UConn to face BU in Hockey East Semifinals

UConn’s semifinal showdown is set. The 4-seed Huskies will take on the 3-seed Boston University Terriers at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday at TD Garden. 2-seed Maine will take on 9-seed Northeastern in the late game.

BU won the season series with a 4-2 win at Agganis Arena on Oct. 18 followed by a 2-2 tie (and shootout victory for the Terriers) in Storrs on Feb. 25, though both contests were competitive. In the loss, UConn had to start freshman Tommy Heaney in goal with both Tyler Muszelik and Callum Tung unavailable but still put together a valiant effort. More recently, the two teams went back-and-forth and came away knotted a two goals apiece after 65 minutes.

This will be the fourth postseason meeting between the schools. The Huskies claimed a 3-1 victory in the 2022 quarterfinals — Mike Cavanaugh’s first playoff victory as UConn’s head coach — while the Terriers swept a quarterfinal series in 2018.

In the quarterfinals, the Huskies beat Providence 3-1 on Friday night while BU snuck past 6-seed UMass in overtime, 3-2. Meanwhile, Maine defeated UMass Lowell 7-1 while Northeastern knocked off top-seeded Boston College 2-1 to become the first 9-seed ever to make it to the semifinals.

Both contests on Thursday will be broadcast on NESN and ESPN+.