Pandolfo Selected as Spencer Penrose Finalist
March 29, 2023 | Men's Ice Hockey
The nominees represent any coach who won or shared Coach of the Year honors in his conference this past season, as well as coaches whose teams have advanced to the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four; Pandolfo is one of three coaches this year who have done both.
The first-year bench boss is just the fifth person in the last 30 years to take his team to the Division I Men's Frozen Four in his first year as a head coach. He also joins legendary Terrier coach Jack Parker as a first-year head coach to guide his squad to the Frozen Four; Parker did it in the 1973-74 season, his first of five straight trips to the NCAA semifinals.
Pandolfo was just the third first-year head coach to be chosen as Hockey East Coach of the Year. He guided the Terriers to the program's 11th Hockey East regular-season title and their first since 2016-17, with BU posting an 18-6-0 league record. Pandolfo then followed that with the program's 10th Hockey East Tournament crown. The Terriers enter the Frozen Four at 29-10-0 under Pandolfo's guidance, including a 13-6-0 against ranked teams and a 6-1-0 mark against top-10 foes. He became the first head coach in program history to win 20 games in his first season in charge of the Terriers and matched Jack Parker's 19-6-0 record in 1973-74 as the best start by a BU head coach in program history.
BU, which is on a nation-best nine-game win streak, boasts the third-best offense in the nation, averaging 3.9 goals per game, almost a full goal per game higher than last season. Five freshmen have all recorded at least 20 points, including two 30-point producers, while 11 returners have improved upon their point total from last year. Pandolfo coached four Hockey East All-Stars, including three first-team selections, as well as two All-Rookie Team honorees.
