It seemed almost automatic that red-hot Massachusetts would secure a single point to clinch at least a share of the Hockey East title against Boston College on Friday.
But the Eagles had a different game plan.
Despite falling behind in the first period on a Garrett Wait goal, Boston College answered twice on the power play and then survived a potential buzzer beater from the visiting Minutemen to earn a 2-1 victory.
Trevor Kuntar’s tally with the man advantage late in the second drew the game even at 1. Then a late UMass penalty in the second carried over to the third where Jack McBain scored his 17th of the season just 28 seconds into the frame.
Sticks came back from Beijing and can't stop scoring đ pic.twitter.com/Dh9K3fAers
— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) March 5, 2022
UMass buzzed late and actually appeared to tie the game on Reed Lebster’s shot but the puck entered the cage fractions of a second after the final horn.
An overtime or shootout loss would’ve been enough to secure a minimum of a share of the Hockey East title for UMass. But the regulation loss now means that UMass, Northeastern (a 6-1 winner over Merrimack) and UMass Lowell (a 6-3 winner over New Hampshire) could all grab at least a piece of the Hockey East title on Saturday.
No. 4 North Dakota 5, No. 20 Omaha 4 (OT)
Tyler Klevin’s goal in overtime gave North Dakota a 5-4 victory over Omaha and give the Fighting Hawks at least a share of the NCHC title.
It is the fifth time in nine years that North Dakota can claim at least a share of the Penrose Trophy.
The Fighting Hawks never trailed, jumping to a 3-1 lead on goals by Jake Schmaltz, Cooper Moore and Griffin Ness. But Omaha climbed back and with less than a minute remaining tied the game on an extra attacker goal by Taylor Ward.
Big Ten Tournament
Wisconsin 3, No. 7 Notre Dame 1
in possibly the night’s biggest upset, Wisconsin jumped to an early lead on No. 7 Notre Dame and never trailed, upsetting the Fighting Irish, 3-1, to open their best-of-three quarterfinal series.
Brock Caufield scored early, and after Grahan Slaggert answered at 13:52 of the second to tie the game, it took just 38 seconds for the Badgers to reclaim the lead on Dominic Mersch’s fifth goal of the season.
Zach Urdalh dashed hopes of a comeback with his fourth goal of the year in the third.
đ˝ď¸: Urdahl does it all!
đ: Stange pic.twitter.com/QuZ5XNE2Sd
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) March 5, 2022
Jared Moe was spectacular in net stopping 49 of the 50 shots he faced.
Other B1G scores:
No. 5 Michigan 4, Michigan State 1
No. 12 Ohio State 4, Penn State 3
ECAC Tournament
Dartmouth 3, Rensselaer 2
Jeff Losurdo’s goal at 16:55 of the second period broke a 2-2 tie as 12th-seeded Dartmouth earned a road upset of fifth-seed Rensselaer, 3-2, in the opening game of the ECAC best-of-three first-round series.
Losurdo's sixth of the season has us up 3-2! pic.twitter.com/kIOFnuNtsO
— Dartmouth Men's Hockey (@Dartmouth_MIH) March 5, 2022
Sean Chisholm staked the Big Green a lead just 53 second into the game only to have the host Engineers answer 15 seconds later.
After Matt Gallant regained the lead for Dartmouth at 16:01 of the first, it took just 28 seconds for Justin Addamo to draw the game back at two.
Losurdo’s goal, though, never had an answer as Dartmouth goaltender Clay Stevenson made 36 saves in the game including 27 over the final two periods.
Other ECAC scores:
Union 3, Princeton 2
St. Lawrence 4, Brown 1
Colgate 3, Yale 2
CCHA Tournament
No. 1 Minnesota State 3, St. Thomas 2
Despite plastering 42 shots on goal, Minnesota State relied upon third-period goals by Sam Morton at 49 seconds and Lucas Sowder at 14:27 to sneak past St. Thomas, 3-2, in the opening game of the best-of-three CCHA quarterfinal.
The nation’s top team fell behind early when Ethan Gauer gave the Tommies a 1-0 lead at 3:49 of the first. Morton scored his first of two goals at 3:12 of the second, but St. Thomas regained the lead on Luke Manning’s eighth goal of the year.
The tension bled into the third where Morton struck on the power play and Sowder earned his opportunity to play hero.
Other CCHA scores:
No. 15 Michigan Tech 3, Ferris State 2
Northern Michigan 5, Lake Superior 1
Bowling Green 2, Bemidji State 1
AHA Tournament
Collin Rutherford scored his second goal of the game at 9:47 of overtime as Bentley knocked off host Niagara in the first round of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs.
The Falcons never trailed as Lucas Vanroboys and Rutherford staked the team to leads of 1-0 and 2-1. But a goal from Niagara’s Carter Randklev with 7:34 left in regulation forced the overtime period.
Other AHA Scores:
Mercyhurst 2, Holy Cross 1 (OT)
