Boston University’s home schedule was released Wednesday afternoon. The Terriers will play 18 games at Agganis Arena, including 11 Hockey East games.
BU will open its season with exhibition games versus the University of Prince Edward Island on Oct. 1 and the U.S. National Under-18 Team on Oct. 6. The Terriers fell to the Under-18 squad, 7-4, last year, with incoming freshmen in forwards Clayton Keller and Kieffer Bellows, goaltender Jake Oettinger and defenseman Chad Krys featuring prominently.
Head coach David Quinn’s squad will then return to Commonwealth Avenue on Oct. 21 to host Sacred Heart University. It will be the first ever meeting between the two programs. The following night, 2015-16 national runner-up Quinnipiac University will come to town for its first contest at Agganis in team history. Boston University got the best of the Bobcats last season, defeating the country’s then-No. 2 squad, 4-1, in Connecticut.
The Terriers will then host their first conference opponent on Nov. 5, when defending Hockey East champion Northeastern University makes the short trip from Matthews Arena. BU will then play the University of Connecticut at home two weeks later.
Harvard University comes to Agganis Arena for a non-conference game on Nov. 22 after the Terriers earned a 6-5 win on the road over the Crimson last season. BU’s next home game is against Providence University, who defeated the Terriers in the 2015 national championship. The Friars and the Terriers played twice last season, with both games resulting in ties.
BU will then host Yale University on Dec. 13, the final game before the holiday break. It will be the first trip to Agganis for the Bulldogs since 2009. After the holidays, the Terriers will begin the second half of the regular season with a game versus Union College on Jan. 5. That matchup will be the last non-conference home game of the season.
After the Union game, Boston University’s last eight home games will be with familiar foes. Boston College comes to Agganis on Jan. 13 as part of the Green Line Rivalry. The Terriers then host the University of Maine on Jan. 20, Merrimack College on Jan. 27 and the University of Massachusetts Lowell the following night. BU had a 4-3-1 record against those four teams last season.
In February, the University of Massachusetts Amherst comes to town on Feb. 3, while the University of New Hampshire visits the Terriers Feb. 17. BU will wrap up the regular season with a pair of home games versus the University of Notre Dame, who will be leaving Hockey East next season for the Big Ten Conference. The Terriers split a pair of games with the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana last year.
The full 2016-17 regular season schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
.@TerrierHockey has unveiled its 2016-17 home schedule! Get your season tickets today! https://t.co/jUPmqycuLq #GoBU pic.twitter.com/jlzpzzDwhu
— BU Athletics (@BUAthletics) June 8, 2016
Can’t wait for the season to start. That said two teams coming to our place are not traditional at all. I think this having of non traditional teams could be one of the reasons for a lack of buns in the seats. Sacred Heart just does not do it for me. Sorry.
I am a fan of new teams (Division 1, of course) coming to play at Agganis … traditional and non-traditional. So, I will be glad to see Sacred Heart … as well as Ohio State, Arizona State, Ferris State, Yale (who we do host this year), etc. I think buns-in-the-seats are going to be accomplished by putting a dominant team on the ice this season. I too am eagerly awaiting the first game of the season. I am very happy that there will be a hockey game (albeit exhibition) during alumni weekend.
I am also eagerly awaiting the first preseason poll. Of course that and fifty cents will get you on the Subway (as my grandpa used to say LOL). Still, it’s hard to imagine that we won’t be #1. Crossing fingers and toes that everybody stays!
Son of CC
The good news is all games are at 7 or 7:30pm. This fact alone could help boost attendance. Although I do agree that a game against Scared Heart does not excite me. I cannot imagine the team being pumped up to play them or this opponent helping attendance.
I think , and i do not know for sure, but part of the reason the schedule sacred heart is 1. they need to game the proper amount of D1 games, and i think it supports college hockey. that weaker league needs to play quality opponents in order to exist. they can not just play themselves. it elevates them game because if those schools fold, then the overall college game weakens. that is just my uninformed theory