The Morning thaw: UNH secures home ice, McNeely in line to make history

After their commanding 6-1 victory over Vermont at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Friday night, UNH has become the first team in Hockey East to clinch home-ice advantage in the quarterfinal round of the Hockey East Playoffs...both Boston College and Merrimack can clinch home-ice tonight. BC needs only a tie or a Maine tie/loss to clinch, and Merrimack needs a win and a Maine loss to clinch...Merrimack heads to Alfond Arena for a two-game set with Maine next weekend...Northeastern captain Tyler McNeely is one point away from his 100th career point. He would join BC's Cam Atkinson, Brian Gibbons and Joe Whitney; Maine's Gustav Nyquist; Merrimack's Chris Barton; New Hampshire's Paul Thompson, Mike Sislo and Phil DeSimone and Northeastern's Wade MacLeod as the only current players in Hockey East with 100 points.