UConn hockey salvages season-ending split with Boston College with 6-5 win

Justin Pearson had three goals and the No. 17-ranked UConn hockey team held on late to close out the regular season with a 6-5 Hockey East Conference win over Boston College on Saturday at the Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs.

The Huskies are 20-11-3 and 13-9-2 heading into the conference tournament.

Pearson opened the scoring for the Huskies just 1:31 into the game. Ty Amonte added a second goal with 4:39 left in the opening period that ended in a 2-2 tie.

Matthew Wood gave the Huskies the lead back with the first of two UConn shorthanded goals with 7:17 left in the second period. Pearson added his second goal later in the period, and his third in the final period to give the Huskies a 5-3 lead.

Jake Blake scored what turned out to be the winner, another shorthanded goal, with 14:39 remaining in the game.

The win avenged Friday’s loss at BC in which the Huskies allowed three goals in the third period, in a 5-3 loss at Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Oskar Jellvik gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead after one. UConn came back to tie on a goal by Jake Veilleux at 7:31 of the second, and then took the lead on a powerplay goal by Ryan Tverberg at 9:20. After BC’s Adam Hreschuk evened the score, Samu Salminen put the Huskies back on top with a power-play goal at 16:55.

But BC countered the Huskies’ three-goal second period with one of its own in the third as Mike Posma, Charlie Leddy and Andre Gasseau (empty netter) connected to secure the win. Logan Terness had 40 saves in net for the Huskies.

Basketball: St. Joe’s wins NCAA opener

Jaecee Martin scored 16 points and University of Saint Joseph, ranked fourth nationally in Division III, rolled to the program’s firstever NCAA Tournament win with a 76-53 defeat of visiting Chatham University at West Hartford.