2025 NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament: NHL Draft prospect James Hagens, Wild’s Zeev Buium highlight standouts from Day 2

After an electric start to the NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament on Thursday, some of the big-name prospects came up with some key performances on Friday.

The first game of the day was a surprisingly tense game between top-ranked Boston College and Bentley. Though New York Rangers draft Gabe Perreault scored first for the Eagles, the Falcons were able to hang around thanks to some solid goaltending from Connor Hasley. Yet, in the dying minutes of regulation, draft-eligible prospect James Hagens wrapped home what ended up the game-winning goal, as BC pulled out a 3-1 victory.

We finally had a true “lopsided” result in the second game of the day in Manchester as the reigning national champions flexed their muscle against Providence. After squandering a chance to win the NCHC Championship, Denver was sure to leave no doubt against the Friars. Multi-point games from Chicago Blackhawks prospect Aidan Thompson, Carter King and Hobey Baker finalist Zeev Buium sent the Pioneers to a 5-1 win.

That sets up a rematch of last year’s national championship game, when Denver derailed what was an excellent season for BC last spring, with the Pioneers winning a record 10th national championship at the Eagles’ expense. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2, ESPN+, TSN+) on Sunday.

Over in Allentown, Connecticut was entering the NCAA Tournament for the first time program history. However, the team played like they had been there before, getting out in front of in-state rival Quinnipiac early with a couple of goals. The Huskies’ tough defense stymied the Bobcats throughout the contest, keeping netminder Callum Tung’s job easy in a 4-1 victory, giving UConn its first-ever win in the national tournament.

The final game of the night saw a raucous “home” crowd in eastern PA come out and support red-hot Penn State. While the Nittany Lions fell behind Maine, who came into the weekend as the region’s highest seed, the line of JJ Wiesbusch, Charlie Cerrato and Matt Dimarsico took over, powering the team to a 5-1 win. PSU has now won 10 of its last 12 games.

It sets up a battle between the Huskies and Nittany Lions on Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN+, TSN+), with both teams trying to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time.

Manchester

James Hagens, LW, Boston College (2025 draft eligible): It wasn’t an easy game for the Eagles by any stretch. However, the top line of Hagens, Perreault and Washington Capitals draft pick Ryan Leonard continued to do precisely what they had done all year, and that’s generate offense at 5-on-5. Hagens was right in the thick of things, creating opportunities for his teammates, and when things came down to the wire, he showed he could be a clutch player in crucial moments. Hagens ended up with two points against Bentley.

Zeev Buium, D, Denver (Minnesota Wild):

While Denver’s success doesn’t solely rely on one player, when Buium’s on his game, the Pioneers are tough to stop. That was certainly the case on Friday night. Buium was excellent when on the offensive end. That was seen when he scored early in the second period to put DU up by two.

Buium was a consistent threat throughout the game, assisting on the Pioneers’ next two goals to put the game out of reach. It marked the freshman’s fifth three-point game of the season, giving him 46 points on the year, extending his lead for scoring among defenders in the NCAA.

Carter King, C, Denver: On a team with so many NHL draft picks, some players can get lost in the shuffle. However, King has been such a strong player for the Pioneers this season that he’s been tough to ignore. The team captain was already having a career year prior to the national tournament, but he was a true catalyst on the top line with Thompson and Florida Panthers prospect Jack Devine. Like Buium, King picked up three points, scoring an empty-netter to cap off the impressive afternoon for the defending champs. He sits fourth on the team in scoring with 43 points thus far.

Allentown

Tristan Fraser, RW, Connecticut: Many wondered what the Huskies would bring to the table in the first NCAA Tournament game. Up against the best team in the ECAC during the regular season, UConn brought some heavy pressure early on against Quinnipiac. A lot of that came from the line of Fraser, Jake Percival and Ryan Tattle. The trio accounted for 10 of the Huskies’ 22 shots on Friday, with Fraser leading all skaters with seven shots on goal, including a big goal late in the second period to give UConn some breathing room.

What’s funny about that stat line is that Fraser has been more of a depth player for Mike Cavanaugh’s team. The junior out of West Vancouver potted just his fourth of the season, but his second in three games.

Matt Dimarsico, LW, Penn State: The best line for the Nittany Lions on Friday night was that of Dimarsico, JJ Wiebusch and Charlie Cerrato, with Dimarsico being the beneficiary, showing his scoring prowess against the Black Bears. He had two top-notch snipes on Mike Richter finalist Albin Boija, scoring what ended up being the game-winning goal in the latter stages of the first period.

Dimarsico ripped home his second of the game in the second period, giving him 16 goals on the year. The former Green Bay Gambler became the sixth Nittany Lion to hit the 30-point mark this season.

Charlie Cerrato, C, Penn State: I was close to putting Wiebusch in this third spot, but Wiebusch nor Dimarsico would’ve had their multi-point nights without the play of Cerrato. The freshman had his dancing shoes on, creating so many chances for his linemates and himself. While he couldn’t find the back of the net himself, Cerrato picked up assists on Dimarsico’s two markers and Wiebusch’s 13th of the season.

While everyone has their focus on Hobey Baker finalist Aiden Fink, Cerrato has been having a strong season in Hockey Valley. The former Youngstown Phantom is second on the team in scoring behind Fink, now with 40 points in 36 games.

Check out the standouts from Thursday’s action here