NCAA MANCHESTER REGIONAL CENTRAL

#5 Boston University (27-10-0, 18-6-0 Hockey East) vs. #9/11 Western Michigan (23-14-1, 15-8-1 NCHC)
Date & Time: Thursday, March 23 - 2 p.m.
Venue: SNHU Arena - Manchester, N.H.
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierHockey

The fifth-ranked Boston University men's ice hockey team will begin its quest for a sixth national title on Thursday when the second-seeded Terriers face third-seeded and No. 9/11 Western Michigan on Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Friday's contest will be televised live on ESPN2 and will also be streamed on ESPN+, with an audio-only broadcast located here. The game will also be streamed in Canada on TSN+.

TOURNAMENT TIDBITS

• The Terriers enter Thursday's game with an all-time record of 43-38-0 (.531) in 38 NCAA tournament appearances. The 43 wins represent the fifth-highest total in tournament history.
• The only programs with more victories are Minnesota (58), Michigan (55), North Dakota (53) and Boston College (49).
• BU last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and it has reached the regional final in three of its past five appearances.
• BU is a perfect 4-0 in its previous two regional appearances in Manchester, advancing to the 2009 and 2015 Frozen Fours.

• BU won its 10th Hockey East Tournament title in thrilling fashion, with Hobey Baker top-10 finalist Lane Hutson's second goal of the night lifting BU to a 3-2 overtime win over Merrimack on Saturday at TD Garden.
• The Terriers own the nation's longest active win streak at seven games after that win.
• BU completed its seventh Hockey East "double" by claiming both the regular-season and tournament titles this season,
• Five of those previous six teams to achieve the league "double" went on to the national title game that year.
• Hutson, the league's Rookie of the Year, was named Tournament MVP for his heroics.
• BU kept the overtime winners in the family last weekend, as Lane's brother Quinn scored his sixth game-winning goal of the season in last Friday's 2-1 overtime victory over Providence in the Hockey East semifinals.
• Either Quinn or Lane have scored or assisted on six of the Terriers' seven game-winning goals during the Terriers' win streak.
• Ten Terriers have recorded at least 20 points this season, which is tied for the most among the 16 tournament teams.
• BU's freshman class has combined for 158 points this season, which is second only to Michigan (220) among NCAA Tournament teams, though Michigan boasts the most freshmen of any tournament squad.
• Counting only freshmen who have notched at least one point, Michigan averages 22 points per freshman while BU averages 31.6 points per freshman.
• Junior goaltender Drew Commesso made the Hockey East All-Tournament Team thanks to 60 saves last weekend, including 37 stops in the 2-1 OT win over Providence.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Terriers and the Broncos have met just three times, with BU winning all three.
• These two schools last met on Dec. 30, 1994, when the Terriers posted a 5-2 win in the opening round of the Mariucci Classic.
• Head coach Jay Pandolfo was a junior on that squad, which went on to win BU's fourth national title.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS

• Western Michigan finished second in the NCHC standings and was swept by seventh-seeded Colorado College in the league quarterfinals.
• The Broncos earned at least one win against all of their conference mates this season except for Denver and their top non-conference wins were against Michigan Tech, Northeastern and Notre Dame.
• Western Michigan is making its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and second consecutive as the Broncos defeated Northeastern in the opening round last year before falling to Minnesota in the regional final.
• The Broncos boast the nation's fifth-best offense, averaging 3.87 goals per game.
• Freshman Ryan McAllister leads the squad in both points (48) and assists (35) while junior Jason Polin has 46 points, including an nation-best 29 goals and is a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist.
• Polin was named the NCHC Player of the Year and Forward of the Year while second-year head coach Pat Ferschweiler received NCHC Coach of the Year honors.
• Sophomore Max Sasson has added 42 points (15g, 27a) as eight Broncos have 22 or more points this season.
• Junior goaltender Cameron Rowe started in all but two games this season and sports a .907 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average.

• If BU wins, the Terriers will play the winner of Thursday's second regional semifinal between top-seeded Denver and fourth-seeded Cornell on Saturday at 4 p.m.