The No. 3 Boston University Terriers saw their Hockey East Championship dreams fall short on Thursday, falling 5-2 to No. 4 UConn in a single-game semifinal at TD Garden.
Fresh off a heart-pounding overtime victory against UMass in the quarterfinals, BU — home to Vancouver Canucks prospects Tom Willander and Aiden Celebrini — looked poised to keep rolling for a chance at a Hockey East Title on Friday.
Despite a promising start, the Terriers stumbled in a lopsided second period, handing UConn the momentum and, ultimately, the win.
BU struck first, burying an early goal to take a 1-0 edge, courtesy of one of our CanucksArymy college free agent targets, Quinn Hutson. But the middle frame flipped the script, where UConn erupted to pot three goals on 13 shot attempts to take a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.
The Terriers mounted a desperate rally in the third, firing everything they had with a 13-3 shot advantage. But the Huskies stood tall, weathering the storm to seal the deal with a late empty-netter.
Aiden Celebrini found the back of the net in the final seconds with a quick snapshot from the half-wall, but it was a mere footnote, cutting the deficit to just 5-2.
As for Tom Willander, Vancouver’s highly touted defensive prospect, he was on the ice for the empty-net goal but not for either of his opponent’s four even-strength goals. He finished with no shots and a minus-1 in the match.
With the win, UConn advances to Friday’s Hockey East Final, while the Terriers head home to lick their wounds.

The “Willander Watch” is almost on

For Vancouver fans, the focus shifts to Tom Willander, who’s expected to sign a deal with the Canucks following his sophomore season. But if you were expecting a deal to be made tomorrow, you’ll have to wait a little longer.
This loss stings, but BU’s campaign isn’t over. A strong regular season secured their spot in the NCAA National Tournament. They’ll now take a week to reset before the regional round, set for March 28-30, to salvage the lost season within their conference.
If BU bows out in regionals, expect “Wallander watch” to be officially on. But if the Terriers rally, they’re Frozen Four-bound, facing off in St. Paul, Minnesota, on April 10 and 12.
Patience Canucks fans. Patience.