Boston University rallies past Minnesota to earn return trip to Frozen Four

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Boston University rallies past Minnesota to earn return trip to Frozen Four

Posted By: jasabacklink March 31, 2024

College Sports

Boston University’s Lane Hutson (20) fights off a Minnesota defender on his way to goal during the second period of Saturday’s NCAA Regional final in Sioux Falls, S.D. Josh Jurgens/AP Photo

By Belle Fraser, The Boston Globe

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Last year, the Boston University men’s hockey team was left shellshocked after the University of Minnesota beat the Terriers to advance to the national championship game.

On Saturday, the Terriers flooded the ice as the buzzer sounded, clinching their bid to the 2024 Frozen Four with a 6-3 win over the Gophers at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

BU flipped the script by ending Minnesota’s season — a taste of redemption that was on all the players’ minds when the matchup was drawn.

“It’s pretty special,” said sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson, who played one of his best games as a Terrier.

BU’s freshman first line of Macklin Celebrini (3 assists), Jack Harvey, and Shane Lachance (goal, assist apiece) combined for seven points, and junior goaltender Mathieu Caron made 25 saves in the victory.

Boston University freshman star Macklin Celebrini looks for a teammate during his three-assist night in the Terriers’ win over Minnesota to earn a spot in the Frozen Four.

Despite BU (28-9-2) enjoying the edge in the opening 10 minutes of play, Minnesota (23-11-5) got off to a 2-0 start with goals from graduate forwards Jaxson Nelson and Bryce Brodzinski.

However, Quinn Hutson cut BU’s deficit to 2-1 just 14 seconds after Brodzinki’s tally, at 18:01. The sophomore forward threw it on net from just above the goal line, and the puck bounced off Gophers graduate netminder Justen Close and in.

“I don’t think our group lost confidence at all even though we were down 2-0,” Harvey said. “I think we had all the confidence in the world that our group was going to get the job done.”

The Terriers scored twice in less than five minutes to take a 3-2 lead in the second period. Celebrini sauced a spin-around, cross-crease pass to Lachance who blasted it home from the left circle to tie things at 1:17. The first-year trio got back to work for Harvey’s net-front tally at 5:25 to make it 3-2. The play marked Harvey’s second goal and third point of the tournament.

“They complement each other very well,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said of his young top unit. “They don’t seem rattled by big moments, those three guys. They’re very mature. Credit to them, they were big for us tonight.”

Gophers junior forward Aaron Huglen potted a greasy goal at 9:20 to re-tie it, before Lane Hutson regained the Terriers’ lead at 15:36 to close out the middle frame. The assistant captain’s shot trickled past Close for the 4-3 advantage.

“He was excellent tonight,” Pandolfo said of Lane Hutson. “Just gives our group confidence. When we see him making plays like that and moving like that, we’re pretty sure we’re going to have a pretty good night.”

Boston University’s Sam Stevens (right) celebrates his empty-net goal that sealed the Terriers’ 6-3 win over Minnesota to capture the NCAA regional title Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D.

BU gutted out a shut-down third period in which it blocked eight shots — three by graduate defenseman Cade Webber — and skated with an elevated sense of desperation. What’s more, the Terriers didn’t sit back when Minnesota pressured, and outshot their opponent 15-9 in the final 20 minutes of play.

“To play the way we did in the third, it says a lot about our group,” Pandolfo said. “When [the Gophers] did have a little push, we were there to sacrifice our bodies and block some shots.”

Empty-net goals from graduate defenseman Case McCarthy (at 18:15) and graduate forward Sam Stevens (at 19:28) sealed the win and sent the Terriers to their second-consecutive Frozen Four. BU will take on Denver, winner of the Springfield Regional, on April 11 in St. Paul, Minn.

“Obviously lots of emotion. Everyone’s really excited,” Lane Hutson said. “Just love in that group. Everyone in there loves each other, and I love this team. We’ll keep playing for each other.”

Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo (far right) joins his Terriers to celebrate winning their ticket to the 2024 Frozen Four in two weeks in St. Paul, Minn.

Denver heads to St. Paul

It was another tight, low-scoring game for the highest scoring team in the nation, but Springfield Regional top-seed Denver punched the first ticket to the Final Four with a 2-1 win over Cornell.

The Pioneers (29-9-3), who beat UMass 2-1 in double overtime Thursday, used goals late in the first and second periods to erase an early 1-0 deficit to the Big Red (22-6-6). Miko Matikka tied the game at one at 18:28 of the first. Denver took the lead with just four seconds left in the second period, on a power-play tally by Sam Harris.

Cornell outshot Denver, 9-3, in the third period, but goalie Matt Davis (24 saves) and the Pioneers held on. Ian Shane made 16 saves for Cornell, and Nick Desantis got the Big Red’s goal.