Men’s Hockey: Terriers Set For Home-And-Home Against UMass
Featured Image by Jenny Chen
By Mel Mastela
Boston University men’s ice hockey (9-8-1, 6-5-0 HE) is set to take on UMass Amherst (9-9-0, 2-6-0 HE) in an away-home weekend series.
Both teams opened 2026 with exhibition wins over Simon Fraser University, as the Minutemen earned a 7-0 shutout last Friday and the Terriers followed with an 8-2 victory on Saturday.
BU and UMass last met in March, when sophomore forward Cole Eiserman scored the overtime winner. Eiserman has 12 points this season on eight goals and four assists, leading the Terriers in goals. Now back from the World Junior Championship with Team USA, along with classmates Kamil Bednarik and Cole Hutson, he will be a key player to watch.
Historically, BU has dominated the series, holding a 64-14-9 all-time record against the Minutemen, including a 38-5-4 mark at home and 25-9-5 on the road. Over the last 10 matchups, the Terriers are 8-1-1, giving them a statistical edge heading into the weekend.
In goal for BU, all dressed netminders saw time in last week’s exhibition, making the Friday starter less certain. Junior goaltender Max Lacroix made nine saves and carries an .886 save percentage, while sophomore goaltender Mikhail Yegorov stopped eight shots and holds an .892 save percentage. Strong play from whoever gets the nod will be critical in league action.
For UMass, junior forward Jack Musa leads the Minutemen with 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists), followed closely by freshman forward Václav Nestrašil with 20 points on 10 goals and 10 assists. Nestrašil returns from World Juniors duty with Czechia and should provide a significant offensive threat.
The Minutemen also split their crease against Simon Fraser. Junior goaltender Michael Hrabal handled most of the work, making eight saves and entering the weekend with an .897 save percentage. Goaltender Jackson Irving added five saves and owns a .934 save percentage overall, giving UMass multiple viable options in net.
The Terriers will face UMass at 7 p.m. Friday at Mullins Center and at 6 p.m. Saturday at Agganis Arena. Both games will be available to stream on ESPN+.