Winning the opening faceoff at the start of the three-on-three overtime period between Boston College men’s hockey and UConn on Saturday at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Conn., was crucial, and that was exactly what Andre Gasseau accomplished.
After a quick regroup behind the redline, the Eagles’ senior captain skated with the puck through the neutral zone before powering past defenseman Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, who looked stuck in the mud as he skated backwards to force Gasseau off his attack angle.
Gasseau attempted a backhand shot from the crease, but the puck was denied by UConn netminder Tyler Muszelik with his left leg pad. The rebound came loose in front of the net, however, allowing Gasseau to maneuver to the corner and look for a cutter heading to the net.
Much to Gasseau’s delight, fellow senior captain Lukas Gustafsson was rumbling through the slot, and the pair connected for a one-timer goal to lift the No. 12 Eagles (19-10-1, 13-7-0 Hockey East) to their second win over the No. 10 Huskies (17-9-4, 11-7-2) in just as many days.
Overtime winner!!! pic.twitter.com/tAToJcpMws
— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) February 21, 2026
Despite suffering the series loss, UConn picked up a point in the conference standings by advancing Saturday’s contest into the extra period. Nevertheless, BC came away from the weekend with five total points, which should give it a major boost in the overall NPI rankings.
While the final two periods of regulation consisted of zero goals and zero penalties, the same could definitely not be said of the initial frame.
There were a combined 12 penalties in the first, six for each side, which made for a rather choppy, circus-like stretch in which both the Eagles and UConn found a way to put the puck in the net.
The Huskies struck first, as Kaden Shahan — who scored one of UConn’s two goals in Saturday’s loss at Conte Forum — tucked in a one-timer on the power play with 7:20 left in the period after receiving a turn-around pass from Alexandre Blais in the corner.
KADEN SHAHAN HOW DO YOU DO!!!!
What a rip from the sophomore pic.twitter.com/2ZZrGtopFq
— UConn Men’s Hockey (@UConnMHOC) February 21, 2026
The tally, which made the score 1-0 in UConn’s favor, marked Shahan’s ninth goal of the season.
But with 2:58 left in the period, Trey Scott was sent to the penalty box for interference, which gave the Eagles just their second power play of the game.
After the first minute of the man advantage went by without a legitimate, high-quality scoring chance, Gustafsson won a puck battle on the side of the boards and cycled it down low to forward Ryan Conmy, who saw Dean Letourneau, unmanned, at the top of the left circle.
In a matter of a few seconds, the puck swerved from Conmy’s stick to Letourneau’s, and the sophomore fired a toe-drag wrist shot right past Muszelik, who did not even seem to have an idea of the fact that Letourneau was even shooting, to make it 1-1.
What a snipe 🔥
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— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) February 21, 2026
The goal increased Letourneau’s sophomore-campaign point total to 33 — 30 more than he finished his freshman season with.
Cloutier makes the stop on the doorstep!
💻 ESPN+ | https://t.co/4cvX4J9Upq pic.twitter.com/Gc1DTtxGRR
— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) February 21, 2026
Freshman goalie Louka Cloutier made a number of clutch saves down the stretch — both in the second and third frame — to keep the Eagles afloat in the game and help them force the additional frame. He finished with 21 saves and recorded his 18th win of the season.
Cloutier with another big save!
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— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) February 21, 2026
Next week, the Eagles will take on Comm.-Ave. rival Boston University in a two-game, home-and-home series. BC will be on the road for the first game, which is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. ET at Agganis Arena in Boston, Mass. The second matchup, at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass., is set to be played the next day, Saturday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. ET as well.
