Boston College’s men’s hockey team will conclude its regular season this week with two games. The Eagles, currently ranked No. 13 in national polls, will face UMass on Thursday at the Mullins Center and host Northeastern on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled for 7:00 p.m., airing on ESPN+ and WEEI 850 AM, with Saturday’s game also broadcast live on NESN.
The Eagles hold a 19-12-1 overall record and are 13-9-0 in Hockey East play. Their opponent Thursday, UMass, shares the same overall record but is slightly behind in league standings at 12-9-1. Northeastern enters Saturday’s contest with a 15-17-1 overall mark and a 10-13-0 conference record.
Last weekend, Boston College suffered two losses to Boston University. Dean Letourneau scored his 19th goal of the season during Friday’s game, while Oskar Jellvik recorded his first goal of the campaign on Saturday. James Hagens extended his point streak to ten games, and Louka Cloutier achieved a career-high of 38 saves on Friday.
James Hagens leads the Eagles in scoring with 40 points from 20 goals and 20 assists. Letourneau follows with 34 points (19 goals, 15 assists). Ryan Conmy, Andre Gasseau, and Letourneau each have contributed 15 assists this season. Will Vote has reached double digits in both goals (10) and assists (11). On defense, Nolan Joyce leads with 36 blocks; Lukas Gustafsson has made 34 blocks; Aram Minnetian is close behind with 33. In goal, Cloutier holds an 18-10-1 record with a .912 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.32.
Hagens was named Hockey East’s Boston Children’s Hospital Player of the Month for February after leading the league in points that month with eight goals and seven assists for a total of fifteen points. Gustafsson received recognition as Army ROTC Defender of the Month after leading all defensemen in Hockey East scoring for February.
UMass comes into Thursday’s matchup following a win and a tie against UConn last weekend. Jack Musa leads their offense with fifteen goals and eighteen assists for thirty-three points this season. Goaltender Michael Hrabel has posted a goals against average of 2.06 and a .934 save percentage over twenty-five games played; he was named Hockey East Stop It Co-Goaltender of the Week after making fifty saves against Northeastern—a feat achieved only once before in league play since last year—and also earned Goaltender of the Month honors for February.
Boston College holds an all-time series lead over UMass at eighty wins to seventeen losses and four ties. Earlier this season, BC swept UMass in November by scores of seven to three at home and four to zero away; they have won their last eight games at the Mullins Center.
Northeastern lost twice to Maine last weekend by scores of four to zero and three to two. Dylan Hryckowian leads Northeastern offensively across all major categories: fifteen goals, nineteen assists, thirty-four points total. Joe Connor (twelve) and Giacomo Martino (eleven) have also reached double digits in goals this season; Tyler Fukakusa, Amine Hajibi, and Jacob Mathieu each have seventeen assists apiece. Lawton Zacher has started twenty-nine games as goaltender for Northeastern this year with averages similar to Hrabel: a goals against average of 2.15 and save percentage at .932.
In their history versus Northeastern, Boston College holds an advantage at one hundred seventy-seven wins compared to sixty-four losses and eighteen ties; however, Northeastern swept their October series earlier this season—BC is one win out of five recent meetings between these teams.
Looking ahead, Boston College has secured home ice for its quarterfinal match-up in the upcoming Hockey East tournament set for March thirteenth or fourteenth; their opponent will be determined following first-round results on March eleventh.
