AMHERST, Mass. - Freshman Macklin Celebrini scored twice in the third period, including the game-tying goal with 2:10 remaining in regulation, to help the No. 9 Boston University men's ice hockey team rally for a 3-3 tie at No. 19 UMass on Saturday night at Mullins Center.
After BU (3-2-1, 1-1-1 HE) and UMass (4-2-1, 0-1-1 HE) were unable to break the deadlock in overtime, sophomore Quinn Hutson scored the lone shootout goal to help BU secure the extra point in the Hockey East standings. Junior Mathieu Caron, made a season-high 38 saves across regulation and overtime before coming up with two clutch saves in the shootout to ensure the Terriers took five of six points from the Minutemen this weekend.
Sophomore Devin Kaplan scored his first goal of the season, with senior Luke Tuch providing the primary assist on both that goal and Celebrini's equalizer. Graduate students Cade Webber and Sam Stevens each secured an assist, as did sophomores Jeremy Wilmer and Ryan Greene.
Though BU had its six-game win streak against UMass snapped on Saturday, the Terriers maintained their 10-game unbeaten streak against the Minutemen.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Caron was sharp through the first 20 minutes, stopping 12 of the 13 shots he faced.
- UMass' first goal came during a power play at the 9:37 mark of the opening frame.
- Kaplan brought BU level at 7:59 of the second period right after he left the penalty box. Stevens poked the puck to Tuch and the senior fired a perfect pass to Kaplan as he returned to the ice. Kaplan converted the breakaway bid for his first goal of the season.
- The Minutemen took a 2-1 lead into the third period thanks to a 4-on-4 goal with 1:21 remaining in the second stanza.
- Celebrini evened the score at 2-2 at the 5:20 mark of the third when he roofed the puck past Michael Hrabal (26 saves) during a BU power play. Wilmer picked up the primary assist by drawing two defenders to him before dishing it to a wide-open Celebrini.
- UMass regained the lead with 10:15 remaining in regulation when a point shot found its way through traffic and past Caron.
- Celebrini once again evened the score, this time with 2:10 on the clock. After Tuch dumped the puck into the UMass zone, he was first to retrieve it in the left corner. Tuch quickly found Celebrini in the left circle, and with the UMass defense backing off of him, Celebrini uncorked a shot past Hrabal.
- After a scoreless overtime in which both goalies made one save apiece, Hutson was first over the boards for BU and gave the Terriers a 1-0 lead in the shootout.
- Caron made a nifty pad save to deny Ryan Ufko's attempt in the first round and turned aside UMass' leading point producer, Jack Musa, in the final round to make sure Hutson's goal stood as the shootout winner.
GAME NOTES
- Celebrini leads the entire country with eight goals and is first in Hockey East with 11 points.
- He has totaled five goals and two assists for seven points the last three games.
- Tuch has tallied six points (2g, 4a) over his last three games.
- Wilmer finished the weekend with four assists and leads Hockey East with eight total assists.
- This was the Terriers' first tie and first shootout since Dec. 10, 2021, when they played Boston College to a 3-3 draw at Agganis Arena.
- It was also the Terriers' first shootout win since March 6, 2021, at UMass Lowell.
UP NEXT
- BU will play six of its next seven games at Agganis Arena, beginning with a two-game series against North Dakota on Nov. 3-4.
- Both tilts are scheduled for 7 p.m.
