Huskies Open Hockey East Slate Against Boston University

Friday, October 8

Hartford, Conn.

7:05 PM

University of Connecticut

Boston University

Buy Tickets

Photo by: Ainsley Keir

10/7/2021 3:58:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Game Notes vs. BU

Media Coverage

Video Stream: CollegeSportsLive.com/Hockey East (Fri.) / Randy Brochu (pxp) - Friday | Saturday

Radio: (Fri.) UConn Sports Network from Learfield - ESPN 97.9 / The Varsity Network App / Bob Joyce (pxp), Adam Giardino (color)

Live Stats: UConnHuskies.com (Fri.) GoTerriers.com (Sat.)

Game Notes: UConn BU

Ice Chips

UConn kicks-off the Hockey East slate this weekend with a home-and-home series against No. 10 nationally ranked Boston University. The Huskies host the Terriers on Friday night at XL Center and travel to Agganis Arena in Boston on Saturday night.
This will be the 19th and 20th meetings between UConn and BU with another match-up slated for down the road in January. BU holds a 10-6-2 edge in the all-time series. The Huskies and Terriers met just once last season during the pandemic shortened season, a 3-2 BU win in overtime at the Freitas Ice Forum.
In their last two visits to the XL Center, Boston University left with an overtime loss, both game-winners coming off the stick of former Husky Alexander Payusov.
Saturday's trip up to Boston starts a string of seven-straight on the road for the Huskies, who won't return back home to the XL Center until November 12th against Boston College. This will be UConn's longest road swing on the season.
The Huskies were picked to finish sixth in this year's Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll, their highest ever spot in the preseason ranking. UConn also received votes in the season opening USCHO Top-20 poll released earlier this week. In six of their seven seasons in Hockey East, the Huskies have outplayed their preseason prediction. Last season, UConn was tabbed seventh in the preseason poll and finished fourth in the final standings, their best-ever conference finish.
UConn is coming off a season opening 6-3 win at home last Saturday against state rival Sacred Heart. The Huskies ended a seven-game winless streak against SHU and got their first win over the Pioneers since the 2013-14 season. This will be the season opener for BU who got a 6-1 win over Holy Cross in an exhibition last weekend.
Junior Vladislav Firstov scored a pair of goals while sophomore Ryan Tverberg scored on the power play and added a pair of assists in the win over Sacred Heart. Senior Marc Gatcomb and grad student Kevin O'Neil each had empty netters for the Huskies.
Senior Jachym Kondelik scored what would be the game-winner in the third period to break a 3-3 tie and help send the Huskies home with a season opening win. Kondelik didn't score his first goal last season until game 22, the regular season finale when he buried three against Providence. Kondelik is coming off his third-straight season of 20-plus points, finishing with four goals and a team-best 18 assists last year. He is the Huskies leading active career point leader at 72 points (17g/55a).
Grad student Darion Hanson made his UConn debut in goal and made 31 saves to earn the win. He also picked-up his first career assist, getting the second helper on Firstov's second goal of the night. Hanson comes to UConn after three years at Union. He started 78 games with a 2.55 goals against average, a .913 save percentage while winning 30 games with seven shutouts. He did not compete last season due to Union opting out due to the pandemic.
The leadership for this year's Huskies will be made up by a foursome of upperclassman. Seniors Carter Turnbull, an assistant captain last season, and Jachym Kondelik will wear the "C" on their jerseys this year while fellow senior Marc Gatcomb and junior Roman Kinal will serve as assistant captains.
Coming off a campaign were the Huskies averaged 3.0 goals per game and generated 35.6 shots per outing, UConn brings back plenty of offensive fire power in 2021-22, including their top-seven scorers who all posted double digit points.
UConn is led by the program's first-ever Division I All-American in senior Jonny Evans. The senior forward was a CCM/AHCA second team All-American, UConn's first since 1998, after winning the Hockey East scoring title with 29 points on 14 goals and 15 assists. Evans also became the first UConn player to be named a Hockey East First All-Star. Evans was also a finalist for the Hockey East Player of the Year award as well as being a Hobey Baker candidate.

Last Meeting vs. BU

February 20, 2021 @ UConn - L, 3-2 (ot)

Boston University freshman Luke Tuch scored the game-winning goal 44 seconds into overtime to lift the No. 11 Terriers over UConn, 3-2, at the Freitas Ice Forum in the only meeting between the two schools last season.
UConn took a 2-1 lead into the third period but BU senior Max Kaufman tied the game up at 13:59 and then Tuch won in in the overtime, dealing the Huskies their fourth overtime loss this season. Both teams went scoreless on the power play with BU's overtime winner coming just as a UConn penalty expired.
The Huskies went up 2-0 in the first period behind goals from Carter Turnbull and senior Brian Rigali. BU cut the lead in half late in the first as Jay O'Brien scored with under a minute to play. O'Brien and Kaufman both finished with a goal and an assist while senior Logan Cockerill had an assist on all three goals.
UConn goaltender Tomas Vomacka made 28 saves in taking the loss. BU freshman goaltender Vinny Duplessis stopped 27 for the win.