Men’s Hockey: Terriers Bury Simon Fraser In 8-2 Exhibition

By Ryan Owens

The No. 19 Boston University men’s hockey team (9-8-1, 6-5-0 HE) returned from winter break with an 8-2 rout of Simon Fraser University (4-8-2) at Agganis Arena on Friday.

BU looked to shake off the rust after three weeks without a game, having last played in the historic finale at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena. The matchup against the Red Leafs marked the Terriers’ final exhibition of the season and their only game against an international opponent.

“It’s just nice to get back at it after a bit of a break,” BU Head Coach Jay Pandolfo said. “I think it was good for our team.”

Twelve Terriers ended the night on the scoresheet, led by freshman forward Conrad Fondrk’s four assists. Six BU skaters scored, with sophomore forward Sacha Boisvert and junior forward Jack Harvey each notching two goals.

The Terriers struck first six minutes into the game on their opening power play. Fondrk threaded a pass to Boisvert, who snapped a wrist shot past Simon Fraser goaltender Gabe Gratton to make it 1-0.

BU doubled the lead three minutes later. Fondrk rushed through the offensive zone and found sophomore forward Jack Murtagh, who outraced the Red Leafs’ defenders and crashed the net to tuck home BU’s second before the period’s midway point.

With four and a half minutes left in the first, the Terriers added a third. Sophomore forwards Jonathan Morello and Nick Roukounakis worked a quick passing play that freed freshman forward Ryder Ritchie in the slot, and Ritchie wired a shot past Gratton to push the lead to 3-0.

BU made it 4-0 in the closing seconds of the frame. Morello collected his own rebound, wrapped around the net and beat Gratton at the far post, sending the Terriers into the intermission firmly in control.

Simon Fraser got on the board less than two minutes into the second period. Forward Greye Rampton sent the puck ahead to linemate Zac Maxwell on a breakaway. BU sophomore goaltender Mikhail Yegorov made the initial save, but the puck slipped underneath him and trickled over the line to end the shutout bid.

The Terriers answered two minutes later. Senior forward Owen McLaughlin fired a cross-ice pass to Harvey, who hammered a one-timer past Gratton to restore BU’s four-goal cushion at 5-1.

The rest of the middle frame tightened up, with both teams locking down defensively. Neither side generated extended pressure, even as BU earned two more power-play opportunities, and the teams went to the second intermission with the Terriers still ahead by four.

Early in the third, BU spent three and a half minutes on the power play as Simon Fraser took multiple penalties. The prolonged kill wore down the Red Leafs, and Boisvert eventually cashed in with a bar-down finish for his second of the game and BU’s sixth.

“Boisvert was battling injuries the whole first half, never really felt like himself,” Pandolfo said. “He’s definitely feeling better, and it showed tonight.”

Shortly after, the Terriers went to the penalty kill for the first time. McLaughlin absorbed a shot off the ankle, went down briefly, then got back to his feet and finished the shift.

Simon Fraser did not score on the man advantage but cut the deficit to 6-2 just before the midway point of the third. Lucas Ceccarelli fed the puck from behind the net to Matteo Speranza in the slot, and Speranza beat BU freshman goaltender Max Lacroix.

Tensions rose soon after. Red Leafs forward Tyler Chan was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for head contact on Ritchie. After play resumed, more shoving led to a minor on Boisvert, briefly creating 4-on-4 hockey.

BU took advantage of the extra ice. Sophomore forward Brandon Svoboda collected a pass from junior forward Mick Frechette, sliced through the defense and finished to make it 7-2.

The Terriers remained on the power play from Chan’s major, and Harvey completed his brace two minutes later to close the scoring at 8-2.

BU outshot Simon Fraser 52-19 and finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while the Red Leafs went 0-for-2.

The Terriers split the crease between their two primary netminders. Yegorov stopped eight of nine shots in the first half, and Lacroix turned aside nine of 11 in relief. Gratton finished with 44 saves for Simon Fraser.

BU returns to regular-season play with a home-and-home series against UMass Amherst on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10. Both games will be available to stream on ESPN+.