ST. LOUIS — Before the start of this season, the freshman goalies who started for Western Michigan and Boston University weren’t expected to play for their teams much less start in the national championship game.
Western Michigan’s Hampton Slukynsky and Boston University’s Mikhail Yegorov entered Saturday’s contest with just a combined 41 games between them. Yegorov was playing in just his 18th NCAA game, the lowest number in a championship game since at least 2000. Slukynsky’s 24 games were fourth behind Yegorov, Miami’s Cody Reichard (20 in 2009), and Denver’s Peter Mannino (23 in 2004-05).
It’s the first time a pair of freshmen started an NCAA title game since BU’s Kieran Millan bested Reichard in Washington in 2009.
Slukynsky had initially committed to Northern Michigan but switched to Western Michigan after a coaching change at Northern, joining his brother Grant at WMU.
At Christmas, Yegorov was in the USHL playing for Omaha but left at the semester break to join BU early.
“We wanted to strengthen the goaltender position in the first half,” said Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo. “We just felt we needed some help there. And we thought he could come in and compete for the starting job. And we gave him an opportunity and he never looked back.”
Yegorov posted an 11-5-1 record and a .934 save percentage to help the Terriers reach the title game but took the loss as BU fell to Western Michigan 6-2.
“It was hard to imagine something like that happening to me in it at the beginning of the season,” said Yegorov. “I wasn’t here at the beginning of the year but the guys made me feel part of the team right away.”
“It’s been a crazy last year for sure,” said Slukynsky. “ (I was) originally planning to go to Northern this year. With all three coaches leaving there we were able to open up our recruitment. (Grant and I) were open to going anywhere, trying to find the best spot for both of us. We were lucky that the best spot was at the same spot.
“We knew right after the Zoom call with the coaches we were going to come here. With the history of the last three years making the tournament, we knew we’d have a chance to win. It’s just really special to share this with him. We were just fortunate to be a part of this team.”
For Yegorov, it wasn’t the ending he hoped for, but he’s grateful for the opportunity and hoped to share a national championship with his teammates.
“Right now, it’s super disappointing that I wasn’t the best in the most important game of the season,” said Yegorov. “Those guys deserved it a lot, and I’m glad that I was able to go through this journey with them.
“I wasn’t here at the beginning of the year, but they were awesome for me, and right now, just very disappointing.”
With three years of eligibility for each of them, Yegorov and Slukynsky could meet again down the road.
