University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Boston University
Huskies Ready for Hockey East Playoffs on Saturday
3/11/2022 12:29:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Media Coverage
Video: CollegeSportsLive.com | Randy Brochu (pxp), Joe D'Ambrosio (color)
Radio: UConn Sports Network from Learfield  /  The Varsity Network App | Bob Joyce (pxp), Adam Giardino (color)
Live Stats: UConnHuskies.com
Twitter: @UConnMHOC
Game Notes: UConn Boston UniversityÂ
Ice Chips
- The UConn Huskies are the No. 4 seed in the Hockey East postseason for the second-straight season and will play host to the No. 5 seeded Boston University Terriers in the quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at the XL Center in Hartford. The quarterfinals are a one-game playoff with the winner advancing to the Hockey East Championship weekend at TD Garden in Boston on March 18 and 19.
- UConn and BU have met three times this season with the Terriers taking the season series 2-1 with both wins coming in Hartford. The two teams split an early season Hockey East series with the Terriers winning at XL Center, 2-1, and the Huskies answering at Agganis Arena, 5-1. BU took the season series with a 2-1 overtime win in Hartford back on January 14.
- The Terriers lead the all-time series, 12-7-2. This will be the second postseason meeting between the two schools. BU hosted the Huskies in a No.4-5 quarterfinal match-up in the 2018 playoffs. The Terriers swept the series on their home-ice, winning 5-4 in overtime and 2-1.
- The Huskies are in search of their first Hockey East playoff win, having gone 0-11 since joining the conference in 2014-15. This will be UConn's fourth-straight quarterfinal appearance (the 2020 postseason was cancelled due to the pandemic). UConn has been the No. 4 or 5 seed in four of the last five seasons.
- The Huskies closed out the regular season with a 14-10-0 Hockey East record, their best league mark since joining the conference. The Huskies finished tied for fourth with BU and Merrimack. The Huskies had been tabbed sixth in the Hockey East preseason poll, making it seven out of eight seasons in the league they have outplayed their preseason prediction.Â
- The Huskies 18 wins are their highest win total since Mike Cavanaugh's first season on the bench in 2013-14 (18-14-4), the program's last season in Atlantic Hockey. They have also secured their first-winning season since Coach Cavanaugh's inaugural campaign.  A 19th win would be the most since the 2012-13 season and match the second highest win total of the Division I era. UConn won 19 games in 2012-13 and 1999-00 and won 20 games in their first Division I season in 1998-99.
- Hockey East begin announcing their post season awards this week with a trio of Huskies seeing their names called. Sophomore Ryan Tverberg was named to the Hockey East All-Star first team and senior Jachym Kondelik was named to the second team. Grad student Darion Hanson was an all-star honorable mention selection in goal. Kondelik was also the recipient of the Hockey East Gladiator Custom Mouthguards Best Defensive Forward award.
- Kondelik has 32 points this season, a career-high mark, and his 12 goals marks the first time hitting the double digit goal mark in his career. He ranks sixth in Hockey East in scoring and his 20 assists is ranked eighth.Â
- Tverberg is right on his heels with 31 points (13g/18a), eighth in the league in scoring. His 13 goals are tied for 10th. Last weekend, Tverberg collected three assists in the two-game series with Vermont.
- Hanson owns a 2.33 goals against average and a .919 save percentage this season, starting 32 of the 33 games. He has played the second most minutes by a goaltender in the league this year and his 839 saves are second most as well. He is coming off his first shutout this season, a 12-save, 4-0 win over UVM, the eighth shutout of his career. Hanson has 18 wins this year, tying the school Division I record for wins in a season, set by Marc Senerchia (1999-00). The overall school mark is 19, held by Damen Dawson (1991-92) and Doug Michals (1992-93).Â
- Senior Carter Turnbull enters the post season with 11 goals on the year, two coming last weekend against Vermont. Turnbull has come on down the stretch of the season, scoring six of his 11 goals in the last nine games.
This Season vs. BU
October 8, 2021 @ XL Center - L, 2-1
- Boston University scored twice late in the third period to come away with a 2-1 win over the Huskies at the XL Center in the Hockey East opener for both clubs.
- UConn carried a 1-0 lead into the final period but failed to capitalize on a pair of power play chances, including a 5-on-3, to extend their lead as the Terriers would come up with a rally late.Â
- UConn grad student Darion Hanson stopped 43 shots in goal for the Huskies. Junior Vladislav Firstov gave UConn a 1-0 lead just 5:04 into the first period.
- The Terriers found the equalizer at 14:20 as Sam Stevens was sitting right on the left post to poke one home. BU capitalized on a power play chance with just over five minutes to go as Robert Mastrosimone buried the game winner in the slot area off a rebound and through traffic. BU netminder Drew Commesso made 33 saves to earn the win.
October 9, 2021 @ Agganis Arena - W, 5-1
- The Huskies picked-up their first Hockey East points on the season thanks to a 6-1 win on the road to split the weekend series.
- UConn sophomore Ryan Tverberg scored a career-high two goals to pace the Huskies on offense. Seniors Jonny Evans and Marc Gatcomb each scored and added an assist.
- Grad student Darion Hanson made 29 stops and kept the Terriers off the board in the second and third to preserve the win.
- BU got their lone goal from Matt Brown and goaltender Drew Commesso made 25 saves in taking the loss.
January 14, 2022 @ XL Center - L, 2-1 ot
- Boston University's Jay O'Brien scored eight seconds into the overtime to give the visiting Terriers a 2-1 win at the XL Center and the season series with the Huskies..
- BU's Matt Brown gave his team a 1-0 lead at 17:10 in the first period and the Terriers carried that into the third. UConn found the tying goal at the 13:00 minute mark as freshman Chase Bradley scored his second of the season.
- Right off the face-off in overtime, BU got a 2-on-1 chance and O'Brien kept it and buried his shot for the game-winner just eight seconds in.
- UConn goaltender Darion Hanson made 26 saves and the Huskies killed off all four BU power plays in the loss. BU netminder Drew Commesso made 25 saves to earn the win.
