Sunday, March 10, 2024

UPDATED: Terriers rout Catamounts behind Q. Hutson hat trick


BU men's ice hockey Class of 2024.    

Sophomore Quinn Hutson’s hat trick—with all three goals scored on power plays—powered #2 Terriers to a 6-1 win over Vermont on Senior Day at Agganis Arena before a crowd of 5,597.  With the victory, BU completes the Hockey East regular season in second place with a conference record of 18-4-2. The Terriers will await the results of Wednesday’s preliminary round games to find out who they’ll face next Saturday in the quarterfinals.

BU also received a short-handed goal from Nick Zabaneh, a power-play tally from Macklin Celebrini and an even-strength goal from Jack Harvey. Lane Hutson, Ryan Green, Tom Willander and Celebrini each assisted on a pair of goals.

► With his three points, Celebrini became Hockey East's scoring champion for 2023-24: 44 points in 23 games, 1.91 ppg. (See below).

Junior netminder Mathieu Caron stopped 18 of 19 shots, yielding just one goal during a 5-minute power play, to gain his 24th win of the season.

Prior to the game, the six seniors and three grad students were recognized, joined at center ice with their parents.

“Overall, good effort. Good way to finish the regular season,” Coach Jay Pandolfo said post-game. “It’s great when you score on your first two power plays. It gives the group confidence. Shorthand was good. We gave up one, but killing off most of a five-minute major was good for the group."

Continuing the recent trend of dominating, fast-skating opening periods, BU had a 16-6 shot edge in the opening period with several grade A chances early on.  A tripping call on Vermont at 7:04 led to BU’s first goal. Lane Hutson carried the puck across the blue line and quickly passed to the high slot where Macklin Celebrini set up Quinn Hutson at the left dot. He hesitated briefly and then rifled a short side shot past goalie Axel Mangbo’s blocker for a 1-0 lead. It was his 14th of the season.

Late in the period, BU had its second man-advantage and followed a similar script as Quinn Hutson beat Mangbo, again from the left dot. This time, the goal came off an offensive-zone draw won by Greene. Celebrini pushed the puck back to Lane Hutson who found his brother ready to pull the trigger, just as Shane Lachance planted himself outside the crease. Quinn’s 15th made it 2-0 BU.

Four minutes into the second period, Jeremy Wilmer was called for contact to the head and was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct. It was BU’s second game-misconduct of the final two regular-season games and left BU short-handed at forward. The Terriers had dressed only 11 forwards, enabling senior defenseman Thomas Jarman to be in the line-up on Senior Day.

Vermont cashed in at 5:52 when Simon Jellus blasted a shot from the high slot that rocketed past Caron who was screened by both Cade Webber and a Catamount, cutting the Terriers’ lead in half. It took less than a minute to restore the two-goal margin. Controlling the puck in the Vermont zone, Greene and Zabaneh traded passes before Zabaneh unleashed a dart from the high slot that sailed past Mangbo’s blocker for a 3-1 lead. It was the senior center’s eighth goal of the season and seventh since February 1, as well as his third short-hander.  

BU, which had a power play late in the period but failed to connect, enjoyed a 10-6 shot advantage in the period with only two Vermont shots coming at even-strength.

Terriers killed a UVM power play early in the third period and then found themselves with a 4-on-3 man-advantage at 12:38. Willander took a pass from Greene, skated to the right circle and dropped the puck to Celebrini in the high slot. With Lachance parked in front, the Vancouver native’s hard wriser beat Mangbo low to the glove side for his 29th of the season and a 4-1 lead.

BU added to its lead just 40 seconds later.  Willander carried the puck deep into the offensive zone, and after his centering attempt was blocked, he continued around the net and lunged to knock the puck away from two Catamount defenders. Harvey swooped in to collect the puck, deked Mangbo and roofed a backhander on his glove side. It was his fifth goal of the season and made it a 5-1 game.

Senior back-up goalie Henry Graham entered the game with five minutes remaining and stopped both shots he faced. Grad student Nick Howard would replace him between the pipes for the final few seconds of the contest.

But before that, Quinn Hutson would complete his hat trick when the Catamounts were penalized in the final two minutes. BU was looking to get Hutson a shot and finally, Zabaneh and Sam Stevens set him up up—once again at the left dot—and his wrister flew zipped Mangbo to close the scoring as hats and helmets flew onto the ice.

Hutson's 16th goal gives him five in the past four games and his second game-winner of the season.

“He’s continued to get better in all areas. He’s gotten better defensively this year. We know he can finish,” Pandolfo postgame. “Hopefully he’s getting hot at the right time. He always scores big goals for us.”

Asked if he thinks Dylan Peterson will return for next week's quarterfinal, Pandolfo said, “I do. I think he’s going to practice this week. It will be day-to-day, but we still have time here. We have a week for him to get into game shape.” 

► Celebrini also leads all Division 1 freshmen in goals and is first nationally in points per game (1.69) among all skaters. He is second in points (54) to BC's Will Smith (57), despite playing two fewer games.

►Zabaneh’s eighth goal and 13th point are both new career high and earned him player of the game honors.

►With two assists in each of the past two games, Lane Hutson has 43 points, tied for most by a D1 defenseman. His 1.34 points per game is tops for all NCAA blueliners.

►Caron has fashioned a .953 save percentage and a 1.22 goals-against average during the Terriers' current five-game win streak.

● GoTerriers.com recap and box score

● Video Highlights, Post-game Pandolfo/Zabaneh/Q.Hutson

● Boston Hockey Blog Quinn Hutson hat trick leads Terriers to 6-1 win over Vermont

 

Looking ahead

2024 recruit Kamil Bednarik scored twice--his 20th and 21st goals--and assisted on fellow recruit and linemate Cole Eiserman's 45th goal as the NTDP U18s blanked Augustana, 3-0.  Eiserman leads the team in scoring with a 45-25-70 line while Bednarik's 52 points (21G,31A) are fourth on the U18s.

2024 recruit Jack Pridham's  20th goal was the game-winner for West Kelowna who edged Prince George, 4-2. Pridham has four goals in the past six games.

2025 recruit Mikhail Yegorov stopped 26 of 27 shots to lead Omaha to a 3-1 win against Green Bay. 

2025 recruit Conrad Fondrk scored his 16th goal in the NTDP U17s' 7-5 win against Chicago. Fellow recruit Charlie Trethewey picked up his 22nd assist.

 

 

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