Top-ranked BC flexes its muscles, blasts past UMass to reach Hockey East championship game

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Top-ranked BC flexes its muscles, blasts past UMass to reach Hockey East championship game

Posted By: jasabacklink March 23, 2024

College Sports

After trailing by one early in the first period, the Eagles rattled off eight straight goals in the first semifinal on Friday.

With four Minutemen in close proximity, BC’s Will Smith made it 4-1 for his top-seeded Eagles during the second period Friday at TD Garden.

By Andrew Mahoney, The Boston Globe

The return of forward Gabe Perreault reunited Boston College’s vaunted freshman line, and spurred the Eagles to an 8-1 win over UMass in a men’s Hockey East semifinal at TD Garden on Friday.

With the loss, UMass (20-13-3) will have to wait on results of the rest of the conference tournaments to see if it will reach the NCAAs. National No. 1 BC (30-5-1) advanced to Saturday night’s championship game in its quest for a 12th conference tournament title and first since 2012.

Perreault led the nation in points before missing the last five games with an injury. The 2023 first-round pick of the New York Rangers was back in the lineup, skating with classmates Will Smith and Ryan Leonard, and posted two goals and two assists. So did sophomore Cutter Gauthier, who notched his NCAA-leading 33rd and 34th goals. Smith had a goal and three assists, while Leonard finished with a goal and two helpers.

Read the full story on The Boston Globe here.