The ice hockey Terriers on their way to the Frozen Four: Nick Roukounakis (Questrom’25) leads the line to the bus April 8 as the BU Pep Band provides celebratory music. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Varsity Sports

BU Fans Rally Around Men’s Hockey as Frozen Four Arrives

With championship hopes high, watch parties across the country and at BU are planned

As the Boston University men’s ice hockey team loaded up their gear this week for the flight to St. Louis, Mo., to play in their third consecutive Frozen Four tournament, another BU group was preparing to join them at the game. The BU Pep Band, with their instruments and uniforms safely packed, shared the excitement—and even the pregame jitters.

“I’m pretty nervous because we do actually have a chance to win—it’s possible,” says trombone player Noah Layne (CAS’25). 

“We have 150 songs in our playbook,” clarinet player Helina Dicovitsky (CAS’25) adds. “I’m so excited.”

On Thursday night, the BU community will unite to cheer on the team in the Frozen Four semifinals, both in the stands at the St. Louis Enterprise Center and around the globe. There are five BU-organized alumni watch parties—in Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York City, and St. Louis. There is also a Dean of Students–organized party for students at the Student Activities Office in the George Sherman Union basement. Doors open there at 8 pm.

The puck drops at 8:30 pm EST as the Terriers take on Penn State, with the winner facing either Western Michigan or Denver Saturday evening in the championship. If the Terriers win it all, they will claim their sixth national title, the first since 2009. The game will air live on ESPN2.

The excitement was palpable Tuesday morning as the hockey team players walked down Agganis Way to board buses bound for Logan Airport. Smiling and waving as they made their way to the bus, they were met by a crowd of students, staff, and the BU Pep Band playing songs like “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.”

They may have felt nervous, but they didn’t show it. This is typical of elite athletes on top-ranked teams, explains Edson Filho, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development associate professor of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. These teams enjoy success because they are “cohesive, coordinated, and confident,” Filho says, with clear goals and “a strong belief that they can do it together.” Additionally, he adds, they have the ability to bounce back from difficult moments in the game: “[This] requires thinking as a team and having contingency plans in place.”

There was no contingency plan for fan Jacqui Conlon, who, despite the rain, felt compelled to cheer as the team loaded onto the buses. Huddled under an umbrella in the 40-degree sleet, Conlon (CAS’25) said she had attended most home games this season and was proud to earn her free student jersey. 

She plans to watch the game live on TV, along with other spectators across the United States. Some die-hard fans, like Paco Moguel, are so dedicated that they’ve made plans to travel to St. Louis. Moguel (CAS’25), president of the BU Dog Pound—a student group that attends every BU hockey game—has been to all of BU’s Frozen Four appearances while a student. He predicts the BU fan presence will undoubtedly not be near the size of a typical home game at Agganis, but he is certain the team will still feel supported. “We’ll do our chants, get the community involved, and bring up the energy,” Moguel says. 

Moguel is really excited about the game, but he acknowledges that this weekend will be bittersweet. “The Dog Pound was my ‘thing’ at BU—I dedicated so much passion to it,” he says. “But I want to close it in the best way possible, and I am hopeful we are national champs.”

It’s a funny story about how he got his ticket. During the Beanpot final—which BU won—the Dog Pound played an epic prank on archrival Boston College, as recounted on the Daily Free Press BU Hockey Blog. They snuck into the Eagles’ student section during the game and tricked BC students into unfurling a large banner reading “BC SUCKS.”

When a BU alum (and former Dog Pound leader) heard of the prank, he was so impressed that he offered to pay for the students’ Frozen Four tickets, if BU made it to the semifinals. He requested anonymity for this article, but when BU Today spoke with him, he said he “couldn’t be prouder of how the Dog Pound has developed through the years since [he] was the leader.” 

Another person benefiting from this anonymous gift is Dog Pound vice president Ethan Gassé, who has never been to a Frozen Four. He faces a crazy 10-hour travel day to get there: leaving Boston at 6 am on Thursday, flying to Chicago, and then taking a train to St. Louis. Since being there was so important to him, he opted for the cheapest flight possible. 

“I’m a superfan, but I’m trying to not focus on how the game will go—I’m trying to focus on all of the things that are in my control, and not stress out,” Gassé (CAS’25) says. “I said to my parents, ‘Does this trip seem insane and irresponsible?’ And they said I’d be crazy not to go—it’s my last year of college. No matter the outcome, I’m excited.” 

The Boston University men’s hockey team will play Penn State in the second Frozen Four game, at 8:30 pm, on Thursday, April 10, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. The winner will play Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 pm, against the winner of Thursday’s Western Michigan and Denver game, which starts at 5 pm. All games will air live on ESPN2. Follow the BU men’s team @TerrierHockey on X.