Men’s Hockey: Terriers Look To Get Back On Track Against UNH On The Road

By Zach Kaplan

Boston University men’s hockey (13-14-2, 9-10-0 HEA) will travel to Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, New Hampshire, on Friday, Feb. 13, for its first bout against the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (11-14-1, 5-10-1 HEA) in their 104th season.

BU has historically found success against the Wildcats, with an all-time record of 52-29-13. They have been particularly dominant at home against UNH, with a record of 28-12-7 that includes wins in nine of their last 10 against the Hockey East rival.

Friday’s matchup, which follows the Terriers’ crushing 6-2 defeat to rival Boston College Eagles in the championship game of the 73rd Dunkin Men’s Beanpot at TD Garden, will be a good opportunity for the Terriers to get back in the win column as their Hockey East play continues.

“We stress the importance of every game,” BU Head Coach Jay Pandolfo said when asked about Monday’s loss. “It’s up to us to execute and get it done.”

Sophomore forward Brandon Svoboda (San Jose Sharks) scored the opening goal in the championship round, a rebound shot that got beneath the pads of star BC goalie Louka Cloutier just two minutes into the game. The goal for Svoboda, his first since Dec. 13, now gives him two goals in his last two Beanpot title games.

“He’s been a very consistent player for us,” Pandolfo said. “He needs to get to the net more to score. He’s a big body, hopefully he understands that getting to the net more will enable him to see better results.”

Sophomore forward Cole Eiserman scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season on a power play with five minutes remaining in regulation. For both Eiserman and a Terrier power-play unit with a lot of work to do, it was a breath of fresh air.

“I don’t think we were as sharp as we needed to be,” Pandolfo said. “Obviously we had the power plays late, the power play wasn’t very good. If you score on one of those power plays in the first period, it’s a 2-0 game, which is a very different ballgame.”

New Hampshire enters this series fresh off a 6-1 drubbing by No. 6 Providence, who swept BU earlier in the second half. The Wildcats have lost or tied each of their last seven games, which included sweeps to BU rivals Northeastern and Boston College in January.
The Wildcats’ offense is driven by senior captain Morgan Winters, who leads the team in goals (9) and points (19). Winters, known for his speed, has only played two games in his career versus BU due to injury, with Friday’s game being his first action against the Terriers since December 2022. Winters has one goal in those two games versus BU.

Also leading the charge for the Wildcats is junior forward Nick Ring, who leads the Wildcats in assists (12). Ring was particularly efficient against the Terriers in the 2024-25 campaign, finding the back of the net in two of his three games versus BU. Freshman Jacob Newcombe, who leads the Wildcats in shots (68), is second on the team in goals (7).

Handling the majority of the goaltending duties for the Wildcats is senior goaltender Kyle Chauvette, who hails from Goffstown, New Hampshire. Chauvette came to UNH after three years with Union College, where he faced the Terriers in one game as a junior, allowing four goals on 44 shots (.909). This season, Chauvette has a 10-13-1 record with a 2.68 goals-against average and .897 save percentage.

Friday’s matchup will be the first of a two-game series between the Terriers and Wildcats, who will meet at Agganis Arena on Saturday night. Puck drop from Durham is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.