DURHAM, N.H. - Junior Ryan Greene's second goal of the night at 5:40 of the third period broke a 3-3 tie and helped lead the No. 11 Boston University men's ice hockey team to a 6-3 victory at No. 19/18 New Hampshire on Friday night at Whittemore Center.
BU (12-7-3, 8-3-1 HE) extended its win streak to three games thanks to a terrific third period. The Terriers killed the final three minutes of a major penalty to start the third before Greene broke the deadlock with an impossible-angle goal. Senior Jack Hughes scored with 7:09 remaining in regulation to double the Terriers' lead and then with UNH (10-7-3, 2-6-2 HE) having to kill a major penalty of its own, freshman Cole Hutson iced the game with a sensational individual effort.
Hutson also assisted on his brother Quinn's second-period goal to complete a two-point night, matching his brother with one goal and one assist. Junior Devin Kaplan also lit the lamp for BU, with freshmen Sascha Boumedienne and Kamil Bednarik securing the assists. Sophomores Shane Lachance and Jack Harvey also recorded one assist apiece.
Senior goaltender Mathieu Caron was outstanding on Friday, making several fantastic stops as part of a season-best 39-save performance. He turned aside all 15 shots he faced over the final 20 minutes to preserve the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Kaplan opened the scoring just 1:15 into the proceedings. Boumedienne carried the puck up the left side of the UNH zone before sliding the puck to Kaplan, who backhanded it past Jared Whale for his fifth goal of the season.
- The Wildcats evened the score at 6:22 of the first, but Greene answered just 2:26 later when he created space for himself at the top of the zone and then sent a puck towards Whale that had eyes for the back of the net.
- Quinn Hutson extended the lead to 3-1 with a beautiful power-play goal at 8:28 of the second stanza. Cole Hutson gained the UNH blue line and dished the puck across the zone to Lachance, who then found a wide-open Quinn at the back door. Quinn deked around Whale and slid the puck past the Wildcat netminder for his 11th goal of the season.
- UNH scored two straight goals to send the teams to the intermission tied at 3-3.
- Caron and the Terrier penalty killers were fantastic during the major penalty, with Caron making six stops while BU was shorthanded.
- Greene then capitalized on a turnover by Whale to put the Terriers ahead for good. Whale got the puck behind his own net, and with senior Matt Copponi threatening on the forecheck, he rushed a pass that Greene intercepted. Despite being at a near-impossible angle, Greene zipped the puck into the vacant cage for his 10th goal of the season.
- Hughes pushed the lead to 5-4 at the 12:51 mark. He created a 2-on-1 with freshman Cole Eiserman on his left, but a Wildcat defender blocked Hughes' attempt to pass the puck to Eiserman. Quinn Hutson trailed the play, however, and fired the rebound on net. Whale made that stop, but Hughes quickly knocked home the rebound.
- Cole Hutson then dazzled with a highlight-reel goal at the 16:11 mark. Hutson collected a clear attempt by the UNH penalty kill in the neutral zone and then went to work. He gained the blue line, stopped, nutmegged a defender and then skated to the slot. With another Wildcat closing on him, Hutson shifted and then fired a shot inside the right post.
GAME NOTES
- Quinn Hutson has scored a goal in five straight games and has notched at least two points in five straight contests.
- He has totaled seven goals and five assists for 12 points during that span.
- Caron matched his single-game high for saves in a game while at BU; he previously made 39 saves on Nov. 18, 2023, in a 5-4 win over Maine.
- Greene has found the back of the net in four straight contests, recording nine points (5g, 4a) during that stretch.
- Cole Hutson has also collected nine points (3g, 6a) during his own four-game point streak.
- Hughes has lit the lamp in three straight tilts as part of his five-game point streak.
UP NEXT
- BU and UNH will conclude this weekend's series on Saturday (Jan. 18) at Agganis Arena.
- Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m.
