Men’s Hockey: Terriers’ season ends with quarterfinals loss at UConn

By Patrick Donnelly

HARTFORD, Conn. — Junior defenseman Dom Fensore scored with 6:59 remaining in regulation, but it was not enough as the Boston University Terriers fell 3-1 to the University of Connecticut Huskies in the Hockey East Quarterfinals at the XL Center on Saturday.

Sophomore goaltender Drew Commesso made 34 saves in the loss for BU (19-13-3, 13-8-3 HE), and junior forwards Jay O’Brien and Robert Mastrosimone each picked up assists.

“I thought it was a tight hockey game,” BU head coach Albie O’Connell said. “You could call it football on ice for great stretches of the game. … I thought UConn played a really good game. I thought after the first period, we played a real good game. They had a way better start than we did. They got the lead, and we kind of dug ourselves a hole.”

For UConn (19-15-0, 14-10-0 HE), junior forward Vladislav Firstov, senior assistant captain Jonny Evans and freshman forward Chase Bradley each scored. Graduate goaltender Darion Hanson made 38 saves.

It was the Huskies’ first playoff win since joining Hockey East as they will move on to play in the semifinals at TD Garden for the first time. They had previously lost nine straight playoff appearances.

“I’m really excited for our seniors,” UConn head coach Mike Cavanaugh said. “I know that this was very important to them, and they played so well. I’m just so happy for them.”

Firstov put UConn ahead 1-0 with four minutes remaining in the first, redirecting junior defenseman Jake Flynn’s shot from the point.

“[Firstov] was great,” Cavanaugh said. “I thought he was really, really strong all game long. His compete level was high. He was making plays. He could have had a couple goals. He was going to the front of the net. He was doing all the little things you have to do to be successful, and his game has come a long way too. I’m really proud of Vlad.”

The Huskies outshot the Terriers 19-10 in the first period.

“On balance, you know, it’s a frustrating way to go when you don’t get off to a good start,” O’Connell said. “I thought our [defense] core struggled heavily at the start of the game with the puck and without it. That kind of put us on our heels a little bit. … [UConn] probably could have had a couple more. I thought Commesso was really good in the first period.

“Obviously he wants a different result, but he gave us an opportunity to win. That’s all you can ask for from a goalie.”

Cavanaugh said it was a point of emphasis for his team to have a strong start.

“I loved it. I thought it was fantastic,” he said. “I was glad we were finally able to get one by [Commesso] because if you come out that strong, and you don’t have anything to show for it at the end of the period, sometimes that can be demoralizing. But we were able to get that goal, and then feel pretty good about ourselves going into the second period.”

Evans doubled the lead at 10:26 of the second, scoring on a loose puck off the right post.

“We’ve worked so hard, our senior class and everyone else,” Evans said. “It felt so good to get that win and move on.”

Firstov and Evans had each gone seven games without a goal.

“I mean, you know, it happens,” Evans said. “It’s hockey, right? You struggle to score sometimes, but we just both stayed with it. We found away tonight and were lucky. Good bounces.”

Fensore cut it to 2-1 when his one-timer on the power play found the back of the net after deflecting off a couple bodies in front.

“I thought we played well [in the second half of the game],” O’Connell said. “I thought there were great stretches of the game where we outplayed them, especially in the second period. … I like the way our team played in the second and third. I like the way certain guys played in the first, but it’s not something to be sour over. It happened. We didn’t execute what we set out to do to get back to the Garden.”

Bradley scored on the empty net with 10 seconds left in regulation for the 3-1 final.

BU outshot UConn 29-17 over the final two periods.

“That’s a really good team, and we knew they were going to make a push,” Cavanaugh said. “I was really proud of our guys. We bent, but we didn’t break. Looking forward to heading to the Boston Garden.”

Hanson said he had nothing noteworthy going through his head going into the third.

“I think a big piece to being successful in the playoffs is to just try to block out the noise,” Hanson said. “You know, we’ve been up going into third periods before. It’s nothing that we haven’t seen before. It’s nothing we haven’t handled. Our guys were playing great. I trusted them. For me, it was just to go out there and just start shaving off minutes one by one. We went out there, and we did our job.”

BU sophomore forward Luke Tuch left the game with an undisclosed injury in the first period. There was no update on his status.

The Terriers’ season comes to an end after a 13-4-0 run in the second semester, including the program’s 31st Beanpot title.

The Huskies will advance to face top-seeded Northeastern at 4 p.m. at the Garden on Friday.

“I think we’ll show up,” Cavanaugh said. “We’re excited for the opportunity. All year long, this team has showed up to play in big games, and I would expect nothing less next Friday night.”

Featured Image: Junior defenseman Dom Fensore shoots a one-timer during the first period of a 3-1 loss in the Hockey East Quarterfinals against UConn at the XL Center on Saturday, March 12, 2022. Photo by Patrick Donnelly.