31 March 2024
SIOUX FALLS S.D. — Boston University has used its speed and skill as a defining feature all season, and on Saturday night, it sent the Terriers into the national semifinals.
Macklin Celebrini notched a game-high three points on three assists, and the No. 2 overall seed Terriers punched their ticket to the Frozen Four with a 6-3 victory over Minnesota in the championship game of the Sioux Falls Regional at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.
The win wraps up the Gophers’ season at 23-11-5, while Bryce Brodzinski led the way with a goal and an assist.
Celebrini was one of three BU players to finish with multiple points, with Jack Harvey and Shane Lachance each tallying a goal and an assist for the Terriers.
The Gophers took a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to goals from Jaxon Nelson and Bryce Brodzinski.
At 7:19, Nelson got the scoring started when he fired a shot from the right circle into the upper-right corner of the net, as Brodzinski and Sam Rinzel were each credited with an assist. Then, with 2:13 remaining in the first, Brodzinski retrieved a pass from Rhett Pitlick and used his defender as a screen, beating BU goalie Mathieu Caron’s glove to give the Gophers a two-goal lead.
However, it only took the Terriers 14 seconds to respond.
Quinn Hutson got Boston on the board with 1:59 to go in the period when he stole the puck along the boards and powered his way to the net, sliding it past Minnesota goaltender Justen Close to cut the Terriers’ deficit to 2-1.
In the opening minutes of the second period, BU added two more tallies, both of which were set up by Celebrini.
Lachance provided the equalizer at the 1:17 mark of the period on an assist from Celebrini and Harvey, and then at 5:25, Harvey scored from the right circle, giving BU a 3-2 lead. Lachance was credited with a secondary helper on the goal.
Minnesota tied the game at 3-3 midway through the period. Luke Mittelstadt centered a puck from along the boards to a knifing Brody Lamb, whose point-blank shot was stopped by Caron. However, the rebound stayed in the crease, where Aaron Huglen buried it into the open net.
A goal by Lane Hutson, assisted by Dylan Peterson and Nick Zabaneh, moved Boston back ahead 4-3 with just 4:24 remaining in the second.
With 1:45 remaining, Boston captain Case McCarthy ricocheted the puck off the boards and sent it 200 feet down the ice for an empty-net goal before alternate captain Sam Stevens added one more for good measure, sealing the final score with 32 seconds to go in the game.
Brodzinski missed the net on a two-on-one breakaway late in the third, and the Terriers recorded eight of their 18 blocked shots in the final period alone. Cade Webber led BU with six blocks.
Caron stopped 25 shots to earn his 28th victory of the season between the pipes. Meanwhile, Close made 32 saves in a losing effort.
The Terriers finished the game with a 38-28 advantage in shots on goal, including 15-9 in the third period.
Related Articles
NCAA men’s hockey: Gophers top Omaha, advance to Sioux Falls final
Gophers happy to get out of town as they head to Sioux Falls for NCAA tournament
Men’s hockey: Michigan beats Gophers 2-1 at Maturi to spoil their Big Ten tourney hopes
Men’s hockey: Gophers surrender lead to Penn State but get late goal to advance to Big Ten semifinal
One down, one to go for Gopher men after they beat Penn St. 5-1