BURLINGTON, Vt. - Junior goaltender Drew Commesso stopped all 23 shots he faced to backstop the No. 9/8 Boston University men's ice hockey team to a 3-0 win at Vermont on Saturday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
BU (22-10-0, 16-6-0 HE) maintained its perch atop the Hockey East standings thanks to a goal in each period and a sharp performance from Commesso, who made 12 saves in the final 20 minutes to earn his first shutout of the season. Senior Domenick Fensore lit the lamp and assisted on classmate Jay O'Brien's first-period strike that proved to be the winner. Junior Luke Tuch tallied an insurance goal midway through the third period to put the contest out of reach. Freshmen Ryan Greene, Lane Hutson and Jeremy Wilmer each added an assist, as did juniors Dylan Peterson and Nick Zabaneh.
The Terriers will enter the final weekend of the regular season with a one-point lead on second-place Merrimack and a two-point edge on third-place Northeastern.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- BU opened the scoring with a power-play goal just 2:56 into the proceedings. Fensore dished the puck to Wilmer on the right half-wall. The freshman delivered the puck on a platter to O'Brien in the slot for a one-timer that sailed past Oskar Autio (28 saves).
- The Terriers dominated the second stanza, outshooting the Catamounts, 13-4.
- BU doubled its lead thanks to some terrific work in transition. Zabaneh began the breakout by pushing the puck up to Peterson, who then slid the puck to his left, where Fensore collected it in stride through the neutral zone. Fensore gained the blue line and skated towards the top of the left circle before uncorking a wicked wrister that beat Autio to the glove side.
- Tuch made it 3-0 midway through the third period when he deftly redirected a Hutson point shot into the back of the net just as a Vermont penalty expired.
- Commesso and the Terriers killed 51 seconds of 5-on-3 time late in regulation to keep the Catamounts off the board.
GAME NOTES
- This was Commesso's second collegiate shutout; his first was also against Vermont, a 35-save performance in a 4-0 home win on Jan. 22, 2022.
- Fensore finished the weekend with four points on one goal and three assists, including an assist on both game-winners.
- Peterson (2g, 1a), Greene (2a) and O'Brien (1g, 1a) all had a point in each win this weekend.
- The Terriers were 1-for-2 on the power play and 4-of-4 on the penalty kill.
- BU went 7-for-7 on the penalty kill across the two victories this weekend.
- Hutson leads all NCAA defensemen with 29 assists and 39 points.
- Three of the Terriers' eight straight wins at Gutterson Fieldhouse have been shutouts.
UP NEXT
- BU will close the regular season next weekend with a home-and-home series against Providence.
- The Terriers will honor their senior class prior to Friday's contest at Agganis Arena, which is scheduled for 7 p.m.
