UConn men's hockey falls to No. 1 BC in Hockey East Quarterfinals, 5-4

UConn men’s hockey’s season ended with a 5-4 loss to the 1-seed Boston College Eagles in the Hockey East Quarterfinals on Saturday.

The Huskies dug themselves into a 3-0 deficit just eight minutes in but scored three unanswered goals in the first 5:35 of the third period to even the game at 4-4. Ultimately, BC proved to be too much to contain and scored the eventual game-winner with 9:25 remaining.

Matthew Wood scored twice while John Spetz and Jake Richard also found the back of the net.

Arsenii Sergeev started in net and struggled in the first period by allowing three goals on 11 shots, but recovered in the second and kept UConn in the game with a few big stops the rest of the way.

The Huskies went 1-3 on the power play and while the penalty kill had a 3-4 night.

BC jumped UConn with three quick goals. The Eagles scored their first 2:19 in, added a second just over a minute later and were up 3-0 after just eight minutes. UConn didn’t just roll over, though — 41 seconds after the third, Spetz scored in the slot and the Huskies actually had a 15-12 edge in shots at the end of the first period.

UConn kept it competitive for most of the second but it took a penalty for too many men on the ice with 22 seconds left in the period and BC scored immediately to push the score to 4-1.

Out of the second intermission, the Huskies came out on fire. Eleven seconds in, Richard had his shot gloved by BC goalie Jacob Fowler, but UConn challenged the play and after a review, the officials determined that Fowler’s glove completely crossed the goal line. That cut the deficit to 4-2.

Less than a minute after that, Wood got the puck in the slot and ripped home his seventh goal in his last five games to get the Huskies within one with 18:55 remaining. 4:30 after that, Wood added another on the power play to pull UConn even at 4-4.

While the Huskies controlled the next few minutes, BC eventually answered back. Off a rush, Andre Gasseau found Jack Malone in front of net and he tapped it in to put the Eagles back ahead with 9:25 remaining.

The hosts had a golden opportunity to increase the advantage when UConn took two penalties in quick succession and gave BC a nearly two-minute long 5-on-3 power play. However, the Huskies’ PK unit came up with the kill to keep themselves in the game.

UConn pulled the goalie for the extra skater with 1:52 remaining and then went on the power play with 1:28 left. However, the Huskies couldn’t find the tying goal and the clock ultimately ran out on the season.

With the 2023-24 campaign now over, UConn finishes with a 15-19-2 record overall and a 9-14-1 mark in Hockey East play.