BU, Western Michigan Punch Tickets to Frozen Four (#550)

RPI is reportedly down to three finalists

Toledo: Boston University 3, Cornell 2 (OT)

Quinn Hutson’s shot from the point found its way through traffic and past Cornell goalie Ian Shane to send BU back to the Frozen Four with a 3-2 overtime win over the Big Red on Saturday night in the Toledo Regional.

“That was a heck of a hockey game,” said BU coach Jay Pandolfo. “Both teams competed really hard. That game, maybe it deserved overtime, just the way it was going – back and forth. Guys were competing until the end.

“Our guys came ready to play tonight. Last game, we didn't start the game on time. Tonight, we did, and we fought all the way through. At the end of the day, we found a way to win a hockey game and head back to the Frozen Four. Credit to our guys. They're a special group.”

Cornell took a 1-0 lead on Ryan Walsh’s goal in the first period but Matt Copponi tied the game with his second goal of the tournament just over a minute later.

Cole Hutson gave BU a 2-1 lead 34 seconds into the third period. Cornell’s Jack O’Leary tied the game with 5:30 to play.

Mikhail Yegorov made 37 saves for the Terriers, who reached their third straight Frozen Four. Shane made 40 stops for Cornell.

This was the final game in Mike Schafer’s coaching career. Casey Jones will take over the program next season after Schafer announced his retirement last June.

“I’m upset that we lost,” Schafer said. “I’m grateful for my career, I’m grateful for Cornell for providing me the job. I mean I’m not happy we lost, but I’m very proud of my players and how they represent Cornell. I mean are they not the truest student-athletes? They pay to go to school, they have tough curriculum and they grinded out exams from 6-7:30 last night. They’re the truest sense of a student-athlete in a world where it’s chaos. Like how can you not be proud of that as a coach, and that’s why I stayed atCornell.”

Fargo: Western Michigan 2, UMass 1

Special teams were the difference in Western Michgan’s 2-1 win over Massachusetts in the Fargo Regional final. The Broncos will head to St. Louis for their first Frozen Four in two weeks.

“I could not be more proud of this group,” said Western Michigan coach Pat Ferschweiler. “The way they care about each other, the way they came together, and the way they’ve succeeded all season.”

UMas led 1-0 after a first-period goal from Dans Locmelis. Momentum shifted at the 18:13 mark of the second period. The Minutemen had just killed a boarding minor assessed to Aydar Suniev. But on Suniev’s next shift, he was assessed a major for hitting from behind.

Then just 22 seconds into the power play, Liam Valente tied the game. Tim Washe scored early in the third period -- on the same major penalty -- which gave the Broncos a 2-1 lead.

“Seven minutes a row [on the PK], and their power play is really good,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “That was the whole game to me.”

UMass had its own five-minute power-play opportunity at the 3:26 mark of the third period when Iiro Hakkarainen was called for an elbowing major, but the Minutemen couldn’t find the equalizer.

“We get a five-minute, but we don’t really muster anything,” Carvel said. “That was the whole game. ... It was such a momentum changer.”

Ferschweiler also felt the momentum change.

“We started to win some puck battles, so the momentum was heading our way,” he said. “In fact, I think that helped lead to the major. On the major, any goal lifts your team. Then we really started to believe.”

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Report: RPI down to three finalists

According to Ken Schott of The Daily Gazette, Rensselaer is down to three finalists for its open head coach job. Eric Lang, Dan Jewell, and Joe Doyle will reportedly be brought to campus as early as this week.

Lang has been the head coach at AIC since 2016 and has led the Yellow Jackets to four AHA titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. Jewell has been at Merrimack since 2019 and was promoted to associate head coach two years ago. Jewell was previously at RPI as an assistant coach under Dave Smith. Doyle just completed his 20th season at Air Force as associate head coach.

Unlike when the school hired Smith, RPI is not using a search committee for this hire. Dr. Kristie Bowers is heading the search.

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