CHESTNUT HILL – Quinnipiac and Boston College men’s hockey programs are national powers that have developed a healthy non-conference regional rivalry on opening night.
The No. 6 Eagles and the No. 14 Bobcats opened the season against each other for the fourth time in the last five years on Friday after winning their respective conferences – Hockey East and the ECAC – regular season championships the previous season.
This time, however, Quinnipiac exploded for three goals in the second period and held on for a 4-3 victory on Friday night at Conte Forum. BC will resume its non-conference action with two games at No. 9 Minnesota next weekend.
“Quinnipiac for years has been a team that does not beat themselves,” said BC coach Greg Brown. “They are a great measuring stick, you know where you stand, and you learn so much about your team game when you play them.”
There was a novelty to the contest that involved the local NHL franchise from the big house on Causeway Street. There were eight Boston Bruins draft picks on the ice, two with the Q and six on BC, including James Hagens, the club’s No. 1 selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.
“He knows where his next team will be, he knows what organization and all that stuff,” said Brown. “They had such a magnifying glass on him last year when you are being talked about in a best 10 draft position. immediately that is all behind him, and he can focus on hockey.”
The Bruins invested their draft capital on senior forward Andre Gasseau (2021), senior forward Oskar Jellvik (2021), sophomore forward Dean Letourneau (2024), and freshman defenseman Kristain Kostadinski (2023). Joining Hagens in the 2025 draft was freshman forward Will Moore, who was taken in the second round (51st) overall.
Quinnipiac’s two Bruins picks held down important positions on the Bobcats’ line chart. Sophomore second-line center Chris Pelosi was Boston’s third-round pick (92nd overall) in 2023, while sophomore Elliott Groenewold, who started on the first defensive pairing, was selected in the fourth round (110th overall) in 2024.
Pelosi participated in the Bruins’ summer development camp with five of the BC picks and was the only one of the eight to score a goal in the game.
“It was pretty cool seeing everyone out there and knowing everyone, but at the end of the day, it is our team versus their team,” said Pelosi. “We just kind of put our heads down and forgot who knows who.”
Hagens opened the game under a spotlight and was flanked by Teddy Stiga of Sudbury on the left side and New Hampshire transfer Ryan Conmy on the right. Stiga was the best first-year finisher last season with 14 goals, while Hagens was second with 11. Stiga and Conmy both score,d and Hagens had an assist.
“They had glimpses but early on I felt like they were trying to do a little too much and forced some plays that really weren’t there,” said Brown. “When they did get open ice, they were quick, and they made some passes that I think they will capitalize on later.”
Quinnipiac opened the scoring when first-line center Markus Vidicek set up senior left-wing Jeremy Wilmer for a wrist shot from the left circle that beat BC goalie Jan Korec. Wilmer played two seasons at Boston University before transferring before the 2023-2024 campaign.
BC tied the game 1-1 on the power play with 15.6 seconds to play in the first. Senior defenseman Lukas Gustafsson knocked down a clearing attempt at the left point and sent the puck to Stiga in the circle. Stiga wheeled and fired a low wrist shot that beat goalie Dylan Silverstein to the near post.
Quinnipiac blitzed BC at the start of the second to take a quick 3-1 lead. Right-wing Ethan Wyttenback crashed the BC zone and connected with freshman center Matthew Lansing in the right circle.
Lansing ripped a high wrist shot that beat Korec to the near post at 2:13. Bobcats defenseman Graham Sward netted the second with a shot from the point at 5:10.
BC cut the lead to 3-2 on the power play at 6:31 when Hagens found Conmy unattended in the low slot. Conmy unleashed a quick wrister before Silverstein could adjust his position.
Pelosi got on the scoresheet when he slipped the puck behind Korec during a wild scrum in the BC crease to make it 4-2 at 12:08
BC cut the lead to 4-3 at 4:31 of the third when defenseman junior Drew Fortescue fired a slap shot through a screen that eluded Silverstein for the fifth of his career.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-rave partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
About the Author
