No. 2 BU, No. 17/18 RIT Set to Open NCAA Sioux Falls Regional Thursday on ESPNU

Thursday, March 28

Sioux Falls, SD

5 PM ET

Boston University

RIT

Men's ice hockey players celebrating a goal

No. 2 BU, No. 17/18 RIT Set to Open NCAA Sioux Falls Regional Thursday on ESPNU

March 27, 2024 | Men's Ice Hockey

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#2 Boston University (26-9-2, 18-4-2 HE) vs. #17/18 RIT (27-10-2, 18-7-1 HE)
Date & Time: Thursday, March 28 - 5 p.m. ET
Venue: Denny Sanford Premier Center - Sioux Falls, S.D.
X/Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierHockey

The No. 2 Boston University men's ice hockey team will begin its quest for a sixth national championship on Thursday when the top-seeded Terriers face fourth-seeded and No. 17/18 RIT in an NCAA regional semifinal. Puck drop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. local time. The game will be televised live on ESPNU and will also be streamed live on ESPN+, with an audio-only broadcast located here. Fans in Canada can watch every NCAA Tournament game on TSN+.

BU fans attending the game in Sioux Falls are invited to gather at Water's Edge Lounge (inside the Sheraton Sioux Falls hotel) prior to puck drop. For fans in Boston, BU Athletics will host a watch party at Game On! - please RSVP at this link.

TOURNAMENT TIDBITS

This is the Terriers' 39th NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Terriers enter Thursday's game with an all-time record of 45-39-0 (.536) in 38 NCAA tournament appearances. The 45 wins represent the fifth-highest total in tournament history.
The only programs with more victories are Minnesota (61), Michigan (57), North Dakota (53) and Boston College (49).
BU has reached the regional final in four of its past six appearances, including last year in Manchester en route to it 23rd Frozen Four berth.

TERRIER TIDBITS

BU had its seven-game win streak snapped by No. 1 Boston College in Saturday's Hockey East title game.
That was the Terriers' first regulation loss since Jan. 27.
17-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who notched one goal and three assists during Hockey East championship weekend, enters the NCAA Tournament having totaled 59 points on 31 goals and 28 assists)
Celebrini, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, ranks second in the nation in goals and total points.
Sophomore Lane Hutson, also a Hobey finalist, leads all NCAA defensemen in points per game (1.31), is second among that group in total points (46) and is tied for second among the nation's blue liners with 13 goals.
Sophomore Quinn Hutson enters Thursday having recorded a point in six of his last seven games, totaling seven goals and five assists for 12 points in that span.
Over his last 11 starts, junior goaltender Mathieu Caron has allowed two goals or fewer on nine occasions.
Sophomore Ryan Greene is on a four-game point streak (2g, 5a), having notched at least two points in three of his past four appearances.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the first-ever meeting between BU and RIT.
RIT will be the 29th different team the Terriers have faced in the NCAA Tournament.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

RIT, which has been nationally ranked for much of the season, claimed an automatic bid to this year's tournament after defeating AIC in the Atlantic Hockey title game on Saturday night.
This is the fourth time that the Tigers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament and first time since 2016.
RIT made a historic run to the 2010 Frozen Four in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, upsetting top-seeded Denver, 2-1, and defeating New Hampshire, 6-2, in Albany, before falling, 8-1, to Wisconsin in the national semifinals.
Junior Carter Wilkie leads RIT in points with 41 thanks to 16 goals and 25 assists.
Senior Cody Laskosky paces the Tigers with 27 assists and is second on the squad with 40 points.
Graduate student Elijah Gonsalves and freshman Matthew Wilde are tied for the team lead with 19 goals.
Fifth-year Gianfranco Cassaro, a transfer from UMass, leads all NCAA defensemen with 17 goals.
Junior Tommy Scarfone has started all 35 games in which he has appeared, going 25-8-2 with a .928 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average.
He has allowed two goals or fewer during the Tigers' current seven-game win streak.

UP NEXT

If BU wins, the Terriers will play the winner of Thursday's second regional semifinal between second-seeded Minnesota and third-seeded Omaha.
That game will take place on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET.