BELFAST, Northern Ireland – Thanks to a three-goal first period, the No. 13 Boston University men's ice hockey team had a successful start to the 2024 Friendship Four on Friday with a 6-2 opening-round victory over Merrimack at SSE Arena.
The Terriers advance to the Friendship Four championship game for the second time in as many trips overseas and will face the winner of Friday's late game between Harvard and Notre Dame. The title contest will take place on Saturday (Nov. 30) at 2 p.m. ET.
Senior Tristan Amonte had a pair of tallies while sophomore defensemen Aiden Celebrini and Gavin McCarthy each scored his first goal of the season. Junior Quinn Hutson and sophomore Shane Lachance also found the back of the net.
BU took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission before the Warriors scored the lone goal of the middle period and then made it a one-goal affair just 21 seconds into the third.
Hutson provided a key insurance goal with just under 12 minutes to play and Amonte sealed the win with a long backhand that rolled into an empty net with 1:14 to play. Lachance capped the scoring with a power-play goal in the final minute.
Senior Mathieu Caron turned in a 31-save performance to earn the win in goal for BU.
The game counted as a Hockey East contest and the Terriers now stand at 7-5-1 overall with a 4-2-1 conference mark. Merrimack falls to 3-8-1 and 2-5-1 in Hockey East play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After early penalties on both teams that resulted in short power plays, the Terriers got on the board 7:10 into the contest.
- A pass from the right corner by junior Devin Kaplan found Celebrini in the right slot, where the blue liner ripped a shot to the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
- BU doubled its lead just over a minute later off a rush as freshman Cole Hutson found Amonte between the tops of the circles, where he calmly collected the pass and snapped a shot past Merrimack netminder Nils Wallstrom at the 8:16 mark.
- The early scoring spurt continued with the Terriers down a skater as freshman Kamil Bednarik skated up the left side before waiting for the right time to send the puck across the way to McCarthy, who capped the shorthanded rush at 15:05 with the second goal of his career.
- Merrimack broke through via a second-period power play as Antonio Venuto potted the lone goal of the frame at 13:57.
- The Warriors stole the momentum right after the puck dropped on the third as David Sacco buried a shot from the right circle just 21 seconds into the period to make it a 3-2 contest.
- Hutson came up with what was arguably the game's biggest goal when he tipped a right-point bid from Celebrini into the pads of Merrimack netminder Max Lundgren before cleaning up the rebound at the foot of the slot for a 4-2 lead at 8:15 of the third.
- Merrimack challenged the goal for a potential high stick but the call was upheld after a lengthy review.
- The Warriors pulled Lundgren for an extra skater with 3:25 to play but were unable to get another goal past Caron.
- Amonte secured his first two-goal game as a Terrier when he cleared the puck out the BU zone with a backhand that curled towards the empty net and in with 1:14 left in regulation.
- The finishing touches came on a power play as Lachance was in the right place for a rebound in front with 29 seconds left on the clock.
GAME NOTES
- Lachance was named BU's Player of the Game by the tournament committee.
- Merrimack held a 33-29 edge in shots on goal.
- BU went 1-for-3 on the power play while the Warriors were 1-for-6.
- McCarthy's shorthanded tally proved to be the game-winner.
- Junior Ryan Greene and freshman Cole Hutson each earned two assists while seniors Jack Hughes and Matt Copponi and freshman Sascha Boumedienne added one apiece.
- Back in 2018 during its Friendship Four debut, BU earned a 3-2 win over UConn in the opening round before falling to Union, 2-1, in the championship game.
- Amonte's brother, Ty, scored the game-winner against UConn and added the Terriers' lone tally versus Union.
- All five goal scorers had a family member also play for the Terriers.
- Amonte, Celebrini and McCarthy were each teammates with their brothers (Ty, Macklin and Case, respectively) while Lachance's father (Scott), uncle (Bob) and grandfather (Jack Parker) all played for BU.
UP NEXT
BU now has its sights on the Belpot Trophy and will face either Harvard or Notre Dame in Saturday's championship game at 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET.
