Men’s Hockey: Terriers complete season sweep over UNH with 7-2 victory

Featured image by Matthew Allen

By Haydée Cepeda

The No. 10 Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey (14-9-1, 10-5-1 HE) swept their Hockey East opponents, the No. 18 University of New Hampshire Wildcats (11-10-3, 3-9-2 HE), for the third time this month in a 7-2 finale on Friday. 

“I liked our effort,” coach Jay Pandolfo said post-game. “It was a big win for us, coming off getting swept by BC. Good response from our group, good defensive effort.”

The Terriers opened the first period on the front foot. Less than two minutes in, captain Ryan Greene streaked up the ice, finding Quinn Hutson in the slot to score his 13th goal of the season. 

A sloppy too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty cost BU the lead, as Robert Cronin beat freshman goaltender Mikhail Yegorov in his home debut. 

The Terriers bounced back shortly after. Jack Harvey tapped in a loose puck after the initial shot was saved by goaltender Jared Whale for his sixth goal of the season and the 2-1 lead.

“[Greene and Harvey] have good chemistry, and you saw that tonight from that whole line. That line was excellent,” Pandolfo said. 

The second period opened similarly to the first. Less than a minute in, sophomore captain Shane Lachance scored his eighth goal of the season just outside the left circle. 

Despite back-to-back penalties resulting in an abbreviated five-on-three, the Terriers’ remained solid on the back end, killing off both UNH power plays. 

“[Yegorov] has been really steady back there. He’s been good for us, a good anchor,” Harvey said of the new addition to the group. “I can’t have enough good words to say about him.”

Sustained offensive pressure from both teams encapsulated the rest of the frame, but the goal 32 seconds in was the only difference maker. 

After undergoing heavy fire from BU in the first two frames, the Wildcats substituted Rico DiMatteo for Whale. 

However, the Terriers went right back on the offensive prowl as Quinn Hutson opened the scoring in the third for his second of the night off a feed from his brother Cole, extending the Terriers’ lead to 4-1. 

Just over a minute later, UNH cut BU’s lead in half. J.P Turner beat Yegorov blocker side, putting the Wildcats within two with 17 minutes remaining in the game. 

The Terriers’ went back to the power play on a four-minute call handed out to Cronin for a slash and a hold, and freshman Cole Eiserman wasted no time regaining the three-goal lead. Eiserman fired off his signature wrist shot, potting his fifteenth goal of the season. 

With the Wildcats opting for an empty net in the last few minutes of the game, Quinn Hutson took the opportunity to score his third goal of the game, throwing the puck into the empty net for his third career hat trick.

“I move my feet and get up in the play, produce a lot of offense in the O-zone and cover pucks,” Hutson said of his hat trick. “It leads to a lot of scoring chances for the line.”

DiMatteo returned between the pipes, but one final goal from Brandon Svoboda secured the 7-2 victory for the Terriers. 

“Lot of good things from our team tonight,” Pandolfo said. “[I’m] real happy with the win, heading right into the Beanpot. So, credit to our guys… They respond very well.”

The Terriers return to the ice to face Harvard on Feb. 3 for the 72nd Dunkin’ Men’s Beanpot. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. at TD Garden, with streaming available on ESPN+, TSN+, and NESN.