{"id":37331,"date":"2023-03-19T09:14:21","date_gmt":"2023-03-19T13:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=37331"},"modified":"2023-03-19T09:14:21","modified_gmt":"2023-03-19T13:14:21","slug":"mens-hockey-lane-hutson-scores-twice-terriers-win-hockey-east-championship-3-2-in-overtime-over-merrimack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2023\/03\/19\/mens-hockey-lane-hutson-scores-twice-terriers-win-hockey-east-championship-3-2-in-overtime-over-merrimack\/","title":{"rendered":"Men’s Hockey: Lane Hutson scores twice, Terriers win Hockey East Championship 3-2 in overtime over Merrimack"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Gracie Davenport<\/em><\/p>\n

Cover Photo Credit: Jessica Lam<\/em><\/p>\n

The No. 5 Boston University Men\u2019s Hockey (27-10-0) took home its 10th Hockey East Championship with a 3-2 overtime victory over the No. 16 Merrimack College Warriors (23-13-1) Saturday night at TD Garden. First-year defenseman Lane Hutson continued his historic freshman season with a two-goal performance \u2014 including the championship winner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really proud of our group,\u201d BU Head Coach Jay Pandolfo said postgame. \u201cI know we\u2019re not done yet but to get this first one that we really wanted to win this year \u2014 we accomplished that \u2014 and now we move on.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Terriers never led in regulation this weekend but found a way to squeak out both wins in overtime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to go far, you\u2019re going to get down and have to find a way to come back,\u201d Pandolfo said. \u201cI think it\u2019s good for our group to have that happen as long as you end up on the right side of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The freshman class has been crucial to BU\u2019s success all season, but they had to rally around a depleted leadership group tonight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the HE Semifinal victory over Providence College Friday, the Terriers entered the title game missing two key pieces of their lineup \u2014 both seniors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Forward Wilmer Skoog was suspended one game for boarding Providence senior defenseman Cam McDonald, and defenseman Case McCarthy remained out after colliding hard into the boards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In place of Skoog, senior forward Jay O\u2019Brien slotted back at center, and senior forward Ethan Phillips was elevated to first-line right wing. Sophomore forward Brian Carrabes re-entered the lineup as the extra skater.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Defensively, senior John Copeland was promoted to the second pair, while freshman Lachlan Getz joined the third.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they were both really good tonight,\u201d Pandolfo said on Copeland and Getz. \u201cThat\u2019s how our group has been all year long anytime we\u2019ve had some injuries. We have a lot of depth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Warriors came out hot, firing off three shots on junior goaltender Drew Commesso within the first minute, but MC would open the scoring shorthanded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On BU\u2019s first power play attempt of the night, junior forward Dylan Peterson\u2019s offensive zone\u00a0 dump-in attempt proved costly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Peterson sent the puck around the boards, and Merrimack forward Ben Brar took possession before flying down the right wing. The MC captain backhanded the rubber to junior defenseman Christian Felton net front, and he went five-hole on Commesso for his second goal of the season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The power play got another chance midway through the first period, and it sparked some life into the Terriers. The rejuvenated man advantage moved the puck well, maintaining possession the entire way. BU\u2019s best chance came in tac-tac-toe fashion as O\u2019Brien\u2019s shot drew iron, beating sophomore goaltender Hugo Ollas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A team that racked up 55 penalty minutes three weeks ago in the home-and-home series continued to struggle with discipline. In the final 40 seconds of the first period, MC took two minors 10 seconds apart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the Terriers could not find the late tying goal, their offense \u2014 which was smothered by PC on Friday\u00a0 \u2014 found its legs and led in first-period shots 10-9.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Terriers began the middle frame on the remaining 81-second 5-on-3 advantage, and BU found the equalizer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The power play took its time looking for the right pass until Hutson capitalized. On a feed from Fensore at the point, the HE Rookie of the Year one-timed the puck past Ollas for his 13th of the year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe obviously have access to video, so we went over some stuff,\u201d Pandolfo said on the first intermission. \u201cWe just wanted to make sure we took the right shot \u2026 5-on-3 you want to make sure you\u2019re taking a quality shot and Lane decided on that one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Injuries concerns continued for the Terriers as junior forward Nick Zabaneh\u2019s left knee collided awkwardly with the boards. The reigning HE Player of the Week labored off the ice and down the tunnel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNick, it\u2019s a lower-body injury. [There] will be further evaluation, so we don\u2019t really know much right now,\u201d Pandolfo said on the injuries.<\/span><\/p>\n

With 4:51 remaining in the middle frame, the Warriors regained the lead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Off a clean offensive zone face-off win, senior forward Mac Welsher received the puck and one-timed it past Commesso for his seventh of the year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

MC continued its pressure in the final minutes of the second, but BU ended the period on a high note. The Terriers rifled off six shots in the final 30 seconds, three on target, but could not tie the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Down by one, BU led in second-period shots 12-8 heading into the final frame.<\/span><\/p>\n

Midway through the third period, MC almost doubled their lead, but the Terrier squad put their bodies on the line to maintain the one-goal deficit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This sequence proved valuable as BU tied the game at 2-2 shortly after.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On a solo effort, freshman forward Devin Kaplan notched his 10th of the season. Kaplan started the initial rush and held off two MC defenders before skating into the right circle and slipping the puck under Ollas\u2019 right arm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of regulation, these teams found themselves in the same situation as the semifinals. Both the Terriers and Warriors entered their second-straight overtime matchup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On Friday night, freshman forward Quinn Hutson sent BU to the title game, but it would be his younger brother Lane who notched the HE Championship winner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just 1:57 into overtime, senior forward Matt Brown collected the puck behind Ollas and found Lane at the point. The Hobey Baker top-10 finalist shot the rubber through all five MC skaters for his second goal of the game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw Matt Brown had the puck down low, and the Merrimack guys were kind of collapsing down on him, so I called for the puck,\u201d Hutson said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t completely see it. I just heard everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After scoring the game-winner, Hutson chose the dab celebration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI told a few guys in the locker [room], \u2018If I score, I might pull out a dab here,\u2019” Hutson said, laughing. \u201cI saw someone pull it off the other night, so I thought maybe I could pull it off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Hutson brothers have now combined for 11 of the Terriers\u2019 game-winning goals this season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool that he got the one yesterday,\u201d Hutson said. \u201cMy parents are here, and my youngest brother is here, so it\u2019s pretty special.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Commesso finished the night with 23 saves to earn his seventh-straight victory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With this win, Pandolfo becomes the only HE first-year head coach to win the league title.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese guys have been so resilient all year long,\u201d Pandolfo said. \u201cIt\u2019s made my job really easy. It\u2019s been a lot of fun to coach them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now with the regular season and HE title in their back pocket, the Terriers have their sights set on something bigger.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BU beings its journey in the NCAA Tournament next weekend with their opponent still yet to be determined. The selection show will take place Sunday at 6:30 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Gracie Davenport Cover Photo Credit: Jessica Lam The No. 5 Boston University Men\u2019s Hockey (27-10-0) took home its 10th Hockey East Championship with a 3-2 overtime victory over the No. 16 Merrimack College Warriors (23-13-1) Saturday night at TD Garden. First-year defenseman Lane Hutson continued his historic freshman season with a two-goal performance \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21299,"featured_media":37142,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1026,1028,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37331"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21299"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37331"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37333,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37331\/revisions\/37333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}