Maine, BU, UConn, and Northeastern compete in semifinals

The Hockey East men's semifinals are set, with Maine, Boston University (BU), UConn, and Northeastern competing for a spot in the championship game. Maine and BU return from last year's tournament, while UConn and Northeastern are looking to make an impact after not qualifying since 2022. Maine has a strong record of 22-7-6, and BU follows closely with 21 wins. UConn is 21-10-4 and Northeastern has a record of 14-19-3. UConn is aiming for NCAA tournament qualification, making it their first spot in history after missing out last year. BU and UConn will play at 4 p.m. on Thursday. This season, BU won five of six points against UConn. Cole Hutson from BU was named Hockey East rookie of the year, leading NCAA freshmen with 39 points. UConn is on an eight-game unbeaten streak and recently won against Providence in the quarterfinals. Coach Mike Cavanaugh won the conference’s coach of the year award, and star player Joey Muldowney has set a goal record for the program. Northeastern hopes to continue its surprising run after past victories against Merrimack and Boston College. They face Maine, who finished strong in the regular season. Maine's goalie, Albin Boija, has had an impressive performance this year and is a finalist for a major award. The two semifinal games will take place at TD Garden, with BU vs. UConn at 4 p.m. and Northeastern vs. Maine at 7:30 p.m. The winners will move on to the championship game.