Men’s Hockey: No. 3 Terriers look for their first Hockey East win against the UConn Huskies

Featured image by Matthew Allen

By Abigail Stocker

The No. 3 Boston University men’s hockey team (2-0-0, 0-0-0 HEA) is set to take on the UConn Huskies (3-1-0, 0-0-0 HEA) for the first Hockey East conference matchup of the season.

“Tomorrow, the first league game is going to be a good test… they’re playing very well and they’re playing hard,” Coach Jay Pandolfo said about the strength of the UConn team. “They seem like they’re playing together and connected in all three zones so we certainly have to be ready for them.”

A powerful offensive and defensive performance hallmarks BU’s successful start to the season.

The Terriers’ offense has been prolific, averaging 4.5 goals per game. This offensive prowess is backed by a solid defensive core that has proven effective over the past two weeks at reducing opponents’ scoring opportunities, largely in part due to goaltender Mathieu Caron, who averaged a .973 save percentage this past weekend, the best in all of Division I hockey.

The rookies have been standouts so far this season. Cole Eiserman, Cole Hutson and forward Alex Zetterberg have netted five of BU’s nine goals thus far and have dominated in play for the Terriers.

“He just always seems to make the right play,” Pandolfo said about Zetterberg. “Not only with the puck, but without the puck. He’s picked up everything that we’re trying to do as a team.”

The Huskies will likely come out with dominant offensive pressure, as they’ve recorded 16 goals so far this season in just four games played.

Sophomore Jake Richard is a powerful force for the Huskies offense, leading the team with four goals and six points. UConn’s freshmen have been showing up, as Trey Scott scored his first collegiate game-winning goal last weekend to defeat Holy Cross.

The Terriers are 16-9-2 all-time against the Huskies, including a sweep of last season’s two-game series, marking their fourth consecutive win against UConn.

The conference matchup will be played at Agganis Arena, with the puck drop set for 7 p.m.

The game will be available to stream on NESN and ESPN+.