By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Good things come in pairs, and they came in abundance this past weekend for the Bruins’ NCAA prospect pool. Boston’s college crop lit up score sheets across the country, as six different skaters turned in multi-point performances, with a few setting career highs. From statement blowouts to rivalry wins, Bruins prospects made sure two was the magic number:
Andre Gasseau, James Hagens, and Dean Letourneau – Boston College – These BC Bruins all contributed a goal and an assist apiece in the Eagles’ decisive 4-1 win over Boston University at Agganis Arena. Gasseau opened the scoring with this third goal in four games, and has racked up seven points in five games since returning from injury.
Hagens and Letourneau connected on an odd-man rush in the second period for what proved to be the game-winning goal, as well as Hagens’ new career high 12th of the season. Letourneau added some insurance later in the second, snapping home a feed from Will Vote while wide open in front of the Terrier net.
Chris Pelosi (C) – Quinnipiac – Pelosi had a career-best performance on Friday night, scoring a pair of goals and assisting on two more in Quinnipiac’s 7-0 demolition of St Lawrence in Appleton Arena. All four of his points came on consecutive goals, bookending his two markers with secondary assists to Andon Cerbone. He also won 10 of 14 faceoffs, to put a bow on his banner night. Following the outburst, Pelosi has 16-14-30 in 28 games, tied for the Bobcat lead in goalscoring, while leading the team with six power play goals.
Elliott Groenewold (D) – Quinnipiac – Groenewold recorded a pair of assists of his own in the same game, factoring alongside Pelosi on Cerbone’s first goal, then assisting on Pelosi’s second. The sophomore blueliner from Vermont is up to 4-12-16 in 28 games, now having as many assists as he had total points as a freshman, and the Friday night blowout victory pumped up his national-leading +/- to a +31.
Ryan Walsh (C) – Cornell – Walsh also picked up a pair of assists in Cornell’s 5-2 win over Yale on Friday, and set a new career high with his 15th assist of the season. His second assist of the night flashed his two-way prowess, pouncing on an errant clearance by the Bulldogs’ defense to set up his teammate Jake Kraft to extend their lead early in the second period. The Big Red captain now has 6-15-21 in 21 games with a 54.9% win rate on nearly 400 faceoffs.
Beckett Hendrickson (LW) – Minnesota – Hendrickson snapped an eight-game scoring drought with a goal and an assist as part of an 8-4 Saturday night for the Gophers to sweep their weekend against Wisconsin. Both of Hendrickson’s points came in the second period when Minnesota really began to pull away, and he effectively put the game out of reach with his highlight-reel solo effort goal. After recording his first points of the second half, Hendrickson is up to 5-11-16 in 27 games.
Looking Ahead: The next week of college hockey kicks off early with the Beanpot on Monday night. Hagens, Letourneau, Gasseau, Will Moore, and Kristian Kostadinski will open the early game against Mason Langenbrunner and Harvard, while Jonathan Morello and BU will face Northeastern in the second game.
The winners will play each other next Monday for the Beanpot championship, while the losing teams will compete in the consolation game. The teams will return to their regularly scheduled programming on Friday, with BC hosting Vermont, BU hosting Maine, and Harvard hosting Dartmouth.
Pelosi and Groenewold will host Brown and Yale as they look to reclaim the top spot in the ECAC standings, trailing Dartmouth by a point. Walsh, likewise, will try to do the same in a home-and-home with Colgate. Cornell are tied with the Bobcats in second, both with a game in hand on Dartmouth.
Casper Nassen will host Western Michigan for a two-game set. Still no word on the timeline for Cole Spicer, who has not made an appearance for the Broncos since December 6th.
Will Zellers will head to Minnesota-Duluth for the weekend. North Dakota holds a three-point edge atop the NCHC, with Denver lurking despite the Fighting Hawks holding two games in hand. Beckett Hendrickson and Minnesota will host Ohio State for two games.
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