Boston College extended its win streak to 11 games with an explosive performance in Friday’s Hockey East semifinal at the TD Garden.
The No. 1 ranked and top-seeded Eagles scored a semifinal-record eight straight goals by six different skaters and coasted to a 8-1 victory over No. 13 UMass in the opener.
The Eagles improved to 30-5-1 and 21-3-1 in Hockey East and will play for their record 12th tournament title and first since 2012 against Boston University, a 4-1 winner over Maine. The Minutemen fell to 20-13-3 and 12-11-2 and are now a bubble team to qualify for the NCAA field of 16 tournament.
“Obviously the No. 1 seed is nice but we talked about the new season now with single elimination,” said BC freshman center Will Smith, who finished with a goal and three assists. So, we are going into every game like we are not the No. 1 seed because it is a battle every night.”
UMass went up 1-0 on a clean entry into the BC zone at 6:33 of the first. Lucas Mercuri, a Carolina Hurricanes draft pick from Montreal, ripped a wrister that beat BC freshman goalie Jacob Fowler (27 saves) high stick side for his ninth of the season.
BC potted the equalizer on the power play at 8:02. Cutter Gauthier slipped the puck along the blue line to Smith for a slapper from the left point. Goalie Michael Hrabel made the stop, but freshman right wing Ryan Leonard of Amherst flicked in the rebound for his 27th of the season.
UMass challenged a missed contact to the head infraction by BC center Mike Posma earlier in the period. After a review, Posma was issued a five-minute major with 5:26 left to play in the frame. BC entered the game with the top-rated penalty kill in the nation with an 89.8% success rate and the Eagles were able squelch the extended threat.
“You need depth for penalty killing and when you can go three and four deep it really helps, especially when you get a five-minute major,” said BC coach Greg Brown, the Hockey Coach of the Year. “I think that was a good momentum shift for us. When you kill off a five-minute penalty, and that is a long time to be shorthanded, it gave us a boost.”
BC went up 2-1 on a play started and finished by freshman left wing Gabe Perreault at 4:41 of the second. Perreault, a Rangers 2023 first-round draft pick, won a puck battle on the end board and passed it to Leonard on the right point. Hrabal made the stop on Leonard’s slapper, but Perreault tucked the rebound inside the near post for his 16th of the season.
BC made it 3-1 on a goal by right wing Andre Gasseau at 6:43 of the second. Leonard fought for the puck behind the UMass goal and backhanded it to Gasseau, who beat Hrabal to the near post for his 11th of the season.
“Against that team you have to be at your best and we were a long way from that right from the start,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “I told the guys during the week we have to get off to a good start in this game and I’m not sure what to make of the game.”
BC put the game away with two goals in the 16th minute of the second.
