![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bu_regional_champs_2024.jpg\")
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. \u2013<\/strong> Revenge may not have been a motivating factor, but there\u2019s no doubt Boston University is relishing returning the favor from how their 2023 campaign ended.<\/p>\n
Second-period goals by Shane LaChance and Jack Harvey helped the Terriers rally from a deficit to a lead they would never relinquish as they avenged their Frozen Four loss to the Gophers last year by ending Minnesota\u2019s season Saturday night 6-3 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally proud of our group,\u201d said Terriers coach Jay Pandolfo, who in his second year in charge has brought his team to the Frozen Four each time. \u201cTo get down 2-0 and not get rattled, we just stuck to the game plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Terriers, who were beaten in Tampa Bay 6-2 by the Golden Gophers in the Frozen Four semifinals last April, denied Minnesota a third consecutive trip while earning their second consecutive trip themselves. Pandolfo didn\u2019t think revenge was on the minds of his players, however.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just talked about playing our game and we were capable of beating them,\u201d Pandolfo said. \u201cIt\u2019s a new year \u2013 we certainly liked ending their season like they did ours last year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jaxon Nelson opened the scoring for Minnesota to cap off a brilliant regional while Bryce Brodzinski and Aaron Huglen added goals themselves, but the Gophers could not figure out a way to get one last puck past BU goaltender Mathieu Caron late in regulation after forechecking relentlessly over much of the second half of the third period \u2013 Caron\u2019s teammates had a lot to do with that with 18 blocked shots overall on the night with most of them seemingly coming late.<\/p>\n
Minnesota coach Bob Motzko knows the game could have ended much differently had the Gophers managed to sneak one through, and he\u2019s not blaming his players.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re awful talented players,\u201d Motzko said of BU. \u201cTheir guys made a couple plays that flipped the game on us. Our guys battled. I got no issue on how we battled tonight to try and get back in that thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nelson, who earned all-regional honors and celebrated his 24th birthday Saturday, got the scoring started with an odd-angle shot from the right circle that somehow went in. With the assist going to Brodzinski on the play, it was the third straight Minnesota goal going back to Thursday where Nelson had the goal and Brodzinski had the lone assist. Then after Rhett Pitlick forced a turnover on the far wall, he found Brodzinski who then scored from the faceoff circle late in the period to get his fourth point of the regional, but the Terriers answered with two minutes left as Quinn Hutson managed to get a puck in on a soft shot that Gophers goaltender Justen Close couldn\u2019t completely stop before it trickled slowly in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe lost a little momentum there,\u201d Motzko said. \u201cIf we backtrack the game, just a couple critical mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Terriers defenseman Lane Hutson certainly saw it as the main turning point.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo get us back in the game, it was a good feeling for our guys,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were confident that we were gonna claw back into the game, and that\u2019s what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nOur freshman line has been absolutely electric to start the second! Chancer got things going with this equalizer.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcfa: ESPNU
\ud83d\udcbb: https:\/\/t.co\/drFcAzJDK4<\/a> (ESPN+) pic.twitter.com\/G3fIN0Phva<\/a><\/p>\n— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n