BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – UCONN needed some luck to host a Hockey East quarterfinal game, and they got it.
At the XL Center next Saturday, UCONN will hope that the luck of the Irish will rub off on them as they face the Boston University (BU) Terriers following a shocking 8-1 loss to Maine in their final game. It gave UCONN the fourth spot in the conference and the right to host a game.
There was more hope for another piece of good luck as BU forward Jay O’Brien was nailed with a late-game double minor at 18:08 of the third (roughing and crosschecking) in a scrum with Dawson Bruneski.
It was not seen as either a game disqualification or game misconduct situation after being reviewed by Hockey East. BU head coach Albie O’Connell made his best case to have him in the lineup Saturday.
Game time is set for 4:30 PM.
The Hartford Wolf Pack are in Allentown, PA to play the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday as part of a Pennsylvania weekend road trip so that will not complicate things for the home game.
Number 5 Boston University (19-12-3 overall/13-8-3 HE) comes to the XL Center equally matched to the Huskies. The two schools split a weekend series on October 8-9 with the road team winning each game. BU earned an overtime win at UConn on January 14th.
It will be the second all-time postseason meeting between the Huskies and Terriers after a 2018 quarterfinal sweep by Boston University. UCONN is still searching for its first-ever Hockey East Tournament win (0-9) in its sixth playoff appearance but in a single-elimination format.
OF NOTE
Huskies defenseman John Spetz won the last regular season conference honors for a defenseman.
The rest of the Hockey East Tournament returns to an all-in format after a two-year departure. Seeds six, seven, and eight will host seeds 11, 10, and nine, respectively, in the Opening Round starts this Wednesday, March 9th.
After a reseeding, the top three seeds will host the winners of the Opening Round while the fourth seed will host the fifth seed (UCONN-BU) who are already in the Quarterfinal round.
For the first time since 2019, the Hockey East Men’s Championship Semifinals and Final will return to the TD Garden in Boston on March 18-19, 2022.
The Opening Round, March 9th, features #6 Merrimack (18-14-1/13-11-0 HE) hosting #11 Maine (7-21-4/5-17-2 HE).
#7 Providence College (21-13-2/12-11-1 HE) welcomes #10 Vermont (8-24-2/6-16-2 HE) at Schneider Arena on Wednesday. It will mark the first time that Providence and Vermont have met in the Hockey East Tournament.
Providence has appeared in the semifinals in six of the last ten years, while Vermont looks to return to TD Garden for the first time since 2015 and advance in the postseason for the first time since 2017.
#8 Boston College (14-17-5/9-12-3 HE) has earned a date with #9 New Hampshire (14-18-1/8-15-1 HE) for the eleventh time in the Hockey East Tournament, most recently in the 2021 Quarterfinals, a 3-2 Eagles’ win. The Wildcats won both of the regular-season outings between the squads in a home-and-home set on January, 14-15.
Top-seeded Northeastern (24-11-1/15-8-1 HE), who claimed the Hockey East regular season top spot for the first time in their program’s history, awaits the lowest advancing seed from the opening round. The Northeastern Huskies last won the Lamoriello Trophy, as Hockey East Tournament champions in 2019.
#2 University of Massachusetts (19-12-2/14-8-2 HE) is the defending national champion. They enter the Hockey East Tournament as the second seed for the first time ever. It is just the second time the Minutemen have finished higher than third in the Hockey East standings. They boast a 17-27 all-time record in the Hockey East Tournament and have been 5-1 since 2019.
#3 UMass-Lowell (20-9-3/15-8-1 HE) earned the third seed for the first time ever. The Riverhawks have appeared in six of the last eight championship games, winning three times (2013, 2014, 2017).
Game times and television information will be announced in the coming days.
NOTES
The first five players have headed to the pros from the college ranks. Four come from Division-I and one comes from Division-III.
Matt Baker from UMASS (HE) signs with the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL).
Daniel Chicoine of Bowling Green (CCHA) inks a deal with the Maine Mariners (ECHL).
University of St. Thomas (CCHA) goalie Peter Thome, the cousin of current High Double-AA player with the Portland Sea Dogs, Andrew Thome, the son of former MLB player Jim Thome, signs with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL).
Dennis Cesana goes from Michigan State (Big 10) and heads to the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).
The lone Division-III player is Ryan Romeo who goes from SUNY-Brockport (SUNYAC) to sign with the Trois-Rivieres Lions (ECHL).
