UMass-Lowell beats Boston University 1-0 for 1st Hockey East championship

BOSTON – Derek Arnold scored with 8:41 left in the third period and UMass-Lowell held off Boston University 1-0 Saturday night to win its first Hockey East tournament championship and end Jack Parker's 40-year run as coach of the Terriers.

River Hawks freshman Connor Hellebuyck stopped 37 shots, including a flurry in the final minutes after BU pulled its goalie and the Terriers frantically tried to send the game into overtime and prolong the storied career of their retiring coach.

Top-seeded UMass-Lowell (26-10-2) added to its Hockey East regular-season title by beating the third-seeded Terriers (21-16-2) for the fourth time this season.

Parker's remarkable career ends with an 897-472-115 record, one win shy of a 25th NCAA tournament appearance and a chance at his fourth national championship. While the River Hawks likely locked up a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs, the Terriers needed the conference's automatic bid to get in.

The 16-team field for the Division I hockey tournament will be announced Sunday, but the 11 at-large berths are determined by a mathematical formula rather than subjective reasoning by the selection committee. Boston University's sports information department acknowledged that a loss Saturday would leave the team short.

BU fans chanted "Thank you, Parker!" before he headed off the ice for the final time.

Sean Maguire finished with 28 saves for the Terriers. His only costly mistake came on a 3-on-2 when he got caught sprawled on the ice as Arnold swept behind the net for the game-winning goal. Maguire dived across the crease and stopped the puck at the goal line with his glove, but the rebound hit the paddle of his stick and bounced backward into the net.