Men’s Hockey: Late Push Not Enough as Terriers Eliminated 5-3 by Huskies
Featured Image by Trinity Robbins
By Jane Guay
Boston University Men’s Hockey saw its season end Saturday afternoon with a 5-3 loss to the Connecticut Huskies in a Hockey East quarterfinal at Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn.
Inside Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn., a packed crowd of passionate UConn fans, despite spring break, and Boston University fans who made the long drive were treated to a go-big-or-go-home Hockey East quarterfinal Saturday afternoon. There was no clear dominance in the opening minutes as both sides generated quality looks, including sophomore left wing Nick Roukounakis’ first shot on goal that brought BU fans to their feet, followed by UConn sophomore left wing Ethan Whitcomb’s breakaway that was shut down by two Terriers.
With the Huskies constantly creating second-chance opportunities, it felt inevitable that something would cross the goal line. Senior left wing Jake Percival scored to put UConn on the board at 6:44 of the first period, with assists from senior right wing Tristan Fraser and senior center Tabor Heasip, a collective effort the Terriers struggled to match for much of the afternoon. “[UConn] stay[s] on top of you. They chuck everything to the net into the slot. They know how this building works, like no corners, so they just throw everything into the net, and they do a good job with it,” BU Head Coach Jay Pandolfo said in a postgame interview.
Percival’s goal gave the Huskies a burst of momentum and sped up the pace until UConn junior left wing Jake Richard was whistled for a two-minute minor penalty for holding with just over 11 minutes left in the first. The ensuing BU power play gave the Terriers more time to set up in the offensive zone, but they still failed to convert, often lacking long-range planning and cohesive structure in their shot selection. One prime example came when junior defenseman Gavin McCarthy’s shot from the point was blocked by UConn senior center Ryan Tattle, emblematic of the Huskies’ willingness to sacrifice the body.
For the rest of the period, the Terriers continued to generate looks with clear plans entering the offensive zone, but the quality of their shots lagged behind their intent. That, combined with senior goaltender Tyler Muszelik’s .929 save percentage entering the game, demanded more precise finish from BU heading into the second period. The Terriers responded quickly after intermission when freshman center Tynan Lawrence scored an unassisted goal just over a minute into the frame, providing a jolt of momentum that seemed to reset BU’s bench.
That momentum was short-lived. Just more than two minutes later, Richard restored UConn’s lead to 2-1 on a power-play goal, assisted by junior right wing Joey Muldowney and sophomore right defenseman Kai Janviriya. The tally came on a Huskies man advantage created when BU sophomore defenseman Cole Hutson took a two-minute minor for elbowing, one of several self-inflicted wounds that would ultimately cost the Terriers a trip to TD Garden next week. “We just made too many costly mistakes that came back to bite us,” Pandolfo said.
Despite the setback, BU largely controlled play for much of the second period, spending extended stretches in UConn’s defensive zone and dictating tempo. That territorial edge set the stage for freshman left wing Jack Murtagh to tie the game 2-2 with 7:25 left in the period, with assists from Lawrence and freshman right wing Ryder Ritchie that showcased a more cohesive team effort. The goal fueled the Terriers to close the frame strong as they continued to pepper the Huskies’ net and effectively take over UConn’s defensive zone.
By the start of the third period, however, that BU dominance faded quickly once the teams emerged from the locker room. Just 2:39 into the final frame, Whitcomb scored off a feed from sophomore center Mike Murtagh, giving the Huskies a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish the rest of the afternoon. “We need to play a better team game. It’s too often this year we weren’t playing a team game. We weren’t playing like a team. We didn’t look like a team, so we got to get back to that,” Pandolfo said.
There would be no third straight equalizer for BU. Just over a minute after Whitcomb’s goal, freshman right defenseman Anthony Allain-Samake scored to extend the UConn lead to 4-2, assisted by Percival and junior left defenseman Gustafsson Nyberg with 16:13 left in regulation. With plenty of time to respond, the Terriers believed they still had a path back, and their approach in the offensive zone shifted as they tried to be more deliberate with each possession.
Down two, BU spent more time probing in the Huskies’ defensive zone and appeared more intentional with shot selection, but UConn’s defense repeatedly cleared dangerous chances before they reached Muszelik. With 10:06 remaining, freshman right wing Ben Merrill finally broke through to cut the deficit to 4-3, injecting some life into the Terriers’ bench. Over the next 10 minutes, though, BU often overthought offensive sequences, taking so long to set up plays that the Huskies easily disrupted their rhythm.
As the clock wound down, BU pulled sophomore goaltender Mikhail Yegorov for an extra skater in a last-ditch effort to extend its season. The gamble backfired when Muldowney hit the empty net, with Tattle assisting, to make it 5-3 with less than a minute to play. With that insurance goal, fans in scarlet and white began to file out of Toscano Family Ice Forum, having watched the Terriers’ season end in a game defined by swings of momentum, injuries and status changes, and the promise of a largely new roster ahead.
“Obviously, we had a young team. Everyone that’s coming back is going to be a year older. That should make a huge difference for our group next year,” Pandolfo said