HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES
Boston College and Boston University advanced to the 2024 Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minnesota and are set to clash with Michigan and Denver, respectively, on April 11. The four teams have combined to win 28 of the 75 NCAA titles to date, Denver most recently in 2022, followed by BC in 2012, BU in 2009, and Michigan in 1998. Each Frozen Four team is coached by an alumnus for the first time ever.
No. 1 overall seed Boston College defeated defending champion Quinnipiac, 5-4 in overtime, to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016 after dispatching Michigan Tech, 6-1. Ryan Leonard scored four goals, two in each game, and added an assist to be named Most Outstanding Player of the region.
With two wins, Eagles’ goaltender Jacob Fowler set an NCAA record with 31 wins as a rookie.
Boston University won a pair of 6-3 games over RIT and Minnesota, who knocked the Terriers out of the 2023 Frozen Four in Tampa, to advance. Macklin Celebrini earned Most Outstanding Player honors for a performance that saw him record five points on a goal and four assists. His season totals now stand at 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points, second in the country.
Boston University head coach Jay Pandolfo is appearing in his second Frozen Four in two seasons as the Terriers’ bench boss. He is the
first coach in NCAA history to appear in four Frozen Fours as a player
and two in his first two years as a head coach.
HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ryan Leonard - Boston College
Ryan Leonard (Fr., F; Amherst, Mass.) drove the Eagles’ offense into
the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016 with four goals and one
assist for five points. No player in the NCAA had more points during
regional play than Leonard, who found the back of the net twice in
each game of a 6-1 win over Michigan Tech and a 5-4 overtime win
against defending champion Quinnipiac. He was named Most Outstanding Player for his efforts in Providence.
PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Macklin Celebrini - Boston University
Macklin Celebrini (Fr., F; Vancouver, B.C.) earned Most Outstanding
Player honors of the Sioux Falls Regional with five points on a goal
and four helpers. He powered the Terriers in to the Frozen Four for
the second consecutive year and ran his season point total to 64 on
32 goals and 32 assists.
ARMY ROTC DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Lane Hutson - Boston University
Lane Hutson (So., D; North Barrington, Ill.) scored the game-winning
goal in an eventual 6-3 win over Minnesota to return his Terriers to
the Frozen Four for the second straight year. He added a goal and an
assist in the regional semifinal against RIT.
STOP IT GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Jacob Fowler - Boston College
Jacob Fowler (Fr., G; Melbourne, Fla.) set a new NCAA record for
wins by a rookie goaltender with his 30th and 31st victories of the sea-
son in the Providence Regional. The Mike Richter Award finalist was
also named the Hockey East Goaltender of the Month for the fourth
time after backboning the Eagles to the Hockey East regular season
and tournament titles and a Frozen Four berth.
HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS
Cutter Gauthier, BC (So., F; Scottsdale, Ariz.) Netted two goals and added an assist on the game-tying strike with 4:44 remaining in the third period of the regional final to force overtime. His tallies were the 36th and 37th of the year, the highest-single season total in the NCAA since 2005-06. There has not been a 40-goal scorer in the NCAA in over 30 years.
Jack Malone, BC (Gr., F; Madison, N.J.) Dished out two assists, including the primary helper on the game-winning goal in a 6-1 win over Michigan Tech, before sending the Eagles into the Frozen Four with the overtime tally in a 5-4, come-from-behind win over Quinnipiac.
Oskar Jellvik, BC (So., F; Taby, Sweden) Scored one goal and racked up four assists in the Providence Regional, helping send Boston College back into the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016.
Eamon Powell, BC (Sr., D; Marcellus, N.Y.) Handed out five assists in a pair of wins over Michigan Tech and Quinnipiac in the Providence Regional, backboning Boston College back into the Frozen Four.
Nick Zabaneh, BU (Sr., F; Toronto, Ont.) Dished out three assists, including helpers on both game-winning goals in the Sioux Falls Regional to lift BU past RIT and Minnesota.
Dylan Peterson, BU (Sr., F; Roseville, Calif.) Had the primary helper on both game-winning goals in the Sioux Falls Regional to lift BU past RIT and Minnesota. He added a goal against RIT.
Jack Harvey, BU (Fr., F; Stacy, Minn.) Netted two goals and added an assist for three points to help Boston University into the Frozen Four for the second straight year.
Shane Lachance, BU (Fr., F; Andover, Mass.) Registered three points (1g, 2a) to push BU into the Frozen Four with a pair of 6-3 wins over RIT and Minnesota.
Mathieu Caron, BU (Jr., G; Abbotsford, B.C.) Made 53 saves in a pair of wins at the Sioux Falls Regional, dispatching RIT and Minnesota to reach the Frozen Four.
Harrison Scott, Maine (Jr., F; San Jose, Calif.) Scored the lone goal for Maine in a 3-1 regional semifinal setback to Cornell.
Michael Hrabal, UMass (Fr., G; Praha, Czechia) Made 41 saves on 43 shots for UMass in a 2-1, double overtime setback to eventual regional champion Denver, holding the nation’s most potent offense in check for over 90 minutes.
Liam Gorman, UMass (Gr., F; Arlington, Mass.) Scored his first goal of the season for the Minutemen in a 2-1 setback to Denver in double overtime.
