No. 10 Boston College Men's Hockey Downed by Boston University 5-1

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — The probability of scoring a shorthanded goal at the college or professional hockey level is quite low. The chances of scoring two in the same game is infinitesimal.

To the misfortune of the Boston College men’s hockey program, that is the fate it suffered in a 5-1 loss to Boston University on Saturday night at Conte Forum.

The road win for the Terriers (16-15-2, 12-11-0 Hockey East) marked their second over the No. 10 Eagles (19-12-1, 13-9-0) in just as many days, and it will likely have serious repercussions for BC going forward as it looks to earn a seeding in the 2026 NCAA Tournament for a third straight year.

Coming into the matchup, the Eagles were ranked No. 12 in NPI, which is the system that determines the 16-team field for the national tournament after conference championships are over.

The six conference champions automatically qualify, but the other 10 teams are decided based on NPI, and being swept to an opponent with a worse record and ranking was the last thing the Eagles needed.

BU opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal on BC’s’ second power play of the first period.

The play started when junior defenseman Gavin McCarthy skated around his own net before sending the puck down the ice, which then was unintentionally knocked down by Ryan Conmy’s stick.

After it settled in the vicinity of Ben Merrill, the freshman forward went top-shelf for the breakaway goal with 49 seconds remaining on the Eagles’ man advantage, putting BU ahead by one at the 7:46 mark of the frame. At the time, the Eagles were leading in shots on goal by a double-digit margin.

That's how you kill a penalty!

Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/Y2jXGLzG2z @hockey_east | @NESN | @espn pic.twitter.com/dEIJjvAzve
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 1, 2026

Only five minutes later, however, James Hagens grabbed control of the puck in the Terriers’ defensive zone and slid a pass through the slot to Oskar Jellvik, who was positioned outside the crease for an easy one-timer.

Hagens finds Jellvik at the back door!

📺 NESN pic.twitter.com/1O3eqe6TJV
— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) March 1, 2026

Prior to Friday’s contest at Agganis Arena, which ended in favor of BU, 3-1, Jellvik had only suited up in three games all season. The goal marked his first of the year, and it came with 2:39 remaining in the period, which enabled the Eagles to go into the first intermission all tied up.

The score did not stay that way for long, though, as BU knocked the puck past BC goaltender Louka Cloutier just 2:40 into the second frame.

Cole Hutson established offensive-zone control by dancing around the point with a spin move before dishing the puck off to McCarthy in the low side.

After corralling the puck, McCarthy jammed it right through Cloutier’s five-hole, cementing a 2-1 lead for BU.

Hagens had a pair of breakaway chances that came on the same exact shift midway through the period, but he could not convert either into a goal.

BC ended up going on the power play with 21 seconds left in the period from a McCarthy hooking penalty, but just 1:37 into the third, the Terriers increased their lead to two with a second shorthanded goal.

Hutson received the puck just below the blue line after flying into the offensive zone, and he made a deke around one BC defender before directing the puck to the dot of the right circle, where Jack Harvey was stationed.

Harvey put the nail in BC’s coffin with a quick one-timer, making it 3-1 for the Terriers.

Harvo's third shorty of the year gives us a two-goal lead!

Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/Y2jXGLzG2z @hockey_east | @NESN | @espn pic.twitter.com/AAO00Nh8tF
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 1, 2026

The final two goals of the game came from a Merrill snipe with five minutes left, followed by a Cole Eiserman empty-netter in the last 1:30 of regulation.