Boston University vs. Northeastern final score: Terriers close season on high note, 5-0

BOSTON -- The Boston University offense exploded in the third period as the No. 19 Terriers scored four times en route to a season-closing 5-0 victory over the rival Northeastern Huskies at Agganis Arena on Saturday night.

With the win, BU finishes the regular season with a 18-15-2 record and earned the third seed in next weekend's Hockey East quarterfinals, thanks to a 15-10-2 league mark.

Freshman Danny O'Regan, a Needham, Mass. native, was named the game's first star with a goal and two assists, while classmate Sean Maguire made 14 of his 26 saves in the third period for his third shutout of the season.

After dropping the first two games of the season series, which also included a victory in the Beanpot semifinal, the Terriers came back for the final two wins to take the league set from NU. If the Huskies were to claim a win in this one, it would have marked their first Hockey East season set over their canine companions since 1988-89.

The Terriers doubled their lead just 1:12 into the stanza as O'Regan shuffled a backhand pass from behind the net to a lonely sophomore Evan Rodrigues in the slot for a wrist shot that gave him his 12th goal of the season.

"I am awful happy we won the game and got ourselves home ice," BU head coach Jack Parker said. "It was in doubt, for sure, during the second period. I thought Northeastern outplayed us in the second period...Then we got the goal right off in the third and that kind of took the pressure off."

Junior Matt Nieto got back on the scoreboard for the Terriers with 7:08 left in the stanza as he picked up his own rebound in the right circle for a wrister that beat Rawlings low for the third BU goal.

Less than a minute later at the 13:30 mark, junior Sahir Gill was sprung through the neutral zone and beat Rawlings through his five-hole after regaining his footing while being chased from behind by the Husky defense.

Gill posted his second of the game and ninth of the season at 17:04 as he tipped in junior Matt Ronan’s shot from the point that served as the first-collegiate point for the Woburn, Mass. native. Ronan’s primary assist allowed him to become the second BU player in as many games to crack the point column for the first time in his career as senior Jake Moscatel broke the ice in Friday’s victory at Matthews Arena.

"It was a nice little relief, I guess," Gill said of getting the monkey off his back with his first goal in four games. "I had one earlier in the game that almost went in. I was kind of kicking myself after that one, but it is always nice to score...It's just good in the last game of the season to get a little momentum going forward."

Joshua Kummins covers Hockey East for SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKummins.