Boston University
UConn
No. 7/8 Terriers Host UConn Friday to Kick Off Hockey East Play
October 20, 2017 | Men's Ice Hockey
| #7/8 Boston University (2-2-0, 0-0-0 HE) vs. UConn (2-2-0, 1-1-0 HE) | |
|---|---|
| Date & Time | Friday, Oct. 20 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Venue | Agganis Arena | Boston, Mass. |
| Tickets | AgganisArena.com |
| Watch | TerrierTV |
| Listen | TSRN |
| Live Stats | GoTerriers.com |
| Podcast | Inside BU Hockey (Episode 4) |
| Game Notes | BU | UConn |
| @BUGameDay | @TerrierHockey | |
BOSTON - After being swept in a weekend home series for the first time in over five years, the No. 7/8 Boston University men's ice hockey team (2-2-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East) turns to its Hockey East opener against UConn (2-2-0, 1-1-0 HE) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Agganis Arena.
The Terriers will host the opener of the home-and-home weekend on Friday before the teams meet in Hartford on Saturday at 5 p.m.
BU and UConn have had seven prior meetings and BU is 4-2-1 in them, including a 2-1-1 mark at Agganis Arena. The teams have split their league series in each of the past two seasons. Last season, the road teams emerged victorious while the each squad won at its own rink during the 2015-16 campaign.
During the 2014-15 season, the teams skated to a 4-4 draw at Agganis before the Terriers posted a 5-2 road victory two weeks later. In the first-ever tilt between the two schools on Nov. 17, 2013, BU posted a 4-1 home win.
UConn is already two games into its conference schedule after opening the season with a split at Maine. loss in the opener. Last weekend, the Huskies posted a 6-4 win at American International before falling at Sacred Heart, 3-1, in its most recent game on Saturday.
After tallying only two points as a freshman, sophomore Alexander Payusov is off to a great start this season with four goals and an assist. Junior Karl El-Mir (2g, 3a) and senior Johnny Austin (5a) are tied with Payusov for the team lead in points. Junior Maxim Letunov, who has 71 points (24g, 47a) in 73 career games is the team's leading returning scorer from last year.
Sophomore Adam Huska is the primary netiminder and has a .920 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average thus far this season.
BU is coming off a pair of home losses to now-No. 12/14 Minnesota State. The Terriers got a pair of goals from freshman Shane Bowers but the visiting Mavericks took the opener by a score of 6-3 on Oct. 13. Minnesota State completed the sweep on Saturday with a 3-0 shutout of the Terriers.
It was the first time BU had a visiting team pull off a sweep since Maine achieved the feat on Jan. 27-28, 2012, with scores of 4-2 and 3-1. In addition, it was the most lopsided sweep the Terriers have suffered at home since Maine came to Walter Brown Arena on Dec. 4-5, 1987, and left with 6-2 and 7-1 victories.
The Terriers are paced offensively by sophomore Patrick Harper, who has six points on four goals and two assists. Bowers has four goals while sophomore Chad Krys and freshman Brady Tkachuk have three assists apiece.
Sophomore Jake Oettinger has started all four games in goal for the Terriers and sports a 2.71 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
Only three of BU's 10 goals this season have come in 5-on-5 situations and the Terriers have yet to enter an intermission with a lead.
