BU men’s hockey is gearing up for its second major test of the season.
The No. 4 ranked Terriers play in a home-and-home series against their first Hockey East opponents of the season, the No. 11 UConn Huskies.
Friday’s game will be hosted at Agganis Arena with puck drop set for 7 p.m., and Saturday’s game will be in Storrs, Conn. at 5 p.m. This is BU’s first away game of the season.
The Terriers are coming off a weekend sweep at the hands of top-ranked Michigan State.
BU struggled to gain strides in their first game of the series, where the Spartans dominated in polished offensive possession and left the Terriers collapsing, unable to match the directness of their play.
After settling in during the final 40 minutes Saturday, BU nearly stole the game in overtime. Sophomore Cole Eiserman had a prime chance to end it, but a last-second clearance off the goal line by MSU turned the tide — leading to the Spartans’ game-winning goal moments later.
With UConn bringing back most of its veteran lineup and BU relying on a younger core, it begs the perennial college hockey question: Can high-end youth overcome seasoned experience?
If BU wants to answer that question with a win, they’ll need to play a unified, direct game. Solo efforts won’t cut it against UConn—last year’s Hockey East semifinal made that clear.
Cleaning up the foundation
In Friday’s matchup against Michigan State, the Terriers were plagued by sloppy passing, sluggish breakouts, and missed forecheck battles.
Saturday’s first period followed a similar script — but in the second and third, BU cleaned up its foundation, played more direct, and ultimately outpaced the Spartans.
In BU’s last meeting with UConn, in the 2025 Hockey East Semifinal, the Terriers faced a team that executed a direct, disciplined game plan, but BU unraveled, falling 5–2.
“This team plays hard, sort of like Michigan State,” sophomore Brandon Svoboda said.
If the Terriers hope to stay competitive, cleaning up their foundation will be crucial.
Boisvert status remains up in the air
The sophomore transfer from North Dakota has been in and out of the lineup since sustaining an injury in an exhibition matchup against RPI during the first weekend of the season.
Boisvert played in Friday’s matchup against MSU but didn’t play on Saturday.
“It’s just more important this early in the season to get him healthy,” coach Jay Pandolfo said, “and that’s what we’re going to do.”
During practice on Thursday, he did not join the team to start but came out, without pads, and skated around.
His status for this weekend has not yet been confirmed.
Watch out for Fondrk, Svoboda and Merrill
Against Michigan State on Saturday, freshman forwards Conrad Fondrk and Ben Merrill skated alongside Svoboda for the first time this season.
This line generated points on every even-strength goal the Terriers tallied on Saturday.
When asked postgame which players stood out, Pandolfo pointed to Svoboda and Merrill, a nod to their gritty presence on both the backcheck and forecheck.
The pair consistently won puck battles and asserted themselves physically, complementing Fondrk’s sharp offensive instincts.
The line remained intact at Thursday’s practice and is expected to stay together heading into the weekend.
Brotherly love
Freshman forward Jack Murtagh will face a familiar name on the opposing bench this weekend, his older brother, Mike Murtagh, a sophomore for UConn.
Both brothers have one goal on the season, with Mike holding a slight edge in points, three to Jack’s two.
Saturday marks the first time the Murtaghs will square off as Hockey East foes.
Scouting the Huskies
Last season, BU went 1-1-1 against UConn across three matchups. Each game was strikingly different.
Early in the 2024-25 season, BU earned a commanding 4–2 win over UConn. But as the Huskies found their footing, they battled to a draw in the second meeting, then dominated the Terriers in a decisive Hockey East semifinal, a loss Pandolfo bluntly called “a good old-fashioned ass-kicking.”
UConn enters the weekend at 2–2, following a mixed start against non-conference opponents.
New Hampshire transfer senior Tyler Muszelik has started in net in three of four games this season, recording a .939 save percentage.
UConn brings back a veteran-heavy lineup led by Joey Muldowney, Jake Richard, and Ryan Tattle, while welcoming seven new faces, including three NHL draft picks.
