BU men’s hockey falls to Michigan State 4-3 in overtime

Eli Cloutier

October 18, 2025

After a ferocious third period comeback, the Boston University men’s hockey team fell to Michigan State 4-3 in overtime at Agganis Arena on Saturday night.

The first period Saturday looked much like Friday’s performance. The Terriers were beaten to pucks and seemingly lost every board battle.

In the offensive zone, the BU centers were unable to win a face-off, bailing out the Spartans without a fight. MSU broke out more effectively than the Terriers and outskated BU in transition, which led to the first Spartans goal.

Freshman forward Ryker Lee buried his first collegiate goal at 8:46 of the first period. As he surged into the offensive zone, Lee received a pass from fellow freshman forward Anthony Pomani. Lee made a nifty move around freshman defenseman Carter Amico and beat sophomore goaltender Mikahil Yegorov.

The second period was a step up from the first for the Terriers, as they outshot MSU 12-7. BU started getting pucks deep in its offensive zone and firing pucks on junior netminder Trey Augustine.

When put in favorable positions with clear shooting lanes, the Terriers were unable to corral the puck on several occasions, bailing out the Spartans. BU’s power play continued its struggles this weekend, going 0-4 on Saturday.

But with just 1:01 remaining in the second period, freshman forward Porter Martone joined in on the fun, scoring his first NCAA goal. He buried a loose puck past Yegorov.

The Terriers started the third period hot, finally taking the game to MSU.

Junior captain Gavin McCarthy got BU on the board at 2:14 of the final frame. From behind the goal line, freshman forward Ben Merrill fed a pass to McCarthy in the right circle, who did the rest.

Forty seconds later, when it seemed as though the Terriers had the momentum, the Spartans silenced the Agganis crowd, pushing their lead to 3-1.

A lazy breakout pass from freshman forward Jack Murtagh in BU’s defensive zone was intercepted by Martone, who set up junior forward Tommi Männistö to beat Yegorov.

On the penalty kill, sophomore forward Kamil Bednarik beat Augustine high blocker side to cut the MSU lead to 3-2 at 13:09.

With the Terrier faithful behind them, BU, energized and hungry, tied the game at 15:03. Freshman forward Conrad Fondrk tipped home a shot from sophomore blueliner Sascha Boumedienne for his first goal as a Terrier.

Senior defenseman Matt Basgall won the game for the Spartans in overtime at 3:50.

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About the Contributors

Eli Cloutier, Co-Director

In his second year with the Blog, Eli is a senior studying journalism in the College of Communication. A former co-op with the Boston Globe covering high school sports, he also has experience covering a wide variety of Terrier athletics. From emulating Alexander Ovechkin on the ice as a child, Eli’s passion for the game peaked during the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, but it has been revitalized ever since he stepped foot on campus.

Cristina Romano, Photographer

In her third year with the Blog, Cristina is a senior in the College of Communication studying journalism. She’s apparently had a camera in her hand ever since she could walk; she fell in love with photography when she taught herself how to shoot on 35mm film. In high school, she shot for nearly every sports team, opening her eyes to a new outlet of photography. At BU, she discovered a new challenge in photographing hockey. Though it was unfamiliar at first, she quickly grew to love the fast pace of the game and the dynamic, compelling images it allows her to create.