Boston University faces Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing loss to UConn in the Hockey East semifinals. This match, set for Thursday at 2 p.m. in Toledo, marks their fourth encounter, with BU winning the last in 2009. The Terriers, a No. 2 seed in the regional, boast junior Quinn Hutson’s leading 47 points and impressive rookie Cole Eiserman. Ohio State, third-seeded, features Gunnarwolfe Fontaine as their top scorer. The winner will advance to face either Michigan State or Cornell in the next round, while UMass and Minnesota play later that day, each seeking tournament advancement.
Following a disappointing loss to UConn in the Hockey East men’s semifinals, Boston University has a chance to move on when they face Ohio State in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Toledo, Ohio, regional.
This marks just the fourth encounter between these teams, with their last meeting occurring in the first round of the 2009 tournament, where BU triumphed 8-3 en route to winning the national championship, the last time the Terriers secured the title.
BU is making its 40th tournament appearance and is seeded No. 2 in the regional. Junior Quinn Hutson leads the Terriers with 47 points (21 goals, 26 assists), placing third nationally with an average of 1.38 points per game. His younger brother Cole leads NCAA freshmen in both points (40) and assists (28) and has earned the accolade of Hockey East Rookie of the Year.
Cole Eiserman holds the title for NCAA freshmen with 21 goals. Goalie Mikhail Yegorov ranks in the top 10 for goals-against average (1.99) and save percentage (.931).
The Terriers will contend with former rival forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, who transferred from Northeastern for his graduate season and leads the Buckeyes with 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists). The Rhode Island native scored the overtime winner against BU in the 2024 Beanpot and has continued to deliver critical goals for Ohio State. He netted the overtime winner against Penn State in the Big Ten semifinals and later tied the championship game against Michigan State with a third-period goal, although the Spartans eventually won in double overtime.
Former UConn goalie Logan Terness (2.27 GAA, .925 save percentage) has started the last five games after sharing time with Kristoffer Eberly during the regular season. The Buckeyes are the third seed in their 11th tournament appearance.
The winner will advance to play against top seed Michigan State or No. 4 Cornell on Saturday. Cornell, despite finishing sixth in the ECAC, won the conference tournament to extend Mike Schafer’s coaching tenure for at least another week. The coach announced intentions to retire after the 2024-25 season, marking his 30th year.
Thursday’s tournament action wraps up with UMass facing Minnesota in the second game of the Fargo, N.D., regional, which is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.
This will be the Minutemen’s first game since the announcement of the top 10 candidates for the Hobey Baker Award, a list that notably omitted forward Cole O’Hara, who boasts 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) — the fourth highest in the nation. The junior is a versatile player, contributing to both the power play and penalty kill units.
UMass has four additional players with 30 or more points — Aydar Suniev (36), Jack Musa (35), Lucas Mercuri (31), and Bruins draft pick Dans Locmelis (30). The Minutemen are the No. 3 seed and have qualified for five of the last six tournaments.
UMass has not played since a 3-2 overtime loss to BU in the Hockey East quarterfinals on March 15, but coach Greg Carvel mentioned that the break has allowed the Minutemen to recover their health.
Minnesota shared the Big Ten championship with Michigan State. However, the Spartans garnered 7 of the 12 points during the regular season, earning the No. 1 seed and a bye in the conference tournament. This disadvantage contributed to the Gophers’ quarterfinal matchup against Notre Dame, where they lost two out of three games and were eliminated. They will have gone 18 days without playing by the time their game starts on Thursday night.
The upset, combined with Western Michigan winning the NCHC championship, enabled the Broncos to clinch the fourth spot in the PairWise and secure the last No. 1 seed. Minnesota finished fifth overall, earning the second seed.
The Gophers are making a record 42nd NCAA tournament appearance, led by Hobey Baker finalist Jimmy Snuggerud‘s 49 points, while Connor Kurth and UConn transfer Matthew Wood both achieved career highs with 38 points each. Sophomore Sam Rinzel was honored as the conference’s defensive player of the year.
If the Minutemen win, they will move forward to Saturday’s final against the victor of the Western Michigan-Minnesota State matchup.
This scenario feels familiar. In 2022, Western Michigan, Minnesota, and UMass were the top three seeds in the Worcester regional. The Gophers rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat UMass in the first round, followed by a shutout win over Western Michigan in the final, allowing them to reach the Frozen Four.
Thursday’s NCAA Tournament schedule
Toledo, Ohio, regional
Boston University (21-13-2) vs. Ohio State (24-13-2): 2 p.m. ESPNU
Michigan State (26-6-4) vs. Cornell (18-10-6): 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Fargo, N.D., regional
Western Michigan (30-7-1) vs. Minnesota State (27-8-3): 5 p.m., ESPNU
Minnesota (25-10-4) vs. UMass (20-13-5): 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
Follow Andrew Mahoney @GlobeMahoney.