BOSTON – The No. 8/7 Boston University men's ice hockey team fell to No. 7/8 Connecticut, 5-2, in the Hockey East semifinal round on Thursday evening at TD Garden.
 
After BU scored the lone goal of the opening period, the Huskies responded with a three-goal second to take a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Junior Quinn Hutson tallied his 21st goal of the season midway through the first on a power play with an assist from his brother, freshman Cole Hutson. UConn scored the next five goals before freshman Kamil Bednarik notched a goal in the game's final moments to create the 5-2 final.
 
BU moves to 21-13-2 on the season. The Huskies, who got a hat trick from Joey Muldowney, improve to 22-10-4 and will play for a Hockey East title on Friday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• BU earned the first power play of the game and took full advantage of it to open the scoring.
• Cole Hutson stopped a UConn clearing attempt at the blue line and passed off to his brother, who maneuvered through the top of the zone before snapping a low shot off the skate of UConn goaltender Callam Tung and in at 9:32 of the first.
• The Huskies got their first power-play chance minutes later and had another with 1:32 left in the first but the Terriers' penalty kill was up to the task each time to keep the 1-0 lead.
• However, UConn turned the tables with goals less than two minutes apart.
• Tristan Fraser provided a UConn equalizer when he scored off his own rebound in the right slot just moments after his team's second power play expired.
• Soon after, Jake Richard sprung Ryan Tattle for a breakaway that the junior converted at 2:56 of the second to give the Huskies the lead.
• UConn turned it into a three-goal period when Muldowney scored his first of the day at 8:42 as his backhand off a second attempt got past Yegorov to up his team's lead to 3-1.
• BU had a chance to get back into it with a power-play opportunity that crossed over into third but the Huskies were able to kill it off.
• UConn made it 4-1 in the third when Muldowney was all alone at the right crease at 14:56.
• Muldowney completed the hat trick on an empty-netter with 3:48 remaining in regulation.
• Bednarik tipped in an offering from sophomore Aiden Celebrini with 10 seconds to play as freshman Cole Eiserman also picked up an assist on the play.

 
GAME NOTES

• Cole Hutson's assist was his 40th point of the season.
• Cole, Quinn and current Calder Trophy contender Lane Hutson are the seventh different trio of brothers to each have a 40-point season at the same school.
• BU held a 27-24 advantage in shots.
• Freshman Mikhail Yegorov made 19 saves in goal for the Terriers while Tung turned aside 25 BU shots for the Huskies.
• The Terriers were 1-of-2 on the power play and successfully killed off both of UConn's chances with the man advantage.
• UConn blocked 17 shots while the Terriers blocked 12.
• The Huskies held a 34-25 advantage at the faceoff dot.
• This was the Terriers' first tournament loss of the season after winning Friendship Four and Beanpot titles and adding a Hockey East quarterfinal win on Saturday.

UP NEXT

• The Terriers will await the announcement of the NCAA Tournament bracket, which will take place on Sunday (March 22) at 3 p.m. on ESPNU.