Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Do or Die Game Day: Terriers host Vermont

      

Game day graphic featuring posed photo of Kamil Bednarik on the ice. BU vs. 11th-seeded Vermont, Hockey East opening round, March 11, 6:30 PM at Agganis Arena on ESPN+ 

 #6 seed Terriers takes on #11 seed Vermont in an opening round game at Agganis Arena tonight. Puck drop is at 6:30 p.m. ET for the contest that will be live-streamed on ESPN+. Both teams will be playing to extend their seasons to Saturday’s quarterfinals.

This is the first time BU has played a Hockey East opening-round game since 2013-14 when they lost the #8 vs. #9 game to Notre Dame.

A win tonight would set up a road game against #3 seed UConn.

The Terriers and Catamounts split a pair of one-goal games in early December. Vermont won the second game, 3-2, on a goal in the final minute of regulation. 

BU is 30-6-3 in its past 39 meetings with UVM. The December loss snapped an 11-game Terrier win streak. 

Since the beginning of February, Vermont is 2-6-1 but those two wins came against BC (at Conte) and Maine this past Saturday. Earlier they won a game at UConn and another at Maine.

Ahead of first round against Vermont, BU prepares for do-or-die Hockey East tournament  

     Photo credit Marcus Antonelli, Daily Free Press  

Discussing UVM during his media call, Coach Jay Pandolfo pointed out, “They’re really good in their breakouts, they break the puck out very well, and they’re really good in the neutral zone turning pucks over,” he said. “That’s something that we have to be mindful of, is making sure we’re managing the puck.”

How does BU achieve that?

“There’s no question it’s playing fast for sure,” Pandolfo said. “Getting the puck [out] as fast as possible. The next part is, if you don’t have time and space, we have to have a forecheck mindset in this game. They do a good job of clogging up the neutral zone. You have to put the puck in a spot where you can get it back. That’s going to be a real key for us.”

Avoiding neutral zone turnovers leading to odd-man rushes is another key because "They play a 1-1-3 neutral zone forecheck, and they have three guys across the line a lot — there’s not a lot of space at times."

Pandolfo revealed that he'd done some tinkering with two of the forward lines, but keeping pairs of players together.  

Cole Eiserman skating next to a Vermont player at Agganis 

For BU, Cole Eiserman and Jack Harvey have been wielding hot sticks. Eiserman has goals in the last four games and six tallies in the last seven. Harvey, whom Pandolfo has praised for having an excellent second half, has scored in three of the last four and his 12 goals are second only to Eiserman's 16. The two have been together on a line centered by Kamil Bednarik for the past four games. 

Following practice Tuesday, Eiserman told the Boston Hockey Blog, "Nobody wants the season to end." 

 

CHECK BACK FOR TONIGHT'S BU LINEUP 

● GoTerriers.com preview, Game Notes, Live Stats, BU All-Access (audio), BU Men's Hockey Twitter

● Live stream ESPN+,

● Pandolfo Media Call

● BU Hockey Stats The HEAT is On: Opening Cats and Dogs

● College Hockey News Tale of the Tape

● Boston Hockey Blog Ahead of first round against Vermont, BU prepares for do-or-die Hockey East tournament  

 

Looking ahead 

 

In case you missed it, 4⭐️goalie Will Prowse committed to BU for 2027-28. He'll spend one more season with USHL Lincoln Stars. 

 

Looking back

 

Macklin Celebrini scored his 33rd goal--and 90th point--but the Sabres doubled up the Sharks, 6-3.  

Lane Hutson's 54th assist of the season in the Canadiens' 3-1 win against Toronto was also the 2025 Calder Trophy winner's career 116th, marking another milestone in his brief career.       

With 65 points, Hutson is one behind his rookie season total of 66. Last year he was -2; currently he is +28. (H/T to blog contributor defkit)

Charlie McAvoy's seventh goal was the overtime winner as the Bruins edged the Kings, 2-1.   

Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots for his 26th win as Dallas edged Vegas, 2-1. Jack Eichel scored his 23rd for the Golden Knights.    

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Tuesday, March 10, 2026

UPDATED: USHL goalie commits to BU for 2027; Call-up Commesso sparks Blackhawk win

 May be an image of hockey and text  

4⭐️Lincoln Stars goalie Will Prowse has committed to BU. The Vail, Colorado, native, a late 2006 birthdate, is in his second USHL season and has a 2.56 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 37 games. He'll join the Terriers in 2027 per a Stars press release:

"Will has found a great home at BU in the future, and the opportunity for him to come back and play his 20 year-old year before he goes to college is a win-win for him, and certainly for the Lincoln Stars as well." Stars Coach Rocky Russo said. 

"Will went from being a backup in prep-school to making a USHL team. He has been one of the most coachable players that we have had in Lincoln over the last five years." 

After playing the in Rocky Mountain Roughriders AAA system, Prowse headed to the Holderness School in New Hampshire with his twin brother, Henry, a defenseman.  Will saw limited action at Holderness and attended a Stars tryout camp where he impressed the coaching staff and earned a roster spot.

During the 2024-25 season, he produced 2.77 GAA and an .896 save percentage in 25 game and was named to the USHL's All-Rookie Team along with current Terrier Tynan Lawrence. Prowse committed to Princeton a year ago but later decommitted. 

Prowse is the third goalie commitment to BU in recent months, following 2027 recruit Brady Knowling and 2027 or 2028 recruit Andrei Nikolaev. 

• LincolnStars.com Will Prowse announces commitment to Boston University 

Looking ahead

2026 recruit Caleb Malhotra scored his 28th goal and added an assist in Brantford's 6-4 win against Niagara. Malhotra's 51st assist tied a franchise rookie record. Fellow recruit Haoxi Wang scored his fifth goal--his second in three games--and assisted on another for the IceDogs. 

Looking back--Goalie Edition

Drew Commesso, an emergency call-up for Chicago, stopped 22 of 24 shots in the Blackhawks' 3-2 overtime win over Utah. It was his second win in three NHL starts this season. Ryan Greene recorded his 15th assist for Chicago, while Clayton Keller notched his 45th helper for the Mammoth.

                                       

Post-game, Commesso discussed the importance of staying prepared for unexpected starts and soaking in the experience following win against Utah. NHL.com video.

 

 

 

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