Top-Seeded Eagles Face Defending National Champions in Quarterfinals

NCAA Providence Regional Final

#1 Boston College: No. 1/1, 32-5-1, 20-3-1 HEA
Quinnipiac: No. 8/8, 27-9-2, 17-4-1 ECAC
Sunday, March 31: 4 p.m. at Amica Mutual Pavilion (Providence, R.I.)
TV (Stream): ESPN2 (ESPN+)
John Buccigross (play-by-play), Colby Cohen (analyst)
Radio: WEEI 850 AM, Varsity App, BCEagles.com/Watch
Jon Rish (play-by-play), Andy Powers (analyst)
Live Stats: Sunday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- No. 1 overall seed Boston College takes on Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament at the Providence Regional on Sunday at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 from Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Eagles are the No. 1 overall seed for the third time in 37 NCAA Tournament appearances. BC and Quinnipiac have met once in the NCAA Tournament; a 3-2 Bobcat win in the National Semifinal at the 2016 Frozen Four in Tampa. That game marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Boston College's Greg Brown made his head coaching debut against Quinnipiac in 2022; a 4-0 shutout loss at home. The two sides met again for the season opener in 2023 with the Eagles defeating the defending National Championship, 2-1, on the road.

EAGLES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Boston College is making its 37th NCAA Tournament appearance, the fourth most in NCAA history. The Eagles are 50-43 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• BC has won five National Championships and reached 25 Frozen Fours.
• The Eagles are 17-14 in 22 quarterfinal appearances. In single-elimination quarterfinals, BC is 12-3, having most recently advanced to the Frozen Four in 2016.
• Four Eagles have scored a hat trick in the NCAA Tournament; Doug Brown (1985 vs. UMD), Nathan Gerbe (2008 vs. North Dakota), Cam Atkinson (2010 vs. Yale) and Johnny Gaudreau (2014 vs. Denver).

CUT TO THE CHASE
• Cutter Gauthier is the Hockey East and NCAA leader in goals at 37. He is the first Eagle to reach 30 goals in a season since Hobey Baker Award winner Johnny Gaudreau in 2013-14. His 37 goals tie him with Doug Brown (1984-85) for the second most goals in a season. David Emma (1989-90) and Scott Harlow (1985-86) own the BC single-season record at 38.
• He is the first player in the NCAA to score 37 or more goals in a season since Minnesota's Ryan Potulny scored 38 in 2005-06.
• Gauthier had a career-best 14-game point streak, with a 11-10-21 scoring line, snapped against BU (2/5) at the Beanpot. He bounced back from his streak being snapped with a four-point, two-goal performance against No. 17 New Hampshire (2/9).
• Gauthier scored his first career hat trick at Merrimack (1/19).
• Gauthier's 13 power play goals are the most in Hockey East and second most in the NCAA.
• He is one of two Eagles named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

NOW THIS IS A STORY
• Will Smith has set the BC record for points in a season by a freshman at 68. He broke Ken Hodge's (1984-85) record of 64 in the Hockey East Championship game.
• Totaled five points in the Hockey East Championship Game; the first five-point game for an Eagle since Alex Newhook against UMass Lowell in the 2021 Hockey East Semifinals. His four-goal effort was the first since Nathan Gerbe against Harvard in 2007.
• Smith's NCAA-best 18-game point streak was snapped vs. UNH (3/3).
• He is first in the nation and Hockey East in points (68), first in the league in assists (45) and fourth in the league in goals (23).
• Smith has recorded a team-leading 22 multi-point games.
• Smith was named the HCA National Rookie of the Month for January as well as the Hockey East Player of the Month for January.
• One of two Eagles to be named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

RICHTER AWARD FINALIST
• Jacob Fowler posted his 30th win of the season in the NCAA Tournament's first round. His 30 wins tied Al Montoya (Michigan, 2002-03) for the most in a season by a freshman across the NCAA.
• Fowler is first in the league and ranks fourth nationally with a .925 save percentage.
• The rookie's 2.15 GAA ranks eighth among NCAA goalies and is third in Hockey East.
• Fowler has been named one of three finalists for the Mike Richter Award, recognizing the top goalie in the country. BC's Thatcher Demko previously won the award in 2016.
• His 956 saves passed Scott Gordon (1983-84) for 10th most in a season in BC history.

TRULY SPECIAL TEAMS
• Boston College's penalty kill is the top-ranked unit in the nation at 89.6%.
• BC ranks first in Hockey East on the power play and second in the NCAA, clicking at 29.2%.
• The PP has converted in 27 games this season.
• BC has scored 33 power play goals over its last 25 games, including matching a season-high four PPG against BU (3/23).

Top-Seeded Eagles Face Defending National Champions in Quarterfinals

NCAA Providence Regional Final

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Players Mentioned

Jacob Fowler

Cutter Gauthier

Will Smith