Michigan
23-15-3
Boston College
34-5-1
U-M Blanked by No. 1 Boston College in Frozen Four Semifinal to End Season
4/11/2024 11:59:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Michigan fell 4-0 to top-ranked Boston College in a Frozen Four semifinal game on Thursday night.
» Michigan was held scoreless for the first time in 73 games.
» U-M finishes 23-15-3 after reaching the program's NCAA-record 28th Frozen Four.
» The Wolverines ended the night with a lead in shots on goal (32-22) and faceoffs (25-23).
Site: Saint Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center)
Score: #1 Boston College 4, #10 Michigan 0
Records: U-M (23-15-3), BC (34-5-1)
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Despite carrying the play and piling up chances in the second semifinal at the 2024 Frozen Four, the 10th-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team was shut out 4-0 by top-ranked Boston College on Thursday night (April 11) inside the Xcel Energy Center.
Veteran goaltender Jake Barczewski wrapped up the most productive season of his collegiate career by making 18 saves on the 22 shots he faced from a potent BC attack that capitalized on its best chances throughout the contest.
Looking to jump out to a quick start in the first shift of the night, U-M blueliner Seamus Casey rang a shot off the left post as the Wolverines roared out the gates.
Michigan threatened in the offensive zone for the first minute of play before the Eagles picked up the puck in transition and dashed down the ice on an odd-man rush. With a Wolverine defenseman dropping to the ice in hopes of eliminating the pass, BC connected with a patient pass through the slot to open the scoring just 80 seconds into the contest.
Boston College started the first power play of the night at 12:16 when Mark Estapa was sent to the penalty box for boarding in the offensive zone. Thirty-five seconds later, Tyler Duke was hooked while trying to clear the puck to even play at 4x4, but neither side was able to capitalize.
After one period, Michigan trailed 1-0 but had carried the pace of play for large chunks of the opening 20 minutes. U-M led in shots on goal (9-6) as well as faceoffs (12-7), but had yet to churn up a goal against the Eagles.
Michigan embarked on its first power play of the night at 4:05 when Gavin Brindley had his feet taken out from under him to send him sliding into the boards, but the advantage came and went without an equalizer.
The team received another opportunity at 11:45 when T.J. Hughes drew a penalty, but it was evened up shortly thereafter when Dylan Duke was whistled for tripping.
Playing at four skaters per side, Boston College doubled its lead at 12:35 when a puck banked off the net-front traffic and snuck its way through Barczewski's pads to make it 2-0.
Less than a minute later, a giveaway at the Michigan blue line turned into a breakaway chance in the other direction. The Eagles made the most of the turnover to bury their third goal at 13:14.
After two periods of play, Michigan trailed Boston College by a 3-0 score. BC used a steady supply of shots on goal to surge ahead and take a 15-14 lead in that category through 40 minutes. Despite trailing, U-M continued to maintain an advantage in the faceoff dot.
Once again, the Wolverines came out of the locker room with energy and leveraged that momentum into the first six shots on goal of the period. The seventh shot came from an Eagle's stick, and it found the back of the net off a wraparound effort at 4:59 to make it a 4-0 game.
Michigan's power-play unit was reactivated at 7:06 for its fourth opportunity of the contest, but the team failed to generate a goal that would tarnish the clean sheet for Boston College. Through the period's first media timeout, the Wolverines had put seven shots on goal compared to two for BC, but the difference continued to lie in the ability to finish.
As the final seconds ticked down, Michigan continued to skate hard in search of a goal. Despite their collective effort, the Wolverines were held without a goal by the Eagles for the first time since Nov. 4, 2022, when they fell 3-0 to Penn State.
Despite losing 4-0, Michigan finished the night with a 32-22 advantage in shots on goal and a 25-23 edge in the faceoff dot. The 2023-24 Wolverine outfit wraps up the season with a record of 23-15-3 and led Michigan to its 41st all-time NCAA tournament appearance as well as its 28th Frozen Four bid -- both NCAA records.
