The Terrier Hockey Fan Blog: Game Day: NCAA semifinal

Thursday, April 09, 2015

Game Day: NCAA semifinal—BU vs. North Dakota UPDATED

One hundred and eighty-seven days after a 12-1 exhibition game win over St. Thomas, the #2 ranked Terriers are two barriers away from an NCAA title. The first obstacle is #1 North Dakota, winner of the West Regional with a 29-9-3 record. The nation’s top two teams will meet in tonight's second semifinal, set for 8:30 p.m. ET with ESPN2 and TSN2 airing the game. The survivor will meet the winner of the Providence-Nebraska/Omaha semifinal on Saturday evening.

North Dakota, the NCHC regular-season champion, has a line-up with nine players who have scored at least 20 points, led by Drake Caggiula (36), Michael Parks (32), Jordan Schmaltz (27) and Nick Schmaltz (26). Goalie Zane McIntyre (1.99, .931) is a finalist for both the Hobey Baker Award and the Mike Richter Award.

● CHN Capsule of North Dakota

The Terriers, who have rebounded from a 10-win season to post a 27-7-5 record and won the Northeast Regional, have the nation’s top two scorers, Jack Eichel (67) and Evan Rodrigues (61), as well as Danny O’Regan (48), captain Matt Grzelcyk (37) and Ahti Oksanen (35). Goalie Matt O’Connor (2.10, .928) has 24 wins including his last eight decisions.

Last season, BU hosted a weekend pair with North Dakota, earning a win and a tie. Overall, North Dakota leads the series, 12-9-2.

►►BU Alumni Association and the Friends of BU Hockey will host a pre-game gathering and Watch Party for Terrier fans today at 5 p.m. at The Harp on Causeway Street (Details). If you’re not in Boston, there are BU Watch Parties in a dozen locations across the country.

● GoTerriers.com preview, Game Tracker, Frozen Four Media Guide, Terrier Sports Radio Network webcast, Mobile ESPN, Friday Press Conference

● BU Men’s Hockey Twitter photos

● Boston Hockey Blog live in-game blog