Hockey East Player of the Week Nick Zabaneh of Boston University
Men's Weekly Release: Hockey East Semifinals Set for March 17-18
Men's Tournament Returns to TD Garden This Weekend

HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

The 2023 Hockey East championship weekend is set for March 17-18 at TD Garden, featuring Boston University, Merrimack, UMass Lowell, and Providence. Due to current high demand, all fans attending on both Friday and Saturday are strongly encouraged to buy tickets in advance at TDGarden.com/HockeyEast to ensure availability.

Boston University has moved on to TD Garden for the 26th time in program history after toppling Vermont, 7-3, on Saturday night. The Terriers have now won 13 straight Hockey East Tournament games at Agganis Arena. Three players - Nick Zabaneh, Dylan Peterson, and Jeremy Wilmer - posted three-point nights for the Terriers, including a hat trick from Zabaneh.

Merrimack has moved on to the semifinals for just the third time in program history and for the first time since 2011 with a double overtime win over Boston College. The longest scoreless game in Hockey East Tournament history was ended by Mick Messner in the fifth period after 88:20 of play to lift the Warriors to a 1-0 win. Hugo Ollas stopped all 36 shots he faced.

UMass Lowell returns to the Hockey East semifinals for the 21st time in program history, the third-most of any league program. Gustavs Davis Grigals made a season-high 40 saves to help the River Hawks earn a 2-1 win at UConn and move on to the semifinals for the third straight year.

Playing in overtime for the 13th and 14th time in 2022-23, Providence needed the extra frame in both Hockey East Tournament games to advance to TD Garden as the seventh seed. Nate Leaman’s Friars will appear in their seventh semifinal and 18th overall in program history. The Friars make their first semifinal appearance since 2021 and first appearance at TD Garden since 2018.


HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

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Nick Zabaneh - Boston University

Nick Zabaneh (Jr., F; Toronto, Ont.) led BU to a Hockey East quarterfinal win with his first collegiate hat trick in a 7-3 victory over Vermont. He scored two of his three goals in the first period to help BU build a 3-0 lead and then completed his hat trick in the third period just 13 seconds after Vermont scored to help secure the lead.


PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

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Brady Berard - Providence

Brady Berard (Fr., F; East Greenwich, R.I.) scored the first goal of his collegiate career on Saturday, finding the back of the net in overtime to send the Friars into the Hockey East semifinals. The tally secured a 2-1 road win at Northeastern, returning Providence to TD Garden for the first time since 2018 and first semifinal since 2021.


ARMY ROTC DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

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Ben Meehan - UMass Lowell

Ben Meehan (Jr., D; Walpole, Mass.) picked up the lone assist on Blake Wells' goal Saturday night in the River Hawks' 2-1 win over UConn in the quarterfinals to send UMass Lowell back to TD Garden. The junior led the team with three blocks and added two shots and a plus-one rating to his credit.


STOP IT GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

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Hugo Ollas - Merrimack

Hugo Ollas (So., G; Linkopin, Sweden) stopped all 36 shots from Boston College to backbone Merrimack to a 1-0 win in the Hockey East Quarterfinal. It was his fifth shutout of the season and sent Merrimack to the Hockey East semifinal for the first time since 2011.


HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Nikita Nesterenko, BC (Jr., F; Brooklyn, N.Y.) Scored two goals and added an assist for a three-point night, helping Boston College to a 5-3 victory in the Opening Round on Wednesday.

Cutter Gauthier, BC (Fr., F; Scottsdale, Ariz.) Dished out three assists for the Eagles in a 5-3 Opening Round win over Massachusetts in the Hockey East Tournament.

Jeremy Wilmer, BU (Fr., F; Rockeville Centre) Matched his career high with three assists, all of which came in the first period, in the Terriers’ 7-3 win over Vermont. Wilmer assisted on Nick Zabaneh’s first two goals before finishing the first period with the primary assist on Wilmer Skoog’s power-play goal to give BU a 4-1 lead. This was Wilmer’s second three-assist game of the season; he also had three helpers against Air Force on Jan. 6., N.Y.)

Case McCarthy, BU (Sr., D; Clarence Center, N.Y.) Recorded two assists in the Terriers’ 7-3 win over Vermont, including the primary helper on Wilmer Skoog’s second strike of the contest.

Owen Cole, UML (So., F; Dunnville, Ont.) Netted the game-winning goal in the River Hawk’s 2-1 win over UConn to advance to the Hockey East Semifinals. He finished the night with two shots, a block and a plus- one rating.

Owen Fowler, PC (Fr., F; Tewksbury, Mass.) Dished out an assist on Owen Cole’s game-winning goal against UConn Saturday night, helping UMass Lowell to the Hockey East semifinals.

Gustavs Davis Grigals, UML (Gr., G; Riga, Latvia) Made a season-high 40 saves to help the River Hawks earn a 2-1 win at UConn in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Mick Messner, MC (Sr., F; Madison, Wis.) Scored in double overtime to send Merrimack to the Hockey East semifinals for the first time since 2011. The tally have the Warriors a 1-0 victory, the longest scoreless game in Hockey East Tournment history.

Christian Felton, MC (Jr., D; Medina, Ohio) Blocked a team high four shots for the Warriors in Merrimack’s 1-0 win over BC in the Hockey East quarterfinal.

Jamie Engelbert, PC (Sr., F; Cobourg, Ont.) Potted the game-winning, overtime goal for the Friars on Wednesday in a 2-1 overtime win over New Hampshire in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Craig Needham, PC (Sr., F; Medford, Mass.) Netted a goal and assisted on the overtime winner for Providence in the Friars’ opening round win over New Hampshire on Wednesday.

Philip Svedeback, PC (Fr., G; Stockholm, Sweden) Allowed just one goal in each of two playoff outings, stopping 22 of 23 shots on Wednesday and 25 of 26 on Saturday to backbone Providence into the Hockey East semifinals.