BOSTON – Top-seeded Boston College tallied eight unanswered goals by six different Eagles to skate last fifth-seeded Massachusetts 8-1 in the semifinals of the 40th annual Hockey East Championship Friday afternoon at TD Garden. The Eagles (30-5-1) move on to Saturday’s title game at 7:30 p.m. to face the winner of the semifinal nightcap between second-seeded Boston University and third-seeded Maine (TV: NESN; ESPN+).
Gabe Perreault and Cutter Gauthier each scored twice and set up two others while Will Smith had a goal and three assists to lead the BC uprising. The streaking Eagles have now won 11 straight and 16 of its last 17 will play Saturday for its 12th Hockey East title, its first since 2012. It will be their record 19th appearance in the championship game.
The Minutemen drew first blood 6:33 into the contest on a goal by Lucas Mercuri. Ryan Lautenbach cruised down the right wing, found Mercuri in the high slot and his wrist shot beat BC goalie Jacob Fowler. Scott Morrow also picked up an assist on the goal. Boston College would tie it just 1:29 later on the power play. UMass goalie Michael Hrabel made a nice save on a shot from the point by Smith but Ryan Leonard rapped home the rebound for his 27th of the season.
The Eagles jumped ahead early in the second with a pair of goals 2:02 apart. Perreault scored at 4:41, banking one off Hrabel, set up by Leonard and Smith. Andre Gasseau made it 3-1 at 6:43 with a goal mouth finish of a nice feed from behind the goal by Gauthier. BC added two more just 46 seconds apart with Smith redirecting a rebound of a Perreault shot at 16:03 and then Gauthier from Oskar Jellvik (two assists) and Gasseau made it 5-1 at 16:49.
In the third Aram Minnetian scored at 3:00 from Jack Malone and Aiden Hreschuk and Perreault, from Lukas Gustafsson and Smith made it 7-1 just 2:04 later. Gauthier, with his second of the night and 34th of the season, finished the scoring at 17:29 with Smith and Perreault getting helpers.
UMass would out-shoot the Eagles 9-5 in the first 20 minutes before Boston College took control outshooting the Minutemen 31-20 the rest of the way, 19-7 in the middle period. Fowler was solid after the first period, stopping 28 of 29 shots.
Boston College scored twice on the power plays in four attempts while killing all four UMass power plays. Hrabel finished with 28 saves for the Minutemen.
Massachusetts (20-13-2) will wait for the Sunday’s NCAA selection show to see if its postseason will be extended.
Notes:
- The eight straight goals by Boston College are a new Hockey East semifinal record for consecutive goals. The Eagles also scored seven consecutive vs Northeastern in the 1987 semis.
- Boston College moves on to the title game for a league record 19th time, its first since 2019, and will play for its 12th championship and its first since 2012. Their 11 titles are also a conference record.
- The title game appearance will be the first for BC’s second-year head coach Greg Brown.
- The eight straight goals by Boston College are a new Hockey East semifinal record for consecutive goals. The Eagles also scored seven consecutive vs Northeastern in the 1987 semis.
- BC’s eight goals came from six different Eagles. Gabe Perreault and Cutter Gauthier each had a pair.
- BC is now 20-2-0 when leading after 2 periods.
- Massachusetts appeared in its eighth semifinal and its fourth in the last five tournaments, all four under head coach Greg Carvel.
