BOSTON - The Hockey East Association has announced the pairings for the upcoming 24th annual Hockey East Championships at the TD Banknorth Garden
on Friday night, March 21 in Boston, Mass.
The No. 1 seeded New Hampshire Wildcats (25-8-3) will play the 5 p.m. game against No. 4 seed Boston College Eagles (19-11-8). UNH is coming off a
weekend sweep of Massachusetts in the quarterfinal round, while the Eagles also swept No. 5 seed Providence in a pair of 5-1 victories. The Wildcats swept the
season series against the Eagles, 3-0. The teams have met two of the last three season in the Hockey East title game in 2005 and 2007. BC has appeared in
the Championship Game in each of the last three seasons. The Eagles have won a league-record seven Hockey East Tournament titles. The Wildcats and Eagles
will meet for the ninth time in Hockey East Tournament play and the third time in the semifinals. Boston College leads the all-time tournament series, 5-3-0.
The teams have split their previous two semifinal meetings, most recently a 2-1 BC victory in March of 2000. New Hampshire has advanced to the semifinals
for the 14th time and seventh consecutive year. The Wildcats have advanced to the title game seven times, winning two titles (2002 and 2003). Boston College
has advanced to the semifinals for the 16th time and the fourth consecutive season. The Eagles have advanced to the title game twelve times, winning seven
titles (1987, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2007). Following the quarterfinals, New Hampshire head coach Dick Umile is now 35-20-1 in eighteen Hockey
East Tournaments. Boston College head coach Jerry York is 31-11-1 in thirteen Hockey East tournaments.
In the late game at 8 p.m. on Friday night, No. 2 seed Boston University (19-16-4) and No. 3 Vermont (16-14-7) will meet for the fourth time in Hockey
East Tournament play and will face-off for the first time in the semifinals. Boston University leads the all-time tournament series, 2-1-0, after winning a
2007 quarterfinal series in three games. The Terriers and Catamounts are coming off three game series respectively against No. 7 UMass-Lowell and No. 6
Northeastern. Boston University has advanced to the semifinals for the 17th time and seventh consecutive year. The Terriers have advanced to the title game
eight times, winning six titles (1986, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2006). Vermont is making its first appearance in the Hockey East semifinals. BU and UVM
split the season series, 1-1-1 with the most recent meeting coming on. Jan. 5, a 2-2 tie at Agganis Arena. Following the quarterfinals, Boston University head
coach Jack Parker is 50-26-1 in his 24th Hockey East tournament. Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon is 3-5-0 in three Hockey East tournaments.
Both Hockey East semifinals games will be televised live by the New England Sports Network (NESN).
The winners of each game will advance to the Hockey East Championship Game on Saturday, March 22nd at 7 p.m. at the TD Banknorth Garden.
Tickets for the Hockey East Championship are still available at the TD Banknorth Garden box office, by calling 617-931-2000 or visiting www.ticketmaster.
com.
The Hockey East Association is a 10-team, Division-I college hockey conference, with offices based in Wakefield, Mass. Founded in 1983, the league has won
four NCAA championships in the past 13 years. The conference also sponsors an eight-team women’s league which began play in 2002-03.
