MANCHESTER, N.H. — A three-goal flurry in the second period powered Boston University (Hockey East) to a 5-1 win over Western Michigan (NCHC) on Thursday afternoon at Manchester’s downtown civic arena.
The Terriers (28-10-0) are now 5-0 all time in tournament games in Manchester, and are now one win away from reaching the Frozen Four for the 23rd time in program history and first since 2015. Boston University will play either defending NCAA champion Denver (NCHC) or Cornell (ECAC Hockey) in Saturday’s regional final (4 p.m. EDT).
Both Hobey Baker Award finalists playing Thursday scored the first goal for their respective teams. After dumping the puck deep into the Broncos’ defensive zone from the red line, BU’s Lane Hutson took a backhand pass from Jay O’Brien at the left face-off circle to high in the slot, where Hutson whipped it past Western Michigan goalie Cameron Rowe for a 1-0 lead. That’s where it stood after the first period, much to the dismay of the Broncos, who had an apparent one-goal lead wiped away earlier in the frame after video review.
Western Michigan’s Jason Polin, also a Hobey finalist, scored his NCAA-leading 30th goal of the year at 12:27 of the middle frame. Polin crashed the net on a 2-1 and tipped a centering pass from left wing Ryan McAllister right through the legs of BU goalie Drew Commesso, temporarily cutting the Terriers’ lead to 3-1.
(This story will be updated after postgame news conferences.)