’s goal].
"He started killing penalties for us in the second half. I think it's helped his overall game. 'Cause if you're going to be on the penalty kill, you have to work, you have to have a good stick."
He noted the significant step up taken by sophomore blueliner Gavin McCarthy.
"He’s been a real good penalty-killer, real good defensively. He’s made a huge step this year from last. Last year, he wasn’t playing the minutes he is this year and so that’s giving him confidence. I like the way he’s grown his game. He’s playing some of his best hockey now for us."Pandolfo also addressed the growing role Kamil Bednarik, who now is centering the second power play unit and is a key penalty killer.
"He’s been a really good player for us/ really responsible, really good on faceoffs, really good defensively. Always in the right spots. I think it’ll come with confidence…the offensive side of things. He's taken a huge step in the second half. We're comfortable with him playing against any line and that's saying alot for a freshman."
Photo credit Matt Woolverton
TODAY'S BU LINEUP
● GoTerriers.com preview, Game Notes, Live Stats, BU All-Access (audio), BU Men's Hockey Twitter
● College Hockey News: Tale of the Tape; Hockey East Semifinal Preview
● WTBU Sports Freshman Class Leading the Charge Head into HE Semifinal
● Boston Globe Hockey East tournament preview
Photo Credit Daily Free Press
►BU Hockey Writer Scott Weighart spoke with co-captains Lachance and Greene following the quarterfinal win.
"We're going to need our best effort every night, and that's a given in the playoffs," Lachance said. "It's one and done, there's no Saturday game if you lay an egg on Friday, so that's been the message the past week or so leading up to this game, and we're just going to continue that—have a good week of practice and then go get them Thursday."
"I think obviously it took us a little bit to figure it out at the start of the year," Greene said. "We had some ups and downs, but I think right now we feel really good about where we're at. We feel confident; we trust each other, and I wouldn't have it any other way right now. I think we're in a great spot."
►The Hockey East Playoffs edition of Inside BU Hockey features Bernie Corbett's interview with Coach Pandolfo.
►The Boston Globe's Andrew Mahoney joins the Boston Hockey Blog crew to discuss the Terriers and the playoffs for a new episode of Terrier Hockey Talk.
Looking ahead
tw-align-center2025 @NHL Draft prospect Jack Murtagh has played a pivotal role in @USAHockeyNTDP’s recent success.
— USHL (@USHL) March 19, 2025
The @TerrierHockey commit was ranked No. 25 among North American skaters in the @NHLCentralScout Mid-Term Rankings.#USHL pic.twitter.com/WYOKrhGHvE
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