No. 2 Terriers Edged in Overtime by No. 3 Denver at Frozen Four, 2-1

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The No. 2 Boston University men's ice hockey team had its season come to an end in the national semifinals as No. 3 Denver posted a 2-1 overtime victory at the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday evening at Xcel Energy Center.
 
Denver's Tristan Broz scored from the top of the right circle at 11:09 of overtime to end the contest.
 
BU's power play never took the ice in the 79:09 of play but the Terriers' penalty kill was a perfect 4-for-4 in the game.
 
Senior Luke Tuch opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal 7:45 in on the first power play of the contest. The Terriers had chances to double their lead but the Pioneers got an equalizer with 4:39 left in the second.
 
BU netminder Mathieu Caron came up with two heartstopping saves, one in the closing seconds of the middle period and another right after a DU power play ended midway through the third.
 
The Terriers nearly took a late lead in regulation when a shot by freshman Jack Harvey clanged off the right post but the game went to overtime.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Terriers nearly scored in the opening minute of play as freshman Macklin Celebrini was alone in the slot off a give-and-go with classmate Shane Lachance but his attempt was stopped by Denver goaltender Matt Davis. BU found itself on the penalty kill just under six minutes into the game but turned it into an early lead with a shorthanded goal by Tuch. Tuch took advantage of a Denver miscue at the right point off a BU clearing attempt and took the puck up the left side before cutting in and beating Davis shortside at the 7:45 mark. BU had a 10-3 shot advantage in the opening frame and threatened to add to its lead before settling for a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. The entire second period was played 5-on-5 and the Pioneers took advantage of a BU turnover behind its own net to even the score. Miko Matikka collected the puck behind the goal and found Tristan Lemyre, who crashed the net at the left crease and knocked it in to make it 1-1 with 4:39 left in the second. The first of Caron's remarkable stops came in the final minute of the second as he lunged to his right before finding a way to glove Aidan Thompson's wide-open bid on the other side of the crease. The third period was evenly played at 5-on-5 but the Pioneers were given three more chances on the power play in the stanza, forcing BU's penalty to come up big time and time again. Right as a power play expired, Caron made another highlight-reel stop when he denied Jack Caruso at the foot of the slot with a diving save midway through the third. BU was able to put nine shots on goal in the 11-plus minutes of overtime, with their best chances coming during a 2:00 stretch of 4-on-4 play, but the Pioneers scored on their sixth shot of the extra session. Broz received a pass at the top of the Denver zone and skated through the neutral zone before approaching the right circle and burying a shot between Caron's pads for the winner.

GAME NOTES

Sophomore Devin Kaplan assisted on Tuch's goal. BU held a 34-29 shot advantage as Caron stopped 27 Denver shots and the Pioneers got a 33-save performance from Davis. Each team blocked 17 shots with BU senior Cade Webber and Denver's Zeev Bulum leading the way with four each. Webber finished the year with an NCAA single-season record 133 blocked shots. The Terriers made their 24th appearance in the national semifinals.