Men’s Hockey: Terriers Host Vermont Closing The Semester At Agganis

By Jenny Chen

Boston University men’s hockey (7-7-1, 4-4-0 HEA) heads into its final weekend at home before the midseason break, hosting the University of Vermont Catamounts (4-8-0, 2-4-0 HEA).

The Terriers aim to build on their recent results, currently sitting in sixth place in Hockey East and 26th in the NCAA Percentage Index, as they look to improve their positioning for postseason play.

They enter the series against the Catamounts coming off a 2-1 win over Cornell University on Nov. 29 at Madison Square Garden.

“We have to go into the break making sure that we’re putting a solid effort together in each one of these games, and it starts tomorrow night in the first period,” BU Head Coach Jay Pandolfo said.

BU will have a shorthanded bench again, as senior forward Owen McLaughlin and freshman forwards Ben Merrill and Conrad Fondrk remain out with injuries. After missing the last three games, sophomore forward Sacha Boisvert will return to the lineup.

Sophomore goaltender Mikhail Yegorov comes into the weekend after posting a season-high .966 save percentage in his previous outing. Sophomore forward Cole Eiserman also found the back of the net for the first time since Oct. 24, following a three-game injury absence and a three-game scoring drought.

“When he’s dialed in and his details are good in all areas, he’s a really good player for us,” Pandolfo said.

On the other end of the rink, the Catamounts arrive in Boston on the heels of two heavy defeats over the past two weeks — one to the Harvard Crimson and another to the Dartmouth Big Green.

Vermont’s top scorer is sophomore forward Colin Kessler, a finalist for Hockey East Rookie of the Year last season, who has seven assists so far this season.

Freshman goaltender Aiden Wright has started 11 games this year and has recorded a .894 save percentage. Junior goaltender Alex Mangbo has started one game and appeared in three more in relief but has posted a .939 save percentage.

This weekend will mark the 99th and 100th meetings between the two teams. The Terriers currently hold a 10-game winning streak over the Catamounts that dates back to the 2021-22 season.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday at Agganis Arena. Both games will stream on ESPN+.