( Photo Credit: @CornellMHockey / Twitter / X )

By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz

Conference tournament season delivered all across the country. Shocking upsets, cinderella runs, dramatic overtimes and goals galore. The Boston Bruins prospects were right at the center of it all, with several players in top form fighting to the bitter end of their season, or keeping it alive for another day:

Ryan Walsh (C) – Cornell – Walsh played an integral role in Cornell’s surprise run to the ECAC Tournament title, recording three points as the sixth-seeded Big Red knocked off the top two seeds in the conference at Lake Placid to steal the auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament. Walsh started with a pair of assists in the overtime upset win over Quinnipiac, assisting on the opening goal and overtime winner. 

He added the championship-clinching empty-net goal against Clarkson to complete the stunning run to keep their season and head coach Mike Schaefer’s storied career alive. Walsh’s tournament performance pushed his stat line to a team-leading 14-14-28 in 34 games, eclipsing his freshman numbers in every category.

Ty Gallagher (D) – Colorado College – Gallagher went down swinging to finish his college career, scoring three goals in the Tigers’ NCHC Quarterfinal loss to rivals Denver. He scored the third-period equalizer for CC as they went on to take the first game 3-1, then scored both goals in a decisive 9-2 loss in game three, eliminating the Tigers from tournament contention.

Gallagher signed with the Providence Bruins shortly after the season ended and scored in his pro debut, a 10-2 drubbing of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. He will play out the rest of the season on an Amateur Tryout before his AHL contract officially kicks in starting next season.

Chris Pelosi (C) – Quinnipiac – Pelosi scored a pair of goals during Quinnipiac’s ECAC Tournament run, which came to an abrupt halt as the top-seeded Bobcats fell in OT in the semifinals at Lake Placid. Pelosi sealed the opening win of their Quarterfinal series against Brown with an empty net goal. Then, in the semifinal against Cornell, he cashed in a loose puck outside the crease off a point shot to put Quinnipiac ahead late in the third period, but the Bobcats couldn’t hang on. The Freshman has had a sensational run since January and will look to continue his momentum into the NCAA Tournament.

Elliott Groenewold (D) – Quinnipiac – Groenewold notched a trio of assists in Quinnipiac’s ECAC Quarterfinal series sweep over Brown, recording one assist in the 4-1 win on Friday and a pair in the 4-0 win on Saturday, leading the team in ice time during both games and earning ECAC Defender of the Week honors. Much like Pelosi, the 18-year-old defenseman has developed significantly over the season, entering the NCAA Tournament with 4-8-12 in 37 games and having played at least 20 minutes in six of his last seven.

Mason Langenbrunner (D) – Harvard – Langenbrunner capped off his offensive breakout season with a power play goal against Clarkson in game two of their ECAC Quarterfinal series, forcing an overtime that the Crimson eventually won to extend their season. He finished his Junior campaign with 6-4-10 in 33 games, doubling his point total from the previous year (5) and sextupling his career goal total (1). Langenbrunner will have big shoes to fill next season as the Crimson graduate three Seniors on their blueline and should expect to play top pair minutes.

Looking Ahead: The NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed on Sunday, and eight Bruins prospects will be in the field. Andre Gasseau, Dean Letourneau, and the Boston College Eagles get regional preference as the top-ranked team in the field and will start their tournament run in Manchester, New Hampshire, against Bentley on Friday afternoon. Philip Svedeback and the Providence Friars will join BC in Manchester, taking on reigning National Champions Denver. 

Dans Locmelis and Beckett Hendrickson go head-to-head as Minnesota and UMass face off in Fargo, North Dakota, on Thursday night. The winning team will face either Western Michigan or Minnesota State. Ryan Walsh and Cornell will look to continue their Cinderella-esque run against Michigan State in Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday. Chris Pelosi and Elliott Groenewold are heading to Allentown, Pennsylvania, to play tournament first-timers UConn on Friday. Should any Bruins prospects win their respective games on Thursday or Friday, they will advance to the regional finals on Saturday or Sunday for the right to advance to the Frozen Four.