Coming off a dominant 5\u20130 performance against Maine last week, Boston College men\u2019s hockey will look to carry that momentum as they travel to TD Garden for the Hockey East semifinal\u2014a game that will determine not only whether the Eagles\u2019 conference championship dreams stay alive, but also could make or break their chances of getting an NCAA Tournament bid.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
No. 4-seeded BC (20\u201314\u20131, 13\u201311\u20130 Hockey East) will face No. 3-seeded UConn (19\u201311\u20135, 12\u20139\u20133) at 7 p.m. on Friday night in a matchup that is sure to be a tall task for either team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In head-to-head matchups this season, the Eagles swept UConn with scores of 5\u20132 at Conte Forum<\/a> and 2\u20131 (OT) in Hartford, Conn<\/a>. The Huskies have found just as much success in the Tournament as BC so far, though, taking down a formidable Boston University team with a 5\u20133 win<\/a> last Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n UConn has also earned its highest position in program history by capturing the No. 3 seed.<\/p>\n The Huskies\u00a0<\/p>\n Senior forward Ryan Tattle, who leads the Huskies in both total points and assists with 31 and 18, respectively, will be crucial in helping UConn secure its first win over BC this season. He was recently named to the All-Hockey East Second Team<\/a> and notched an assist in UConn\u2019s quarterfinal win over BU.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tattle scored one goal in UConn\u2019s 5\u20132 loss to BC<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tattle\u2019s All-Hockey East Second Team<\/a> partner-in-crime and linemate\u2014junior forward Joey Muldowney\u2014is UConn\u2019s leading goalscorer. He has 17 goals on the year and will present another real challenge for BC\u2019s defense, though he did not score or register an assist in either of the teams\u2019 previous two meetings.\u00a0<\/p>\n UConn\u2019s defense is not to be taken lightly, either. Goalie Tyler Muszelik owns a .928 percent save percentage this year, the fifth-best in all of NCAA Division I hockey<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite Muszelik\u2019s dominance between the posts, UConn struggles in other key areas that the Eagles will look to exploit. The Huskies\u2019 penalty-kill percentage is just 75.3 percent, the second-worst in Hockey East<\/a>. That comes as welcome news for BC, which boasts the second-best power-play percentage in the conference.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Eagles<\/p>\n BC will look to exploit any slight defensive weakness from UConn with its dynamic offense, led by sophomore phenom James Hagens, who recently received the Hockey East Three Stars Award. He was also recently named a Top-10 Finalist for the Hobey Baker<\/a>, the most prestigious award in college hockey.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hagens and fellow sophomore and fan favorite Dean Letourneau have combined for 82 total points. They played on the same line for the first time all season in BC\u2019s quarterfinal win over Maine.\u00a0<\/p>\n BC goalkeeper Louka Cloutier, a freshman who has stepped up and become a consistent starter for the Eagles, holds a .911 save percentage and has recorded three shutouts in Hockey East play. Whether he can stay steady under the lights of TD Garden\u2014and the conference tournament that will determine his team\u2019s postseason fate\u2014will be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of this game.\u00a0<\/p>\n https:\/\/x.com\/sebbyfitzgerald\/status\/2032644796313989233<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n He did not struggle to rise to the occasion the last time BC played in TD Garden, as he posted a .950 save percentage in the Beanpot and rode a 27-save performance into BC\u2019s first title in a decade<\/a>.<\/p>\n