Vermont Stuns No. 11 Boston College with 6-1 Rout at Kelley Rink
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - In a game that started rough and never really smoothed out, No. 11 Boston College was handed a humbling 6-1 loss by Vermont on Friday night at Kelley Rink. The Catamounts came out swinging and never looked back, capitalizing on BC turnovers, special teams opportunities, and a relentless forecheck that kept the Eagles on their heels all night.
Let’s break it down.
Early Trouble for BC
From the opening puck drop, Vermont set the tone. Just 1:20 into the game, Colin Kessler picked off a pass in the neutral zone and turned it into an unassisted goal, beating BC netminder Louka Cloutier with a clean finish. It was the kind of early mistake that can rattle a team, and the Eagles never fully recovered.
Midway through the first, Vermont doubled their lead. Ethan Burroughs found space in the left faceoff circle and buried a feed from Matteo Michels, giving the Catamounts a 2-0 cushion that felt even heavier given how flat BC looked out of the gate.
A Glimmer of Hope
Boston College showed some life early in the second period. On the power play, Lukas Gustafsson fired a shot from the point that James Hagens expertly redirected in front of the net. It was a textbook deflection and a much-needed spark for the Eagles, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
But that momentum was short-lived.
Vermont Takes Over
Vermont answered right back with a power play goal of their own. Sebastian Törnqvist sent a shot through traffic that found the back of the net, restoring the two-goal lead and deflating BC’s brief surge.
The third period was all Catamounts. Massimo Lombardi struck early at 2:27, and just over three minutes later, Michels added a short-handed goal - a backbreaker for a BC team that was trying to claw back into the game. Burroughs capped off the scoring with his second of the night on the power play, making it 6-1 and putting an exclamation point on a dominant performance.
Final Tally
Scoring Summary:
- 1st Period 1:20 - UVM: Colin Kessler (Unassisted) 8:24 - UVM: Ethan Burroughs (Matteo Michels)
- 2nd Period 0:47 - BC: James Hagens (Lukas Gustafsson, Ryan Conmy) - Power Play 12:40 - UVM: Sebastian Törnqvist (Caeden Herrington, Thomas Sinclair) - Power Play
- 3rd Period 2:27 - UVM: Massimo Lombardi (Jonah Aegerter) 5:39 - UVM: Matteo Michels (Colin Kessler) - Short-Handed 12:14 - UVM: Ethan Burroughs (Philip Törnqvist, Jack Malinski) - Power Play
What’s Next
Boston College drops to 15-9-1 overall and 10-6-0 in Hockey East play. Vermont improves to 12-14-0 and 7-9-0 in the conference, earning a statement win on the road.
For the Eagles, there’s no time to dwell - a massive rivalry showdown is on deck. BC faces off against Boston University this Monday in the 300th edition of the Battle of Comm Ave, with the Beanpot Championship on the line at TD Garden. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m., and you can catch the action on NESN, NHL Network, ESPN+, TSN3, or tune in on WEEI 850 AM.
After a night like this, expect a fired-up BC squad looking for redemption in one of college hockey’s most storied matchups.