The UMass Lowell men’s hockey team, fresh off a Frozen Four appearance and the first Hockey East title in school history, was on hand at Fenway Park to throw out the first pitch before the Red Sox-Astros game on Thursday, with captain Riley Wetmore doing the honors.

The River Hawks also found out earlier in the day that they will be making another trip to the ballpark next winter, but that one will be for a very different reason. UML was one of eight Hockey East squads selected to participate in the third “Frozen Fenway” series of outdoor games this coming January.

After a one-year absence, the ballpark normally used for baseball will host a number of collegiate, high school and recreational hockey games, as well as public skates and other special events.

River Hawks head coach Norm Bazin, Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna and Red Sox chief operating officer Sam Kennedy joined Tom Caron on Yawkey Way to preview the event. Check out the full interview in the video above.

The Red Sox announced Thursday that Frozen Fenway will return in 2014 with a four-game slate to be played over two weeks featuring some of the best college hockey programs in America.

It will be a two-week series with four games taking place over the course of two weeks in January. The first games will take place Saturday, Jan. 14, with the other two occurring a week later on Jan. 21.

Here is the schedule.

Jan. 4

Merrimack College vs. Providence College

Notre Dame vs. Boston College

Jan. 11

UMass-Lowell vs. Northeastern

University of Maine vs. Boston University

It’s quite the welcome to Hockey East for Notre Dame, who will join the conference for the 2013-14 season.

“We are excited about the return of hockey to Fenway Park,” Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna said. “We are particularly pleased that with these two doubleheaders, all of our men’s programs will have had the opportunity to experience Frozen Fenway, including the University of Notre Dame, our newest member.”

The Mayor’s Community Skates will also return, with the Fenway ice being opened to the public for free skating on Dec. 29 and Jan. 1.

Game times and ticket information are still to come.

NESN is set to televise two games this weekend, with two of the best and hottest teams in the country. Coverage will begin Friday afternoon when the UMass-Lowell River Hawks take on Wisconsin in Manchester, N.H. The River Hawks are coming off their first Hockey East title in school history. That game will be seen on NESN beginning at 4 p.m. ET.

That will be followed up on Saturday as the No. 1 team in the country, Quinnipiac, opens its run toward the Frozen Four against Canisius. The Bobcats will begin that quest on Saturday night in Providence, R.I., and that game can be seen on NESN at 5:30 p.m. ET.

“I’d like to thank President [Robert] Brown and [athletic director] Mike Lynch for giving me this incredible opportunity and entrusting me with the BU hockey program,” Quinn told reporters during his introductory press conference. “I surely wouldn’t be in this position if it were not for Jack Parker and I’m very lucky to be able to call him my coach, mentor and friend.

“One of the things that makes this job so unique is that beyond all the success here, the former players have such a loyalty towards the program. I look forward to continuing that and the legacy that Coach Parker leaves behind.”

Before joining the coaching ranks, Quinn played three seasons for the Terriers, totaling six goals and 42 assists and earning All-Hockey East honors as a defenseman. A rare blood condition cut his BU career short and kept him off the ice from 1988-91, after which Quinn played 19 games for the Rangers’ affiliate in the AHL in 1991-92 and 60 in the IHL the following season before retiring from the game for good.

BU will be Quinn’s second head-coaching gig — he led the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters from 2009-12 — and his second stint on the Terriers staff, where he served as an associate head coach for a five-year period culminating in the school’s fifth national championship in 2009.

The full press conference, plus an exclusive interview with Parker, will air Tuesday night on NESN at 6 p.m. ET.

Photo via Facebook/Boston University Athletics

According to WHDH’s Joe Amorosino, Colorado Avalanche assistant coach and former BU associate head coach David Quinn will be announced as the team’s next head coach Tuesday, replacing longtime BU boss Jack Parker.

Source: #BU will announce David Quinn as new Boston University Hockey Coach tomorrow. #HockeyEast #FrozenFour #TerrierNation #7News

—
Joe Amorosino (@joeamorosino) March 26, 2013

Like Parker, who officially ended his 40-year career with a 1-0 loss to UMass Lowell in Saturday’s Hockey East championship game, Quinn played at BU before joining the coaching staff, earning All-Hockey East and All-New England honors as a defenseman and serving as a co-captain as a senior in 1987-88. He was selected 13th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1984 but never played in an NHL game.

Quinn spent five years on Parker’s staff before departing after the Terriers’ national championship season in 2009 to take over as head coach of the Lake Erie Monsters — Colorado’s AHL affiliate. He joined the Avalanche in 2012 and is expected to finish the season with Colorado.

UMass Lowell, fresh off the first conference championship in school history, earned a No. 1 seed in the Manchester, N.H., regional of the NCAA tournament and will take on fourth-seeded Wisconsin this Friday at 4:30 p.m.

The River Hawks will be joined at Verizon Wireless Arena by host school New Hampshire, which snagged a No. 2 seed despite bowing out to Providence in the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Wildcats will take No. 3 seed Denver — a team UNH defeated 6-4 in their first meeting back in November.

Boston College rounds out the conference’s national tournament contestants as the No. 2 seed in the Providence regional and will take on two-time defending ECAC tournament champion Union in the first round.

Quinnipiac and Yale also received bids to the big dance — as a No. 1 and No. 4 seed, respectively — bringing the total of New England schools in the tournament to five.

Click here to check out the full bracket.

Jack Parker has coached his last college hockey game. After a 40-year career behind Boston University’s bench, he made his last exit Saturday night after the Terriers’ 1-0 loss to UMass Lowell in the Hockey East Championship.

After their coach announced he would be retiring at the end of this season, the BU hockey team vowed to extend their season as long as possible for him. After losing the last game of their season, Terriers forward Wade Megan said the team had no regrets, that they had left everything on the ice.

Parker’s illustrious career included three national championships and 21 Beanpot titles. His face will forever be associated with college hockey in Boston.

“He had a good 40 years here,” BU defenseman Ryan Ruilkka said.

The storylines now turn from Parker’s exit, to who will be his successor. Check out what some of Parker’s players had to say about their coach in the video above.

Four years later, a freshman again took over the conference title game at TD Garden. But this time, he was wearing red, white and blue.

In just his 21st collegiate game, Connor Hellebuyck etched his name in the River Hawks history books Saturday night, turning aside 36 shots in a 1-0 win that gave top-seeded Lowell its first Hockey East title in school history.

“He’s been phenomenal,” UML head coach Norm Bazin said of his young goalie. “You don’t win a championship without a great goalie, and [Saturday] I thought he was spectacular. He made key stops at key moments to keep the game tied. You can’t say enough about the kid. … He was the difference tonight.”

In four postseason games, Hellebuyck, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, has allowed just four total goals. He backstopped the River Hawks to a two-game sweep of Maine, then proceeded to play dominant hockey under the bright Garden lights, outdueling Providence’s own freshman phenom Jon Gillies in a 2-1 thriller in the semifinals before shutting out the high-powered Terriers offense to clinch the title.

BU goaltender Sean Maguire, yet another freshman, matched Hellebuyck save-for-save for much of Saturday’s contest as the teams remained locked in a scoreless tie deep into the third period. Both teams hit posts around the 10-minute mark of the final frame before junior Derek Arnold finally scored what proved to be the game-winner, wrapping the puck between Maguire’s left pad and the goal post after a 3-on-2 rush.

Maguire finished with 28 saves, bringing his tournament total to an astounding 141 over four games.

On a national scale, Lowell did not need this win. With a 25-10-2 record and a regular-season conference title, they were a lock for the NCAA tournament, and may have been a No. 1 seed even with a loss on Saturday. But for Bazin and his team, the win serves as validation that they have finally reached the pinnacle of arguably the nation’s best hockey conference after decades of futility.

“It was very important,” said Bazin, who played for UML when the River Hawks lost to BU in this very game in 1994. “I think there are a lot of skeptics out there and a lot of detractors that felt that we were going to come up short again. I was certainly reminded by our own press people how many times we’ve seemed to have lost the game in the finals. … It was fitting that we played BU tonight.”

Bazin’s 1994 squad came up one goal short against the Terriers. So did the 2009 team. This year was different.

“To be honest, no,” Arnold said when asked if he could have envisioned winning a conference title when he enrolled at Lowell three years ago. “Coming from New England, growing up seeing BC and BU win every year, you didn’t see Lowell in there too many times. But it’s amazing right now, a remarkable accomplishment by the group of guys in that room.”

A new power has risen in Hockey East, and it’s rather fitting that UMass Lowell’s coming-out party also marks the end of a terrific career for BU head coach Jack Parker. After a mid-season swoon in February, the Terriers will almost certainly not qualify for the national tournament, but Parker’s final game behind the bench was certainly not one that will soon be forgotten.

“I couldn’t ask for more of my team,” Parker said. “I couldn’t ask for a better weekend from us. We played really well, played really hard, and I think there are teams in the national tournament that aren’t as good as us, but the reason we aren’t [in] is because we had a dip in the middle and we never recovered.”

Millan’s 2009 Terriers will now go down as the final team to lift the Hockey East trophy under Parker. That squad went on to win the national title less than a month later. Those are some footsteps that Hellebuyck would love to follow in.

Final, UMass Lowell 1-0: And it’s over, UMass Lowell survives a furious, last-gasp effort by the Terriers to win its first Hockey East tournament championship in dramatic fashion.

Behind another stellar performance by goalie and tournament MVP Connor Hellebuyck, the River Hawks continue the best season in school history and will likely be a No. 1 seed when the national tournament opens next week.

As one run continues, another comes to a close tonight, as — barring a near-miracle bid from the national selection committee — Boston University head coach Jack Parker has now coached his final game for the Terriers.

He retires as the third-winningest college hockey coach of all time.

Third period, 17:15, UMass Lowell 1-0: Maguire heads to the bench. BU will make one final push.

Third period, 15:39, UMass Lowell 1-0: Norm Bazin takes a timeout with 4:21 separating his River Hawks from the first conference title in school history.

If the score holds, Arnold will be the hero of another playoff game. The Foxboro native scored the game-winning goal in overtime to clinch UML’s quarterfinal series against Maine.

Third period, 11:09, UMass Lowell 1-0: Goooooal!

Derek Arnold has put Lowell up for the first time tonight. Arnold, Scott Wilson and Chad Ruhwedel made a 3-on-2 rush into the BU zone, with Ruhwedel’s initial shot deflecting off Wilson’s skate and behind the net. Maguire slid to his right to stop Ruhwedel’s bid and was unable to get back in position in time, leaving an open net for Arnold to punch in the game’s first score.

Third period, 9:57, 0-0: Since Wright rung iron, the period has progressed without a hitch — and without a goal. Both teams are doing a nice job of limiting quality chances in front of the net — something the River Hawks struggled to do in the second.

Third period, 3:25, 0-0: Evan Rodrigues sends a slap shot off the post for BU then Wright, fresh out of the penalty box, follows suit on the opposite end of the ice. The atmosphere is electric at the Garden as both teams search desperately for the game’s first goal.

Third period, 1:12, 0-0: The third period is underway, and after killing off the remainder of Ruikka’s penalty, the Terriers will go on the power play themselves when Colin Wright is called for boarding.

Second intermission, 0-0: The Terriers and River Hawks have now played 40 minutes of scoreless hockey.

UML will again come out of the locker room up a skater after BU’s Ryan Ruikka was penalized for tripping with 1:20 to play in the second.

The way this game is going, one goal may be all a team needs, making every shift a crucial one. The goalies needed to work a little harder in the second, but both have remained flawless. Maguire saved 15 shots in the period to bring his total to 21 and Hellebuyck stopped 18 for a total of 26 on the night.

Second period, 16:38, 0-0: Wasn’t I just saying we haven’t seen a case of embellishment all weekend? Well, we now have our second case in less than five minutes.

BU’s Garrett Noonan made contact with UML’s Joseph Pendenza after the whistle and then crumbled to the ice when Pendenza gave him a shot to the face. The refs assessed matching penalties on the play: two minutes to Pendenza for roughing and two minutes to Noonan for embellishment.

The extracurricular activity is definitely ramping up as the game wears on; nearly every whistle is followed by a bit of pushing and shoving.

Second period, 12:05, 0-0: Derek Arnold is whistled for diving — a call that does not sit well with the River Hawks supporters in the arena. It’s the first time we’ve seen embellishment penalized this weekend. The Terriers can’t capitalize on the man advantage, though, as the UML penalty kill holds steady.

Second period, 10:01, 0-0: The intensity is finally starting to pick up on in all three zones. Ryan Santana was almost able to hammer the puck past Hellebuyck in the UML end, BU’s Jake Moscatel leveled River Hawks captain Wetmore into the boards in front of his own bench, and a nice feed from Terrence Wallin to Kamrass in front of the BU net almost resulted in the game’s first goal.

But, alas, the zeros remain.

Second period, 5:47, 0-0: Zack Kamrass is sent to the box for interference and BU will have its first power play of the night.

Second period, 2:57, 0-0: Ryan McGrath almost earned himself a spot on SportsCenter with a backhanded shot attempt from the left face-off circle that was smothered by Maguire.

But A.J. White, who scored Lowell’s first goal in last night’s 2-1 win over Providence, gave the River Hawks their best scoring chance yet when he tried to wrap the puck around the net past an out-of-position Maguire. The goalie managed to recover just in time to get a pad on it, though, and we remain scoreless.

First intermission, 0-0: Twenty minutes in, the scoreboard shows a pair of goose eggs.

BU was on the offensive for much of the opening frame but was unable to put one past Hellebuyck. The freshman netminder didn’t need to make any spectacular saves, but he stopped everything that came his way.

The performance of the game’s other first-year goalie cannot be overlooked, though. Playing in his first conference tournament, Maguire has made 40 or more saves in each of BU’s three postseason games — winning all three. He has six saves so far tonight.

UML will have 30 seconds remaining on its power play when we return.

First period, 18:30, 0-0: The River Hawks have struggled to put shots on net tonight, continuously sending pucks off the high glass behind Maguire.

They’ll be on the power play for the remainder of the first, though, after O’Regan wrestled Ryan McGrath to the ground in front of the BU net to earn the game’s first penalty

First period, 12:26, 0-0: Still no score here at the Garden, but BU has been taking control of the tempo. The Terriers have a 7-3 edge in shots and seem to put pressure on Hellebuyck on every shift.

UML head coach Norm Bazin will try to calm his defensemen down during this television timeout. BU’s extended pressure seems to be getting to the Lowell blueliners a bit, as Derek Amlong smacked his stick into the boards in frustration on his way to the bench.

First period, 6:45, 0-0: This first period is humming right along, as the teams played more than six minutes before a long BU pass was touched up for icing to stop the clock for the first time. Both team have moved with ease through the neutral zone, but neither Hellebuyck nor Maguire has been tested yet.

First period, 0:00, 0-0: Referee Scott Hansen drops the puck and we are underway.

A quick update on the starting lineups: sophomore Zack Kamrass will join Ruhwedel in Lowell’s top defensive pairing to open the game. Kamrass has played in all 37 games this season, totaling zero goals and 10 assists.

Let’s play some hockey!

6:40 p.m.: The River Hawks are undefeated in three meetings with the boys from Agganis Arena this season, outscoring BU 10-4 over three regular-season wins.

Their status as a top seed — UML’s first such honor in school history — also bodes well. Since the Hockey East tournament began in 1985, the No. 1 seed has gone 14-6 in 21 appearances in the championship game.

But tournament history between these two squads heavily favors the Terriers. BU has won eight of nine postseason meetings with the River Hawks, with Lowell’s only win coming in a 2008 quarterfinal series they would go on to lose.

6:15 p.m.: We’re just about an hour from game time here at the Garden, so let’s take a moment to delve deeper into a matchup that, surprisingly, we’ve seen twice before on this stage.

This is just the third Hockey East finals appearance for UMass Lowell, but the River Hawks’ opponent in both of the previous two was Boston University.

Tonight’s tilt will be a study in contrasting styles. Lowell boasts the conference’s top goaltender — statistically — in Connor Hellebuyck while the Terriers feature a high-powered offense that embarrassed Parker Milner, last year’s NCAA Tournament MVP, with six goals last night in a rout of Boston College.

Four BU skaters rank in the top 10 in Hockey East in scoring, with freshman sensation Danny O’Regan leading all Terriers in points with a 16-22–38 stat line. O’Regan skates on a potent second line between leading goal scorer Matt Nieto and sophomore Evan Rodrigues, who lit the lamp twice last night.

Taking the ice first for the Terriers will likely be the top line of sophomore Cason Hohmann between senior captain Wade Megan and junior Sahir Gill, with the defensive duo of seniors Sean Escobedo and Ryan Ruikka in front of freshman netminder Sean Maguire.

The River Hawks will send out senior captain Riley Wetmore centering between junior Derek Arnold and freshman Ryan McGrath, with freshman Greg Amlong and junior Chad Ruhwedel on the blue line and Hellebuyck in net.

8 a.m. ET: The Jack Parker farewell tour will continue for at least another day.

Parker’s Boston University Terriers scored five consecutive goals to take down three-time defending Hockey East champion Boston College in the conference semifinals Friday night, setting up a matchup with No. 1 seed UMass Lowell in Saturday night’s title game.

River Hawks freshman Connor Hellebuyck and his Providence counterpart, Jon Gillies, put on a goaltending clinic in the first semifinal, with Lowell edging the Friars 2-1 to clinch a spot in the Hockey East finals.

The championship game will be a rematch of the 2009 title game won by the Terriers. Neither team has returned to the finals since that day four years ago, and Hellebuyck and the River Hawks will be looking to cap off their first regular-season championship with their first conference tournament title.

Puck drops at 7 p.m., but be sure to check back in throughout the day for up-to-the-minute updates from TD Garden.

Photo via Twitter/@evanmlips

Check out the grid below for a complete list of television providers and corresponding channels to see how you can catch the Hockey East championship game live from TD Garden at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 23.

Channel listings subject to change.

Verizon FiOS78578

Final, BU 6-3: It’s official, Jack Parker and the Terriers will play for their eighth Hockey East title tomorrow after thoroughly dismantling Boston College in the final two periods.

BU will take on UMass Lowell in a rematch of the 2009 title game — the last appearance in the finals for both teams.

Puck drops tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Click here to find out what channel the game will be shown on in your area, and be  sure to check back in to NESN.com as we will live blog all the action from faceoff to the final horn.

Third period, 17:31, BU 6-3: Evan Rodrigues finds the Eagles’ empty net from his own faceoff circle and leaps into the arms of his teammates on the BU bench. That will just about do it.

Third period, 17:06, BU 5-3: Desperation time for BC, as Parker Milner heads to the bench to be replaced by an extra skater with 2:54 remaining in a two-goal game.

Third period, 13:43, BU 5-3: Boston College finally gets back on the board, with Hobey Baker finalist Steven Whitney bouncing the puck off the back of BU goalie Sean Maguire and into the net. The goal is crucial for the Eagles, who had been held scoreless for nearly 25 minutes. They’ll have their work cut out for them, though, as they still need to find the back of the net twice more in the final five minutes to force overtime.

Third period, 9:57, BU 5-2: O’Regan strikes again for the Terriers, and fans begin filing out of TD Garden. The score marks BU’s third power-play goal of the game and the second for the freshman sensation, who led all Terriers in scoring this season with 36 points.

Third period, 1:42, BU 4-2: The Terriers have a chance to seriously break this game open. Freshman Danny O’Regan scored just 30 seconds into the power play, but BC will remain shorthanded for another 4:30 because major penalties are not cancelled out by goals.

Milner has not played to the best of his ability tonight, as O’Regan’s tally again slipped under his glove hand.

Third period, 1:08, BU 3-2: Sean Escobedo is sent into the boards by Gaudreau and comes up favoring his left shoulder. He returned to the bench after a brief trip to the locker room but still looks to be in significant pain. The Terriers will be on the power play for five minutes as Gaudreau is assessed a major penalty for cross-checking.

Second intermission, BU 3-2: The complexion of this hockey game sure changed in a hurry.

BU turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead in under six minutes, and while BC still has a sizable edge in shots (31-16), the Terriers now have all the momentum.

Don’t expect them to let off the gas. As the No. 17 team in both the USCHO.com poll and the PairWise rankings, BU almost certainly needs a conference title to clinch a spot in the national tournament, meaning that a loss tonight would likely end Jack Parker’s legendary career.

Second period, 17:59, BU 3-2: We have bedlam at the Garden.

Garrett Noonan (great hockey name) beat Milner with a tough-angle shot on the power play to give the Terriers their first lead of the night. It was another goal that Milner should not have had a problem with — this one sliding under his glove and just inside the right post.

Second period, 14:21, 2-2: And just like that, we’re all tied up.

BC’s Danny Linell misplayed a pass in front of his own bench and Matt Lane capitalized for the Terriers, skating in on Milner and beating him five-hole for the unassisted goal.

Second period, 12:17, BC 2-1: That’s one Parker Milner will want back.

BU’s Evan Rodrigues deked his way into the BC zone, settled near the right faceoff dot and blasted a shot through the space between Milner’s body and his blocker hand.

That’s Rodrigues’ 13th goal of the season, and it brings the Terriers right back into this game with plenty of hockey still to be played.

Second period, 9:46, BC 2-0: No post this time. Smith found his way behind the BU defense, took a perfect feed from Mullane and beat Maguire top-shelf. That upper-right corner seems to be a problem spot for the BU goalie, as both Smith and Arnold have managed to lift pucks over Maguire’s left shoulder.

Second period, 5:02, BC 1-0: The Eagles came within inches of extending their lead with BU’s Ryan Ruikka in the penalty box, but Quinn Smith rang iron with his shot past Maguire.

The Terriers were then called for a borderline offside infraction — the second questionable call handed down in the past few minutes — to kill a potential breakaway. Some frustration seems to be setting in for the boys in red, who are voicing their disapproval to the officials.

Second period, 1:06, BC 1-0: BC’s Michael Matheson is whistled for interference, and the Terriers will go on the power play searching for the equalizer early in the second.

First intermission, BC 1-0: A huge cheer erupts as the TD Garden Jumbotron commemorates Johnny Gaudreau, who was announced as the Hockey East’s Player of the Year yesterday. It’s been some year for the sophomore, who led Team USA to a title at the World Junior Championship in Sweden earlier this year.

Overall, both rosters in this game are stacked with future NHL talent, as Gaudreau — a Calgary draftee along with Arnold and Providence’s Jon Gillies — is one of 14 BC or BU players whose rights are owned by an NHL club. Comparatively, this afternoon’s game featured just seven draftees.

First intermission, BC 1-0: Boston College’s offensive assault finally paid dividends in the closing minutes of the first frame, but Maguire has kept the Terriers in the game. BU will need to improve on the offensive end in the second, as Jack Parker’s crew has been outshot 18-7 and hasn’t put much pressure on Milner.

First period, 18:33, BC 1-0: Less than a minute after Maguire made the save of the game so far to keep the game scoreless, Needham native Bill Arnold finally put one by the BU goalie with under two minutes to play in the period, sniping a shot over Maguire’s left shoulder on the power play.

And, right on cue, the student sections begin trading chants that are not very family-friendly.

First period, 11:24, 0-0: Save for a pair of mini-breakaways during Gaudreau’s penalty, BU hadn’t been able to get any prolonged pressure on Milner, who’s had to make just two routine saves thus far.

They finally found a quality scoring chance more than halfway through the period — a shorthanded chance, no less — when Rosen pickpocketed Pat Mullane and nearly stuffed the puck past Milner. The goaltender did not budge, though, and the puck ended up on top of the net.

Rosen appeared to jab Milner a few times with his knee before referees came in to separate the two teams.

First period, 5:50, 0-0: BC escapes the Gaudreau foul unscathed, and BU weathers a shorthanded stint of its own after Ben Rosen is sent to the box for high sticking.

The Eagles have peppered the young Maguire early, notching five shots on goal in the opening five minutes. Don’t be surprised if this ends up being much more of a barnburner than this afternoon’s contest.

First period, 0:10, 0-0: We’re just 10 seconds into the game and the Terriers already have their first power play. BC won the opening faceoff, but winger Johnny Gaudreau was called for tripping immediately after, giving BU the early man advantage.

8:45 p.m.: With puck drop just minutes away, let’s take a glimpse at the two contestants. As one of the greatest rivalries in all of college hockey, BC and BU obviously know each other well, facing off three times each season and often again in the annual Beanpot.

But tonight’s game will mark the first time the two teams have met in the postseason since 2009, when the Kieran Millan-led Terriers toppled the Eagles in this same round en route to a Hockey East title and a national championship.

These two schools have thoroughly dominated the conference tournament for nearly a decade, combining to win the last eight championship games. It has been all BC in recent years, though, both on a regional and national scale. The Eagles have won both the Hockey East and NCAA titles in each of the last three years.

Senior Parker Milner was the starter in net for two of those championships, and he’s back again for BC. He’ll backstop the Eagles’ defense behind freshman Teddy Doherty and senior Patrick Wey, with Bill Arnold centering Johnny Gaudreau and Destry Straight up front.

BU will send out sophomore Cason Hohmann between Sahir Gill and captain Wade Megan, with Sean Escobedo and Ryan Ruikka on the blue line and freshman Sean Maguire in net. Let’s get it on.

8:15 p.m.: A few observations from the the first three of hours of hockey:

-For a team that has not enjoyed the success of some of the conference’s elite, UMass Lowell has a tremendous fan base. The River Hawks have always traveled well, and tonight they packed their corner of the Garden with students and older fans alike. The wide range of uniform styles spotted in the crowd — with some even sporting sweaters bearing the school’s old Chiefs logo that was retired in 1994 — illustrates the fact that these are true diehards rather than just front-running bandwagon jumpers.

-The crowd, as a whole, is very anti-BC. How much so? Well, any children caught on the Jumbotron camera wearing Boston College gear have been met with a spirited chorus of boos. So, yeah, these guys do not like the Eagles.

Final, UMass Lowell 2-1: The Friars’ final rush falls short and the River Hawks are headed to the finals.

We expected a defensive battle, and that’s exactly what we got. Both Jon Gillies and Connor Hellebuyck were sensational in net, finishing with 33 and 34 saves, respectively.

UMass Lowell now advances to the conference championship game for just the third time in school history and the first time since 2009. They’ll take on the winner of tonight’s matchup between Boston College and Boston University, who will face off in just under an hour.

You can check out viewing information for tomorrow’s title game by clinking here. So, take a break, take a peek at the basketball scores, but keep it tuned right here as we bring you all the action from the Eagles and Terriers starting in just a few minutes.

Third period, 19:10, UMass Lowell 2-1: Hellebuyck is pushed all the way back into his net but manages to keep the puck out. Providence calls its timeout and will look to draw up one final play.

Third period, 17:59, UMass Lowell 2-1: Lowell calls for a timeout, and Providence now has just two minutes to find a way to put the puck past Connor Hellebuyck — something the Friars haven’t been able to do since the 8:59 mark of the first period. PC sends out a line of four forwards and two defensemen, with Gillies sent to the bench.

Third period, 12:30, UMass Lowell 2-1: Scott Wilson puts the River Hawks on top for the first time all night with an incredible, highlight-reel goal.

Wilson carried the puck into the Providence zone and with Friars defenseman John Gilmour draped all over him, let off a shot that sailed between Gilmour’s legs and over Gillies’ left shoulder, giving Lowell a 2-1 lead with 7:30 remaining.

Third period, 8:49, 1-1: It seems like both teams have needed a little kick in the behind to get their offenses going tonight. Just as Lowell did after surrendering Kevin Rooney’s goal in the first, PC has ramped up its attack in the wake of White’s tally.

Derek Army and Steven McParland have managed a few promising rushes into the River Hawks zone, but Hellebuyck has been stout in net, his save total now up to 27.

The Friars continue their Kyle Arrington impression, though, as Velischek is sent to the box for PC’s fifth interference violation of the night.

Third period, 4:11, 1-1: Riley Wetmore gets sent off for slashing, and Providence has an opportunity to respond with the extra man.

Third period, 0:34, 1-1: The River Hawks finally solve Gillies barely half a minute into the final frame. After making a save on a shot from the point, the PC netminder was bowled over by his own captain, Kyle Murphy, leaving a wide-open net for A.J. White to bury his second goal of the season. Looks like we’re headed for a thrilling finish here in this one.

Second intermission, Providence 1-0: What Marshall Henderson is to Ole Miss basketball, Jon Gillies is to the Providence Friars. The second-youngest player on the ice (behind fellow Friars freshman Mark Jankowski) has been the best through two periods, stopping all 25 shots he’s faced to backstop PC to a 1-0 lead through 40 minutes.

If any representatives from the Calgary Flames (who own the rights to both Gillies and Jankowski) are in attendance at the Garden, they have to be encouraged by their investment.

Second period, 16:02, Providence 1-0: Riley Wetmore almost capitalized 45 seconds into the power play. The senior captain tried to sneak the puck between Gillies’ right skate and the post, but the goalie was able to cover the puck amid a mad scrum in the crease. A lengthy review determined that the puck had crossed the goal line, and the Friars continue to hold a 1-0 advantage.

Second period, 15:00, Providence 1-0: Gillies does it again, making the save of the night to deny Joseph Pendenza with his right pad. The Friar faithful certainly approve of their freshman’s performance, as a “We got Gillies!” chant echoes from the section decked out in black and white.

PC is not doing its netminder any favors, though, as Derek Army was whistled for — you guessed it — interference. The River Hawks will again go on the power play.

Second period, 10:57, Providence 1-0: The interference bug bites the Friars again, and Kevin Hart is sent to the box, marking the first penalty in what has otherwise been a very crisp period of hockey.

Second period, 8:30, Providence 1-0: To properly illustrate the reason for Providence’s remarkable turnaround this season, look no further than the man in the crease. Jon Gillies has been a brick wall for the Friars yet again tonight, stopping all 19 UML shots and foiling what to this point has seemed like a period-long scoring chance.

He hasn’t done it alone, though, as the Friars D-men — especially freshman Tom Parisi and senior Pittsburgh draftee Alex Velicshek — have done an excellent job of taking out the trash in front of the net.

Second period, 2:45, Providence 1-0: Strangely, the beginning of the second period is playing out much like the first one — only with the roles reversed. Providence can’t seem to get the puck out of its defensive zone, and the River Hawks were almost able to jam it home during a scrum in front of the net before Gillies found his bearings and stopped play.

Second period, 0:00, Providence 1-0: UMass Lowell wins the faceoff and the second period is underway.

First intermission, Providence 1-0: Norm Bazin’s club got its best scoring chance of the night in the closing seconds of the first period.

With Friars defenseman Myles Harvey in the box for interference, the River Hawks fired away at Jon Gillies. Gillies weathered the storm with a little help from the iron, as a rocket from the blue line rang the left post and allowed PC to go into the locker room with a one-goal cushion.

Play has been rough thus far, as is expected in a playoff game, but both teams could benefit from cleaning up their checking a bit. Officials handed out five penalties in the opening period — three for interference — and Lowell has shown the ability to exploit Providence’s far-from-dominant penalty kill.

First period, 13:20, Providence 1-0: Rooney’s tally seems to have altered the momentum a bit, and now it’s UMass Lowell spending a lot of time in the Providence zone. The Hawks have yet to find many quality scoring chances, though, as Gillies has stopped all eight shots that have come his way.

First period, 8:59, Providence 1-0: We have our first goal of the night, and it comes from an unlikely source.

Freshman Kevin Rooney lit the lamp for the first time in his collegiate career after Hellebuyck couldn’t control a Noel Acciari slap shot and and Rooney slipped the rebound into the exposed net.

The Canton, Mass., native played in 28 games this season but had only three assists on his record until today.

First period, 6:29, 0-0: PC had its chances, but the River Hawks’ top D-pairing of Amlong and Ruhwedel got their bodies on a few pucks in front of the net to kill off the Wallin penalty. Their reprieve didn’t last long, though, as Foxboro native Derek Arnold was called for a trip, again leaving Lowell shorthanded.

First period, 3:35, 0-0: A physical few minutes produce the first power play of the game, as UML’s Terrence Wallin is sent to the box for hitting from behind. Providence nearly sneaks one by Hellebuyck in the opening 20 seconds of the man advantage, but the 6-foot-4 netminder gets a glove on it to force a face0ff.

5:05 p.m.: The Garden crowd is definitely skewed toward the River Hawks at the moment. There’s a lot of blue, red and white in the building.

A quick adjustment to the starting lineups: Providence will open up with its line of freshman Steven McParland, senior captain Kyle Murphy and junior Derek Army in front of defensemen Tom Parisi and Alex Velischek.

4:45 p.m.: The fact that the Friars and River Hawks are playing with a spot in the conference title game today is a testament to how much the Hockey East has evolved in recent years.

Before this season, UMass Lowell had finished better than fifth in the conference just twice since 2005-06 (third in 2009-10 and second last year), while PC finished seventh or worse six times over that span.

The winner of this game will have an excellent shot at breaking up the Boston College-Boston University monopoly that has claimed every title game since 2004.

4 p.m.: Good afternoon, hockey fans. We’re just about one hour from game time here at the Garden, so let’s take this chance to get acquainted with the boys from Providence and Lowell.

As I mentioned earlier, the goalies will be the story in the afternoon matchup, as both Jon Gillies and Connor Hellebuyck (pronounced HELL-e-buck) have been stellar in their first year at the college level. Their success has been evident on the score sheet, as UML and PC are tied for second in goals allowed per game (3.66) in conference play.

The goalies aren’t the only young guns making a name for themselves, though, as the teams will send out a combined six freshmen for the game’s opening shift.

The River Hawks’ top line features senior captain Riley Wetmore — the squad’s top goal scorer with 15 — centering between junior Derek Arnold and freshman Ryan McGrath, with freshman Greg Amlong and junior Chad Ruhwedel making up the first defensive pairing.

On the Providence side, senior Tim Schaller centers the Friars’ first line with freshmen Mark Janowski and Paul de Jersey on the wings, and senior Myles Harvey and junior Kevin Hart (no, not that Kevin Hart) patrolling the blue line.

8 a.m. ET: This weekend — and much of the next few weeks — will be dominated by college basketball, but March Madness isn’t limited to just hoops.

Some of the finest collegiate hockey players New England has to offer will take the ice tonight at TD Garden for the semifinals of the Hockey East tournament, with the victors earning the chance to play for the conference title Saturday.

There weren’t any upset specials in last weekend’s quarterfinals, with the higher seeds going a combined 8-1 to sweep the four opening-round series.

Top seed UMass Lowell, coming off its first regular-season title in school history, punched its ticket to the Garden rounds with a two-game sweep of Maine. Lowell will take on a fourth-seeded Providence squad backstopped by freshman sensation Jon Gillies. The matchup will showcase two of the game’s best young goaltenders, as Gillies and River Hawks freshman Connor Hellebuyck rank second and first, respectively, in the Hockey East in both goals-against average and save percentage.

But the marquee event will be the nightcap, as Boston University looks to send coach Jack Parker to his 10th and final Hockey East title game with a win over crosstown rival Boston College. The Eagles’ own legendary coach, Jerry York, is expected to miss the game as he continues to recover from a detached retina suffered last Saturday.

UMass Lowell and Providence will get the action under way at 5 p.m., with BC-BU following at 8 p.m. Be sure to check back throughout the day for up-to-the-minute updates leading up to puck drop.

Photos via Twitter/@HeightsSports / Facebook/Boston University / Twitter/@HeightsSports / Facebook/Providence College Men’s Hockey

UMass-Lowell became the first team outside of the foursome of Boston College, Boston University, Maine and Providence to come out on top of the regular season. Yes, the Riverhawks bested powerhouses like Jack Parker’s squad and Johnny Gaudreau‘s BC linemates to make history in Hockey East.

But what was the single most memorable moment overall?

Kevin Roy scored a hat trick in the opening game of the Beanpot, going on to win MVP honors in a losing effort. Jon Gillies came up with an incredible save against Boston College in a huge game. Jerry York broke the NCAA’s all-time record for wins as a head coach. And, finally, Jack Parker announced his retirement after 40 years behind the Terriers bench.

So, what’s the most memorable moments in a season full of them?

UMass-Lowell, Boston College, Boston University and Providence College will descend upon Causeway St. on Friday night to begin the conference’s 29th annual tournament.

The UML Riverhawks come in as this year’s No. 1 seed. Lowell was the regular season champion going 16-9-2 in conference play and swept Maine out of the playoffs last weekend at the Tsongas Center. Lowell has been led this year by junior forward Joseph Pendenza who has paced the team with 35 points and a plus-13 rating. UML will take on No. 5 seed Providence in the late-afternoon game Friday night.

The Friars come in after a hard-fought series victory over New Hampshire. PC got two late second-period goals to take a 3-2 lead over UNH on Sunday afternoon and then held off a third-period rally to advance. Providence finished the regular season in fourth place with a 13-8-6 record. Goaltender Jon Gilles has been vital to the Friars’ success, posting a 2.08 GAA, and PC has not won a game in his absence.

Defending national champion Boston College comes in as the No. 2 seed, but is probably the favorite heading into this weekend. The Eagles have fought through myriad injuries to finish with 33 regular-season points. BC swept Vermont in two easy games at Kelley Rink last weekend to advance to the Garden. With BU on the NCAA bubble, the Eagles would love to end Jack Parker‘s career Friday night. Hobey Baker hopeful Johnny Gaudreau has been phenomenal for BC, with 49 points (20 goals) this season to lead the Eagles with one of the best offenses in the nation.

The BU Terriers will be playing with a little extra incentive this weekend since Jack Parker announced his retirement after 40 years behind the bench for the Terriers. BU is certainly on the bubble and a loss Friday night would all but end their season — and subsequently Parker’s career. Freshman Danny O’Reagan and junior Matt Nieto will do their best to extend Parker’s career. The forwards have combined for 71 points this season and have led the Terriers to a strong finish after a tough start.

Regardless of which team takes it home, one thing is certain: there will be a lot of pride and intense hockey at the TD Garden this weekend.

The Eagles and Terriers have combined for 10 national titles and more recently have brought four of the last five Frozen Four crowns back to Beantown. Headlined by legendary coaches Jack Parker and Jerry York, respectively, Boston University and Boston College have a strong case for the nation’s top feud.

Other historic college feuds to be considered are Wisconsin and Minnesota, with the winner bringing home the Border Battle Cup, while Michigan and Michigan State share one of the best intrastate rivalries. The Battle of Boston also has competition not only on a national stage, but on a regional one as well. The rivalry between Maine and New Hampshire has stood for decades and was at its peak when Maine topped UNH in the 1999 national final. Harvard has its annual Beanpot with the likes of BC and BU, but the Crimson consider Cornell as their ultimate foe.

Eagles coach Jerry York will miss the remainder of the Hockey East quarterfinal series after suffering a detached retina in his right eye Saturday morning, according to the school. York is scheduled to undergo eye surgery in Boston on Monday.

BC defeated the Catamounts 4-2 in Game 1 of the best-of-3 series Friday night and will look to clinch a spot in next weekend’s conference semifinals with a victory on Saturday. A loss would result in a winner-take-all Game 3 at Conte Forum the following afternoon.

It is not yet known whether York would be able to return to the bench if his team advances to the Garden rounds. Associate coaches Mike Cavanaugh and Greg Brown will lead the team in his absence.

Some coaches will use anything to motivate their players, whether it’s an emotional speech or a movie to get their point across.

Jerry York seems to have a Hoosiers-esque quality about him. He has been coaching Boston College for 39 years now, and is inching closer to his eighth Hockey East title.

Jack Parker, who recently stated his time with the Boston University Terriers has come to a close, will look to capture his fourth NCAA crown to seal his 40-year coaching career. UMass Lowell’s second-year head coach, Norm Bazin, has put his River Hawks on top, and with the semifinals on the horizon, his presence has been felt on the bench.

All of those coaches are great, but if you wanted to get an extra edge, what movie would you use? Would it be Miracle, the story behind the 1980 US Olympic team? Or would you choose Mel Gibson‘s Braveheart to lead your players into battle? If you’re an underdog, you might want to choose Remember the Titans, The Mighty Ducks or Hoosiers.

Vote in our Hockey East poll below.

Jack Parker stressed several times during his retirement press conference that everyone he has coached and coached with during his four decades at Boston University is a part of his family. Several of his former players were on hand for that announcement Monday afternoon, and they echoed the legendary coach’s sentiments.

“Hockey is a very close, close community, and BU hockey is even closer. And I think that’s because of Jack,” said Mike Eruzione, who played for Parker at BU before going on to captain Team USA to the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics. “He said earlier that we’re all his sons, and he’s right. During my four years here, he was my coach, he was my father at times and he was my friend. Even today, he’s not my coach anymore, but he’s one of my closest friends and a man that I have great respect [for] and love dearly.”

For more from other BU hockey alumni, plus Jamison Coyle‘s interview in studio with Parker, check out the video above.

“Institution” is a word often thrown around to describe legendary sports figures, but when it comes to longtime Boston University coach Jack Parker, the word seems apt.

With the coach announcing his intention to retire at the end of this season, Boston Terriers past and present reached out to share their words of congratulations with the coach. NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette found some of the best ones, so check out what Parker’s former players are saying in the video above.

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In a move that came as no surprise to any college hockey fan not living under a rock this weekend, Parker, on his 68th birthday, announced his retirement after 40 years as head coach at Boston University.

“The question is why, and again, it’s time,” Parker told an assembled group that included numerous former  coaches and players. “I’ve been coaching the team for 40 years, I’ve been a coach here for 44 years and I was a player here before that. So for 48 out of the last 49 years I’ve been reporting for duty for BU hockey, and that’s enough.”

A man that would certainly be enshrined on the Mount Rushmore of college hockey, Parker has racked up 894 career victories since taking over at BU in 1973 — second among active coaches behind crosstown rival Jerry York of Boston College — to go along with seven Hockey East titles and three national championships. He’ll hope to add a few more trophies to the case at Agganis Arena before calling it a career, however, as Parker will continue to lead his team in this weekend’s conference tournament and into the NCAA tourney, should the Terriers qualify.

Parker admitted that he originally planned to retire following last season, but after a difficult year for the team that included multiple suspensions and accusations of a “culture of sexual entitlement,” he decided to return for 20012-13. As for choosing to announce his intentions in the week between regular season and the tournament, Parker said the timing just felt right.

“I didn’t want to do it earlier on,” he said. “I didn’t want to go through a farewell tour of all the other rinks in the league. That’s not me and I didn’t need to have that happen. But at the same time, I didn’t want to wait until the end of the year and have myself and my team find out when all the games are over that, ‘Oh by the way, guys, that was the last time I’ll coach you.’

“I always talk about BU being a family. I have two daughters and about 226 sons, and the team I have now are my youngest sons. And I’m not going to have any more children.”

Though Parker is beloved by his BU family on Commonwealth Ave., his influence reaches far outside the city limits. During his tenure, the Terriers have produced dozens of NHL players, six Stanley Cup winners and four members of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” squad that won the Olympic gold medal in Lake Placid, including Team USA captain Mike Eruzione and goalie Jim Craig.

“If you look at my record, it looks like it’s a real good record,” Parker said. “If you took me and put me at Yale and took Tim Taylor and put him here, he’d have a better record than me. There’s a lot of great coaches around. The only way you can stay a long time is continue to win, and the school has to want you to win and be behind you. And this university over a long period of time, and more so now than ever, has been behind the hockey program and the hockey coach.”

Parker remains under contract with the university until 2017-18 and will continue to be a part of the BU community, serving as a special adviser in charge of fundraising to university president Robert Brown. But his final games behind the bench at the rink that bears his name will come this weekend, when BU hosts Merrimack in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.

When Boston University men’s hockey coach Jack Parker announces his retirement, which he is expected to do at a news conference at 3 p.m. on Monday, he will walk away from the game with one of the most impressive resumes in the history of collegiate hockey.

During Parker’s 40-year tenure, the Terriers won three national titles, seven Hockey East championships, 21 Beanpot championships and 894 total games — the most wins ever by a coach at a single school.

NESN Hockey East analyst Jim Connelly joined Jamison Coyle on NESN Daily to discuss what BU fans will remember most about the coach and how Parker’s impending announcement will affect the current Terriers squad heading into the conference tournament.

Check it out in the video above.