CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Four players scored one goal each to lead fifth-ranked Boston College to a 4-1 victory over Vermont and a berth in the Hockey East Tournament semifinal round for the ninth straight season before 3,158 fans at Kelley Rink.
The Eagles, who beat the Catamounts 4-2 the night before, scored one goal in each of the first two periods and two goals in the final frame to capture their fourth straight win over the Catamounts and clinch the best-of-three game quarterfinal series, 2-0.
BC will face Boston University, who beat Merrimack consecutively, on Friday, March 22 in the semifinal round at TD Garden at 8 p.m.
Senior Pat Mullane, senior Steven Whitney and sophomore Johnny Gaudreau each tallied one goal and one assist for the victors, who also improve to 8-0-1 in the their last nine games against the Catamounts.
Whitney gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead on a 5-on-3 advantage at 12:12 of the first period off a feed from Pat Mullane. Mullane's assist marked his career-high 40th point this season.
Patrick Brown doubled the lead with the only goal of the middle stanza at 16:45.
Gaudreau finished a nifty feed from Bill Arnold at 3:53 of the third period and Mullane concluded the scoring for BC at 12:45.
Matt White scored the lone goal for the Catamounts at 13:06 of the third period for the 4-1 final.
Boston College went 1-for (a season-high)-11 on the power play. Vermont went 0-for-4 with a man advantage. The Catamounts were assessed 14 penalties totaling 39 minutes in the game.
Vermont goalie Hoffman recorded 29 saves in the losing effort to conclude his freshman campaign11-18-6.
BC senior goalie Parker Milner stopped 16 shots and improves to 22-9-4 this season and 64-18-5 in his career.
Team Records: Vermont 11-19-6; Boston College 22-10-4
Game Notes: BC has won 18 straight Hockey East Tournament quarterfinal games ... BC's senior class improved to 14-0 in Hockey East Tournament play ... The Eagles were without their head coach Jerry York who suffered a second detached retina of the right eye earlier in the day.