BOSTON - Four different Terriers found the back of the net to help lead the No. 2 Boston University men's ice hockey team to a 4-2 victory over Northeastern in a Hockey East quarterfinal contest on Saturday night at Agganis Arena.
BU (25-8-2) never trailed Northeastern (17-16-3), as the Terriers scored three times in the second period to build a 3-0 lead that they never relinquished. Justin Hryckowian scored with 1:09 left in the second and with 4:25 remaining in regulation to get the Huskies within a goal, but freshman Macklin Celebrini scored his 30th goal of the season just 24 seconds after Hryckowian cut the deficit to one to end the Northeastern rally.
Senior Luke Tuch tallied a goal and an assist while graduate captain Case McCarthy and sophomore Quinn Hutson also lit the lamp. Sophomores Ryan Greene, Lane Hutson and Jeremy Wilmer, junior Jack Hughes, freshman Tom Willander and senior Dylan Peterson also added one assist apiece. Junior goaltender Mathieu Caron was sharp for the Terriers, stopping 21 of the 23 shots he faced.
With the win, the defending Hockey East Tournament champions advanced to the Hockey East semifinals for the second straight season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Neither team broke through in the opening 20 minutes, with the Terriers holding an 11-4 advantage in shots.
- With 10:45 left in the second period, freshman Lachance intercepted a clearing attempt by Cameron Whitehead (28 saves), who was well outside of his crease. Lachance tried to quickly get it to Celebrini, but the puck hopped off Celebrini's stick and Harvey's follow-up bid was turned aside.
- Moments later, Quinn Hutson broke the scoreless draw. He began the sequence by flipping the puck into the offensive end. With Hutson continuing his path to the net, Hughes kept the puck moving at the half-wall for Greene, who gathered the puck at the goal line and immediately found Hutson wide-open in front for the finish.
- Tuch doubled the Terriers' lead on the power play at 13:40 when he deftly redirected a shot by Wilmer.
- McCarthy made it 3-0 with 2:07 remaining with a rocket from the right point, but Hryckowian answered 58 seconds later to create a 3-1 score after 40 minutes.
- With Northeastern seemingly carrying all the momentum after making the score 3-2, Celebrini squashed any hopes of a comeback with a fantastic goal. Lane Hutson began the sequence by shutting Hryckowian off in the BU zone, allowing Celebrini to collect the puck and outlet it to Harvey on the right wing. Harvey gained the blue line and patiently waited for support, eventually dropping the puck for Celebrini at the top of the NU zone. A Husky defender lost his edge, which allowed Celebrini to get to the slot, fake another defender and then uncork a wicked wrister that Whitehead had no chance of stopping.
- Northeastern pulled Whitehead in favor of an extra attacker but was unable to find another goal.
GAME NOTES
- Saturday was the Terriers' record 80th Hockey East Tournament victory, as BU improved to 80-43-1 all-time in the league postseason.
- BU will make its record 27th appearance in the Hockey East semifinals.
- The Terriers finished the season with a 14-2-0 record at Agganis Arena, with each loss coming by just one goal against a top-three opponent.
- BU is 28-5-0 at home since Jay Pandolfo took over as head coach.
- Celebrini is the first Terrier to record 30 goals in a season since Chris Drury scored 38 during the 1996-97 season.
- He's also just the fourth freshman since the turn of the century to notch 30 goals in a single season, joining Michigan's Adam Fantilli (30 goals, 2022-23), Minnesota's Thomas Vanek (31 goals, 2002-03) and Michigan's Kyle Connor (35 goals, 2015-16).
- Quinn Hutson has notched four goals in the last two games and six goals over his last five appearances.
- BU was 1-for-2 on the power play and killed off both Northeastern man advantages.
UP NEXT
- BU will return to TD Garden on Friday, March 22, for a Hockey East semifinal matchup against Maine with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
