BC

RECAP: BU earns sweep of BC with 3-0 win at Conte Forum

mumihvsbc-618-1600x1065What a weekend for the No. 3 Boston University men’s hockey team.

Pegged against its archrival, No. 10 Boston College, head coach David Quinn’s side earned a 3-0 win at Conte Forum on Monday night, capping off a series sweep. The Terriers had previously beaten the Eagles, 2-1, at home on Friday night, paving the way for four vital points in the Hockey East standings.

Freshman goaltender Jake Oettinger was once again outstanding, as he posted 34 saves and made the difficult ones look routine. The defense deserves plenty of credit, too, as it limited BC’s “Grade-A” chances and ultimately silenced head coach Jerry York’s squad. For a full recap of the night’s affairs, check out Shelby’s recap over on The Daily Free Press.

A dominant storyline from Monday’s tilt was the play of freshman forward Patrick Curry. He opened the scoring on a second-period power play, and was often doing the little things right against the Eagles. For a full account of the 21-year-old winger’s night, check out Jonathan’s story over on The Daily Free Press.

With a 1-0 lead late and two power-play chances, BU iced the game via goals from sophomore forwards Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Bobo Carpenter. Looking ahead, BU welcomes the University of Maine to Agganis Arena on Friday night, only to travel up to Orono on Saturday night for the reverse fixture.

Highlights:

Postgame Presser:

Tweets of the Game:

The Small Five:

  1. JFK now has seven goals in his last four games. The center from Stockholm, Sweden is on fire.
  2. Across the weekend, BU never allowed an even-strength goal. The Eagles’ lone tally came on Friday, with Colin White striking on the power play.
  3. While this is hard to measure, that felt like the most complete weekend the Terriers have put together all season. There was opportunistic finishing, solid offensive zone time, great transitions through the neutral zone and stellar goaltending. All around, there were little to no flaws. The only gripe I can think of is BU’s third period from Friday’s game, as it sat back and nearly offerred BC a lifeline.
  4. He’s not getting on the scoresheet, but I’ve really been impressed with sophomore forward Ryan Cloonan’s play. His ability on the breakout is nearly flawless, and his speed across the blueline continually pins defensemen back.
  5. BU now sits in second place in the Hockey East standings. Its next opponent, the Maine Black Bears, is tied for last place. We could very well see the Terriers surging up the table even more next weekend.

RECAP: BU Beats BC in first installment of the Battle of Comm. Ave.

The third period was shaky as can be, but Boston University held on against Boston College on Friday night at Agganis Arena, earning a 2-1 in the process.

The scoring got underway in the second period, when Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson tipped home a shot from Dante Fabbro. BC answered right back, though, with Colin White banging home a power-play goal with ease.

Looking to regain the lead, Clayton Keller scored the ultimate game-winner as provided by Jordan Greenway. For a full recap of the night’s affairs, check out Jonathan’s recap over on The Daily Free Press.

Outside of the goalscorers, this game was always going to feature an elite battle of goaltenders. On one side it was BU’s Jake Oettinger, and on the other BC’s Joseph Woll. They both featured on Team USA’s 2017 World Junior Championship squad that last week secured a gold medal.

For more on that clash, check out Jonathan’s sider over on The Daily Free Press.

Highlights

Press conferences

Photos

Tweets of the Night

Live Blog: BU-BC rivalry returns

One thing’s for sure in college hockey: Boston University and Boston College don’t like each other. Not one bit, and it’s largely why their rivalry is so anxiously anticipated every year.

Luckily for fans, the return of BU-BC hockey is here, as the sides will clash at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Agganis Arena. For those who are interested, the game is also being streamed online.

Per usual, we’ll have our live blog, offering fans a chance to comment on the night’s affairs. Join in the thread below!

 

Live Blog BU vs. BU at Agganis Arena
 

Here are tonight’s lines for the Terriers and the Eagles:

Preview: The BU vs. BC rivalry is back

This article appeared originally on The Daily Free Press.

Sophomore forward Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson has five goals in his last two games. PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Sophomore forward Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson has five goals in his last two games. PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

The rivalry is back.

For the 271st and 272nd times, the No. 5 Boston University men’s hockey team and No. 8 Boston College will square off, this go around via a home-and-home series. The first tilt is set for Friday night at Agganis Arena, with the second unfolding Monday evening at Conte Forum.

While the high-profile games are riddled with storylines, the Terriers (12-5-2, 5-2-2 Hockey East) carry extra motivation in knowing that the Eagles (14-7-2, 9-1-1 Hockey East) await.

“We don’t like them and they don’t like us,” said junior defenseman Brandon Hickey. “You feed off the energy in the crowd, and it’s a sold-out building wherever you play. It’s one of the best rivalries in sports, and it’s obviously one of the most intense ones. For sure you want to come out on top this weekend.”

BU head coach David Quinn, who stressed his squad must first take care of business at home, spoke of the rivalry in a similar light.

“It’s a game that when your schedule comes out over the summer, the first thing you probably look at as a player is, ‘When do we play BC?,’” Quinn said. “I’m sure the BC guys like at it and say, ‘When do we play BU?’ Both programs push each other, and BC hockey is great for BU and BU hockey is great for BC. I think coach [Jack] Parker said that for a long time, and it’s a heated rivalry with a lot of respect.”

That healthy respect Quinn referenced is another theme that arose in and around Agganis this week. Doyle Somerby, BU’s captain and a senior defenseman, said he and several players have taken the short trip to Chestnut Hill to scout BC, particularly when now-No. 9 University of Minnesota visited on Nov. 27.

On those occasions, Somerby said they got a glimpse into just how dangerous the Eagles can be. In net, head coach Jerry York’s team, which sits atop Hockey East, boasts Joseph Woll, the owner of a .920 save percentage and 2.43 goals against average.

Sophomore forward Jordan Greenway physically dominated BC in the 2016 Beanpot Tournament final. PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Sophomore forward Jordan Greenway physically dominated BC in the 2016 Beanpot Tournament final. PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Building on out, the names to watch become even more dangerous. BC’s star defensemen are Casey Fitzgerald and Michael Kim, while the threats at winger and center come in droves thanks to Colin White, Austin Cangelosi, Christopher Brown, Ryan Fitzgerald and Matthew Gaudreau. Altogether, that group has banged home 44 goals and handed out 74 assists throughout the 2016-17 season.

“They’re a really fast, skilled team,” said freshman forward Kieffer Bellows. “They have so many good players and great goaltending. We’re really going to have to bring our A game and step it up.”

The Terriers feel well prepared to do just that, largely because this week at long last let them catch their breath. In fact, BU practiced with its full roster on Wednesday for the first time since Dec. 12, with seven of its players recently missing considerable time for the 2017 World Junior Championships.

During that span, BU saw its American representatives – freshman forwards Clayton Keller, Patrick Harper and Bellows, freshman goaltender Jake Oettinger, sophomore defenseman Charlie McAvoy and sophomore forward Jordan Greenway – win gold alongside BC’s White, Woll and Casey Fitzgerald. Meanwhile, freshman defenseman Dante Fabbro won a silver medal with Team Canada.

“It’s great to be back with all the guys,” Bellows said. “Coming off a huge win at World Juniors is really exciting and something that we always dreamed about, all of us. Coming back our main focus right now is BU hockey.”

Junior defenseman Brien Diffley evades a BC skater in the 2016 Beanpot Tournament. PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF
Junior defenseman Brien Diffley evades a BC skater in the 2016 Beanpot Tournament. PHOTO BY MADDIE MALHOTRA/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

While BU’s focus in unwavering, it will be without two contributors. Sophomore defenseman Shane Switzer is still recovering from a concussion, while senior forward Tommy Kelley is suspended for the first game by Hockey East for a hit from behind last Sunday against the University of Massachusetts.

Other than that, the Terriers are at full health and will be looking to build off a four-game winning streak. On the other hand, BC is 3-4-1 in its last eight games.

Despite those trends and the magnitude of this conference set, Quinn said the task at hand remains the same.

“We’re going to continue to establish our forecheck, do a good job in transition defense and move the puck,” Quinn said. “It’s not who you play, it’s how you play. We want to stick to that approach.”