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BU Sweeps Providence, Wins Hockey East Title

Boston University swept Providence over the weekend while Boston College split with Northeastern to help their Commonwealth Avenue rivals come from behind to win the Hockey East regular season championship. The Huskies finished in second with 39 points, one point behind the Terriers. It was BU’s first title since 2005-2006 and their eighth overall, two behind BC’s 10 all time.

New Hampshire split with Vermont to earn the third seed ahead of the Catamounts, who will be fourth. Though the teams finished with identical 15-8-4 conference records, UNH won the season series to earn the higher seed.

UMass-Lowell swept Maine and will be the fifth seed with 30 points. BC earns #6 with 27 points after the split with Northeastern. UMass and Merrimack split their weekend series, and with 23 points, the Minutemen are the seventh seed. Maine finishes with 17 points after their lost weekend with UMass-Lowell and is the eighth and final tournament qualifier. Merrimack and Providence each finished with 13 points to tie for ninth and miss the league tournament.

For the quarterfinal round, the series will be best two of three and all games will be played on the campus of the higher seed this coming weekend. The four survivors will advance to the TD Banknorth Garden for the semifinals and finals the following weekend and will be reseeded.

Unlike the NCAA Basketball Tournament, which uses a Selection Committee and a lot of subjectivity, the hockey selection process is very formulaic. BU and Northeastern are locks while Vermont is close and New Hampshire is pretty safe. The other four HEA schools still playing likely need to win the conference tournament to earn an NCAA berth.

#8 Maine Black Bears at #1 Boston University Terriers

• Season Series: BU 4-1, BU 7-2, 2-2 (BU 1-0-0 at home)
• BU: 3.81 goals per game (#1 HEA), 2.00 goals allowed per game (#1 HEA), 23.4% power play (#1 HEA), 88.5% penalty kill (#2 HEA)
• Maine: 1.93 gpg (#10 HEA), 3.04 gapg (#9 HEA), 16.1% pp (#6 HEA), 82.6% pk (#7 HEA)
• BU Sophomores Colin Wilson and Nick Bonino lead a potent Terrier offense, the only one to top 100 goals, each topping 30 points on the season.  Freshman goaltender Kieran Millan went 15-1-3 with a 1.80 GAA.
• Maine’s top scorers are a pair of freshman: Brian Flynn and Gustav Nyquist.  Scott Darling is the primary goalie and also a freshman.  He went 5-11-2 with a 3.06 GAA.
• Outlook: Anything short of a BU sweep would be a surprise.

#7 Massachusetts Minutemen at #2 Northeastern University Huskies

• Season Series: UMA 6-4, NU 5-3, UMA 4-1 (NU 0-1-0 at home)
• Northeastern: 2.89 gpg (#5 HEA), 2.19 gapg (#2 HEA), 15.4% pp (#7 HEA), 85.2% pk (#3 HEA)
• Massachusetts: 2.85 gpg (#7 HEA), 2.78 gapg (#5 HEA), 17.6% pp (#5 HEA), 83.9% pk (#6 HEA)
• NU Sophomore Wayne MacLeod and Senior Ryan Ginand pace the Huskies offense and Junior Brad Thiessen played every minute in goal, recording a 2.09 GAA and 18-6-3 record.
• UMA Sophomore James Marcou is the offensive force.  Paul Dainton and backup Dan Meyers are both respectable, but not outstanding goalies.
• Outlook: UMass has been up and down all season and a seventh place finish is probably a disappointment from preseason expectations.  Brad Thiessen is the key for Northeastern, similar to John Muse for BC last year, having played every minute.  BC rode Muse to a national title, so it can be done.  The Huskies need to avoid the penalty box.  Look for Northeastern in three.

#6 Boston College Eagles at #3 New Hampshire Wildcats

• Season Series: BC 8-6, UNH 3-2, UNH 4-2 (UNH 1-0-0 at home)
• New Hampshire: 2.96 gpg (#4 HEA), 2.89 gapg (#7 HEA), 11.9% pp (#9 HEA), 84.1% pk (#5 HEA)
• Boston College: 3.00 gpg (#3 HEA), 2.85 gapg (#6 HEA), 18.2% pp (#3 HEA), 85.1% pk (#4 HEA)
• UNH Sophomore uber-prospect James van Riemsdyk leads the UNH scoring attack.  Junior goalie Brian Foster recorded a 2.45 GAA and 15-6-3 record.
• BC Senior Brock Bradford was the top scorer among what is otherwise a balanced offense.  Sophomore goaltender was the only goalie to play for the Eagles for the second consecutive season, though he has dropped off from last year, going 11-11-5 with a 2.72 GAA.
• Outlook: Though the stats seem to indicate the teams are pretty even, UNH had an awful start, but has played better and better as the season has worn on, while BC has seemed to show signs of wearing down.  The loss of Nathan Gerbe has affected BC’s offense greatly and John Muse seems to have hit the sophomore wall.  UNH wins this series, but BC steals a game.

#5 Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks at #4 Vermont Catamounts

• Season Series: UVM 3-1, 3-3, UML 1-0 (UVM 0-1-1 at home)
• Vermont: 2.89 gpg (#5 HEA), 2.56 gapg (#4 HEA), 17.7% pp (#4 HEA), 78.6% pk (#9 HEA)
• Massachusetts-Lowell: 3.11 gpg (#2 HEA), 2.44 gapg (#3 HEA), 19.7% pp (#2 HEA), 89.1% pk (#1 HEA)
• UVM Junior Viktor Stölberg is their leading goal scorer and points leader.  Freshman Rob Madore registered a very good 2.32 GAA and 11-6-3 record.
• UML’s offense is led by two defenders, Sophomore Maury Edwards and Junior Jeremy Dehner.  Juniors Nevin Hamilton and Carter Hutton share the net.  Each has a very good GAA (2.18, 2.25), but surprisingly poor records to show for it (8-6-1, 6-4-1).
• Outlook: Vermont looks to build on last season’s loss to BC in the final, but the River Hawks’ offense should carry them past the Catamounts.  Their penalty kill should be key to stifling Vermont’s power play opportunities.  The River Hawk goalies push them over the top; UMass-Lowell in three low scoring games.

Tags: Boston College, Boston University, Maine, Merrimack College, Northeastern University, Providence College, UMass, UMass-Lowell, University of New Hampshire, Vermont