The Hockey East Championships, a highlight of New England college hockey, continued at TD Garden on March 20–21. Friday’s semifinals featured Merrimack College vs. Massachusetts at 4 p.m. and Connecticut vs. Boston College at 7 p.m. The winners advance to Saturday’s championship, which carries an automatic NCAA tournament berth.
The semifinal opened with a cautious first period, as both sides traded chances but remained scoreless. Merrimack outshot UMass 7–4, with a few scrums late injecting energy into an otherwise tight frame.
Merrimack maintained offensive pressure through the second despite the continued stalemate. The Warriors again led in shots, 15–14, as both teams struggled to connect cleanly on passes.
The breakthrough came three minutes into the third when #28 O’Connell scored, assisted by #16 Deneault. #21 Cranston added insurance at 18:21. Goaltender Max Lundgren stopped 24 shots to earn the shutout, anchoring a Merrimack defense that controlled pace and special teams throughout the period. With the 2–0 win, Merrimack became the first team to punch its ticket to Saturday’s championship.
Like the earlier matchup, the UConn–BC semifinal opened with a scoreless first period. The Eagles carried a slight edge in pace and outshot the Huskies 10–6, while UConn led in penalty minutes. Discipline and finish remained key themes heading to the second.
The Huskies tied it in the third at 12:28 when #26 Murtagh buried a feed from #71 Whitcomb and #6 Nyberg. Less than two minutes later, BC responded with #36 Conmy converting a setup from #4 Stiga and #5 Fortescue. Regulation ended 3–3, with UConn holding a 31–23 edge in shots.
Overtime lasted just 78 seconds. #10 Fraser capitalized early, assisted by #23 Heaslip and #17 Percival, sending UConn to the championship. The Huskies’ resilience and consistent attack proved decisive down the stretch.
Merrimack and UConn will meet Saturday at 7 p.m. for the Hockey East title at TD Garden.
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