WAKEFIELD, Mass. - The Hockey East Association has announced the pairings for the best-of-three quarterfinal round of the 2017 Hockey East Tournament. Games begin Friday, March 10. A full schedule and dates can be found at HockeyEastOnline.com.
#1 UMass Lowell (22-9-3/14-7-1 HEA) welcomes #10 New Hampshire (14-18-5/7-11-4 HEA) to the Tsongas Center beginning Friday, March 10 at 7:15 p.m. The River Hawks claimed the top seed after finishing the regular season as Hockey East tri-champions, while the Wildcats claimed victory over #7 Merrimack in a three-game road series. During the regular season, UMass Lowell swept New Hampshire, 2-0-0, by a combined score of 10-3. The programs are deadlocked all time in the Hockey East Tournament with a 5-5 record in 10 games played. They last clashed in the 2014 championship game, a 4-0 River Hawks victory.
#2 Boston University (21-10-3/13-6-3 HEA) draws #8 Northeastern (19-13-5/9-10-3 HEA) to Agganis Arena beginning Friday, March 10 at 7 p.m. The Terriers took the season series over the Huskies, 1-0-1, and are 6-4-0 all-time in the Hockey East Tournament against Northeastern, including a 5-4-0 mark in the quarterfinal round. Northeastern advanced past #9 UConn in straight games of their opening round series, 3-1 and 6-2, while Boston University earned the number two seed and an opening-round bye after winning a share of the Hockey East regular season crown.
#3 Boston College (18-14-4/13-6-3 HEA) earned a share of the regular season title for the second year in a row, earning a bye into the quarterfinal round. The Eagles are set for a date with #6 Vermont (20-11-5/10-8-4 HEA) in the quarterfinals for the third straight season, beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 10 at Conte Forum. In 2015, the Catamounts moved onto the semifinals while last year the Eagles advanced to the TD Garden while both series went to a decisive game three. The pair of programs played a late-season set in Chestnut Hill, skating to a stalemate in back-to-back contests on Feb. 17-18. All-time in the postseason, the Eagles are 9-3 against Vermont, including a 7-3 mark in the quarterfinals. Each of those three losses have come in the past two seasons.
#4 Notre Dame (19-10-5/12-6-4 HEA) will entertain #5 Providence (22-9-5/12-7-3 HEA) in South Bend starting Friday, March 10 at 7:35 p.m. as the Irish look to advance into the semifinal round for the first time since 2014, their inaugural season in Hockey East. During the 2016-17 season, Notre Dame put a halt to Providence's nine-game winning streak on Feb. 17 before skating to a draw on Feb. 18 to take three of four points in league play. The Friars, who appeared in the 2017 Hockey East semifinals, advanced past #12 Massachusetts in the opening round, taking 3-0 and 5-1 victories. Notre Dame and Providence have never met in the Hockey East Tournament.
The winners will advance to the 2017 Hockey East Tournament championship weekend at TD Garden in Boston, Tickets are now on sale at the TD Garden Box Office. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com (Direct Ticket Link) or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.