The BU men’s hockey team celebrating a goal against Long Island in the season home opener October 4 at Agganis Arena. The Terriers bested the Sharks 4-2. Photos by Eliza Nuestro, BU Athletics

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BU Men’s Hockey Team Confident They Can Capture Elusive 6th Title

Terriers are off to a good start, will host Colgate this weekend

It’s now the fourth year of the Jay Pandolfo era for Boston University men’s hockey. In his first three seasons as head coach, Pandolfo led the Terriers to three Frozen Fours and a national championship game appearance that ended in heartbreak.

Despite this success, the team’s efforts to earn its sixth national title, and first since 2009, have proved elusive.

“We’re still confident that we can find a way to win the whole thing,” Pandolfo (CAS’96) says. “We haven’t yet, but we’re going to continue to work at it.”

The Terriers are once again poised to make another run at college hockey’s ultimate prize. Entering the season, BU was ranked second nationally by USCHO and USA Hockey. After the regular season first week, the Terriers sit third in both polls.

The team’s 2025-2026 roster might be the most talented in the country, boasting 19 National Hockey League draft picks, the highest mark of any team, and 10 first- or second-round picks—also the highest mark. BU is also the third youngest team in college hockey, with an average age of 20.1. The team roster includes 12 freshmen and just one senior, Owen McLaughlin (COM’26), who played for the University of North Dakota last season.

But Gavin McCarthy (SHA’27) says the team’s youth is no obstacle to winning. “I think we’re going to be in a great spot,” he says. “Maybe some growing pains here and there, but that’s normal, and I think we have a great freshman class that can help out.”

McCarthy, who’s been named captain of the Terriers, follows in the footsteps of his older brother Case McCarthy (Questrom’23, SHA’24), who captained BU during the 2023-2024 season. The McCarthys are the fourth pair of brothers to be Terrier captains.

“It’s a great honor, and I’m very thankful for it, and excited to get going,” Gavin McCarthy says.

Joining him in the leadership group are Jack Harvey (SHA’27), Cole Hutson (CAS’28), and Cole Eiserman (CAS’28)—all named assistant captains.

“Being here the last couple of years, seeing the guys that have been part of the leadership group, it’s obviously some big shoes to fill. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Harvey says.

Hutson and Eiserman are BU’s top two returning scorers. Both will once again have massive offensive roles for the Terriers, especially on power plays. BU converted 28.1 percent of its power plays last season, and is aiming for similar success this season.

In the Terriers season opening 4-2 victory over Long Island University, they cashed in on two power plays, with goals from Eiserman and Sacha Boisvert (COM’28).

Boisvert, like McLaughlin, transferred from North Dakota following last season. He’ll be a major contributor in his first season in the scarlet and white, both on the ice and as a team leader, Pandolfo says.

“I know he wasn’t here last year, but you can just see it in practice how hard he competes. He has a really good understanding of the game,” the coach says. “You see him pick things up really quickly. He’s not afraid to ask questions, and he goes out and puts the work in. You can see he’s a kid that wants to get better every day.”

This season of college hockey marks the start of a new era. It’s the first year former Canadian major junior players are allowed to play collegiately, after a decision was reached in 2024. There is an influx of talent that the college game has never seen before. For BU, it comes in the form of Ryder Ritchie (CAS’29).

Ritchie comes to the Terriers from the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League—one of the three leagues in the Canadian Hockey League. He’s BU’s first taste of the new landscape, and Pandolfo and his coaching staff are thrilled to have him.

“His hockey sense is really high, and we value that a lot here to go along with his competitiveness,” Pandolfo says. “He can play with anyone. He can make plays, and he’s going to help with some of the losses we’ve had up front from a scoring standpoint.”

The Terriers are loaded and motivated to get back to the Frozen Four. They are plenty capable, but this time they don’t want just to reach the mountaintop—they want to claim it.

“We’ve gotten one step closer each year so far,” McCarthy says. “Obviously that’s always the goal—to go home with that trophy. The last two years we came up short, and this year we’re looking to finish the job.”

The BU men’s hockey Terriers host Colgate Friday, October 10, at 7 pm, and Saturday, October 11, at 6 pm, at Agganis Arena. Admission is free for students with a BU Sports Pass. Purchase tickets here. All hockey games can be streamed live on ESPN+.