SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The No. 2 Boston University men's ice hockey team posted a 6-3 victory over No. 17/18 RIT on Thursday evening in the first round of the NCAA Sioux Falls Regional at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.
The Terriers, now 27-9-2 on the year, move on to Saturday's regional final for a spot in the Frozen Four.
Hobey Baker finalists Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini each tallied a goal and an assist for the Terriers, who also got goals from graduate student Sam Stevens, sophomore Ryan Greene and freshman Jack Harvey. Senior Dylan Peterson provided BU's last goal with an empty-netter and also added an assists.
Both sophomore Devin Kaplan and freshman Tom Willander recorded a pair of assists and junior Mathieu Caron tallied 28 saves to earn the win in goal.
BU led wire-to-wire, scoring the first two goals just over a minute apart before taking leads of 2-1 and 4-2 into the intermissions.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- RIT had the better of the play in the early stages and were presented with a trio of strong chances to open the scoring but could not take advantage.
- Hutson gave the Terriers the relief they needed after the uneasy start when he took a cross-slot pass and deked a pair of Tigers, giving him a wide-open backhand chance in front of the net that he buried 11:56 into the contest.
- It did not take long for it to turn into a multi-goal lead for the Terriers as Greene turned in an impressive effort, stealing a puck along the boards in the BU zone before pushing it ahead to himself and creating space off the rush in the left circle, where he beat RIT neminder Tommy Scarfone to the far post just 65 seconds after Hutson's goal.
- The Tigers were able to get on the board before the first intermission, however, as they took advantage of the first power play of the contest with a tally from Elijah Gonsalves with 4:20 remaining in the first.
- The Terriers came out of the first intermission buzzing, creating numerous chances while looking to re-establish a two-goal advantage.
- They were rewarded for their efforts at the 8:11 mark as Stevens put a shot between Scarfone's pads from the right circle off a cross-ice pass from Hutson just seconds after being denied in tight.
- After Stevens' goal pushed BU's lead to 3-1, RIT did its best to stay in the contest and got back within one when Gianfranco Cassaro came out the box following two minutes of 4-on-4 play and received a pass at the blue line before converting a breakaway with 4:40 left in the second.
- The Terriers quickly denied a potential momentum boost with some slick passing off a rush less than two minutes later, resulting in an easy finish for Celebrini off helpers from Peterson and senior Nick Zabaneh to make it 4-2.
- Harvey turned in a highlight goal 1:29 into the third for the first three-goal lead of the night as the freshman took a pass from classmate Shane LaChance at the BU blue line and then skated through the RIT defense before punching the puck over Scarfone's left pad.
- RIT pulled Scarfone after the final media timeout and the Terriers wasted little time in putting the game away as they won a defensive-zone faceoff and got the puck to Peterson, whose attempt was tipped up by a RIT stick and still found the empty net with 4:14 to play.
- The Tigers created the 6-3 final on a goal with just under a minute remaining in regulation.
GAME NOTES
- BU held a 33-31 shot advantage after being outshot 13-6 in the opening period.
- Scarfone recorded 27 saves for the Tigers, who went 1-for-2 on the power play.
- The Terriers did not score on their two chances with the man advantage.
- Greene now has eight points (3g, 5a) in the past five games.
- Celebrini recorded his 32nd goal of the season and extended his point streak to nine games (9-10-19 during the run).
- BU will be playing in a regional final for the fifth time in the past nine NCAA tournaments.
UP NEXT
- The Terriers advance to the regional final on Saturday (March 30) against the winner of Thursday's late game featuring Minnesota and Omaha.
- Saturday's game will start at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
