Rodrigues’ successful BU hockey career falls one win short

Among a bevy of collapsed teammates, it was perhaps Boston University senior assistant captain Evan Rodrigues who had the hardest time getting up.

After leading Providence College in the national championship game at the end of the second period, BU (28-8-5) let its advantage slip away, and lost by a score of 4-3. Surrounded by several teammates, including his roommate, close friend and fellow senior assistant captain Cason Hohmann, Rodrigues had come to the crushing realization that it was all over. It hadn’t ended the way any of them wanted.

And it didn’t end how Rodrigues wanted. He was the last person to leave the ice at TD Garden on Saturday.

“It just wasn’t supposed to end this way,” Rodrigues said in the locker room following the game, attempting to battle tears away.

With another deep breath, speaking slowly, Rodrigues reflected on what he and his teammates said to each other when they realized the season and — for some — their BU careers were coming to an end.

“Nothing,” he said. “I just don’t think we wanted to leave the ice.”

Rodrigues was at the helm of a season that no one anticipated BU would accomplish. After the Terriers were selected in a coaches’ poll to finish sixth in the conference, they took college hockey by storm, winning nine of their first 12 games.

They went on to take home three more trophies — a Beanpot championship, a regular season title and a Hockey East Tournament championship.

“We were in a lot of situations this year where we had to dig down deep and this team had a lot of resiliency, and just a lot of confidence,” Rodrigues said. “This is tough right now, but it’s a special group, I learned a lot this year. I definitely won’t take this for granted.”

And Rodrigues was at the forefront of that turnaround. After a lackluster junior season, Rodrigues returned to a rejuvenated team for his senior year, and with 61 points in 2014-15, Rodrigues nearly doubled his previous career-high in points (34 in 2012-13). The 61-point figure was good enough for second in the nation.

Rodrigues tied a school record on Jan. 30 with six assists against the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He notched two hat tricks in the season, one against the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Feb. 6 and again on Senior Night against Northeastern University on Feb. 27.

He took home accolade after accolade — twice Hockey East Player of the Month, three times Player of the Week, a nod as a conference Second-Team All Star and recognition as the NCAA Northeast Regional’s Most Outstanding Player.

In all ways, for Rodrigues it was a season to remember – but that’s what made the sting so harsh.

“That’s why it’s … tough to swallow now,” Rodrigues said. “But I’ll definitely remember these guys for the rest of my life, and we wouldn’t have been in this situation if it weren’t for everyone. It’s tough to swallow now, but when we look back, it’s been a special season and a special group, no one thought we’d come this far. We proved a lot of people wrong.”

Often the Terriers’ hero, though, Rodrigues had a quiet Frozen Four, recording no points against either the University of North Dakota on Thursday or against Providence (26-13-12). He had just two total shots on goal in his final two games, despite entering the contest averaging nearly 3.6 shots per game.

Rodrigues was mostly at a loss for words half an hour after the final loss ended — “I don’t really know what to say,” he said, shortly before departing TD Garden — but put his season into a positive perspective.

“I gained a lot of confidence this year,” he said. He continued to speak, but the sting, inevitably, remained.

With another deep breath, Rodrigues said, “We came one game short.”