Feb. 21, 2009
After skating to a 2-2 draw with No. 4/5 Northeastern on Friday at Agganis Arena, the top-ranked Boston University men's ice hockey team closes out its home-and-home series with its cross-town rival on Saturday at Matthews Arena.
The Terriers remain one point behind the Huskies for first place in the Hockey East standings.
Check back to this page throughout Saturday's game for live updates.
BU 1, NU 1 - Final
10:25 p.m. - BU gets back to even strength in overtime and has a scoring chance come up short. With just over a minute left, Brandon Yip gets a major penalty and a game misconduct. The Terrier defense comes through one last time and the result is a third straight tie for BU.
10:13 p.m. - Brian Strait is whistled for hooking with 1:08 left in regulation. BU holds off through regulation and we're headed to overtime
After playing in just one overtime contest in their first 29 games this season, the Terriers have now played in three straight.
Huskies will have 52 seconds of power-play time to start the extra session.
10:08 p.m. - Soon after play returns to even strength, Northeastern ties it up when Steve Quailer stuffs in a rebound above the left post.
10:04 p.m. - The Terriers are giving the Huskies every chance to get a goal of their own, committing back-to-back penalties. Fortunately, the first is killed off and the Huskies committ a penalty of their own while BU's second is still being served.
9:51 p.m. - BU GOAL!! Matt Gilroy sends home a pass from Nick Bonino for a shorthanded tally with 12:21 left in regulation.
Millan made a handful of standout saves on the 5-on-3 before the Terriers got a man back. Bonino blocked a shot near the top of the zone to set up a 2-on-1 rush with Gilroy. Bonino looked to shoot and nearly lost the puck while Thiessen came out to defend the puck. Bonino then snuck it through to the crease, where Gilroy was there to convert on a wide-open net.
9:49 p.m. - Another penalty to BU (Shattenkirk, hooking) gives the home team a 1:07 5-on-3 advantage. Cronin calls a timeout to set things up.
9:47 p.m. - Northeastern's penalty kill is successful once again, and soon after, a hooking call on Vinny Saponari will give the Huskies a chance to open the scoring.
9:43 p.m. - BU is 0-for-7 on the power play tonight, but will another chance following an elbow penalty to Greg Costa.
9:36 p.m. - The start of the third period is minutes away. The Terriers have a 19-14 shot advantage.
BU's current scoreless streak of 85:39 is its longest since one that lasted 112:35 two seasons ago. That streak included a 0-0 tie against UMass Lowell.
9:17 p.m. - The past few minutes have been crazy, but we still are scoreless. BU had a great shorthanded chance, but senior John McCarthy's open look from the slot was saved by Thiessen. Northeastern the committed back-to-back penalties that ended up giving the Terriers a 5-on-3 opportunity that lasted for over a minute. Thiessen was up to the task, though, making a handful of saves, including a brilliant stop on a look by Bonino outside the right post.
9:07 p.m. - After back-and-forth play for several minutes, BU is on the power play. The Terriers nearly gave up a shorthanded goal, but Millan made a pair of tremendous stops. Colby Cohen committed an interference penalty in the process and the man advantage is over.
8:57 p.m. - First power play of the second period will belong to Northeastern, as sophomore Colby Cohen makes a visit to the penalty box.
8:36 p.m. - First period comes to an end with the teams skating 4-on-4 following penalties to BU's Brandon Yip and NU's Denis Chisholm. BU holds a 12-8 shot advantage entering the first intermission.
The Terriers have not scored a goal in 65:39, their longest scoreless streak of the season.
8:24 p.m. - BU gets two more power-play chances but can't get on the board. Northeastern head coach Greg Cronin mentioned in last night's post-game press conference that the Huskies would have to stay out of the penalty box to be successful tonight. That hasn't been the case, but Thiessen has stopped all 10 shots he has faced so far to keep the game scoreless.
8:16 p.m. - While the balcony of Matthews Arena has been packed with students well before the opening faceoff, there are now very few seats empty in the lower section. Definitely nice to see this rivalry heat up as much as it has this season.
8:12 p.m. - The Terriers also kill off their first penalty, but not without two saves by Millan. BU then quickly generated a couple good looks on even strength, including nearly the first-ever Gilroy-to-Gilroy goal, as Matt set up a chance for Kevin in the slot that was saved by Thiessen.
8:09 p.m. - Northeastern gets a power play of its one after junior Zach Cohen gets sent to the box for interference.
8:04 p.m. - First power play of the night goes to the Terriers following an interference call on Joe Vitale just 25 seconds into the game. Thiessen made a great save on a shot by Vinny Saponari from the foot of the left circle and the Huskies ended up killing off the penalty.
8:02 p.m. - The starting lineups have been announced and were almost ready to play. Here's is Northeastern's linuep:
Quailer - Vitale - MacLeod
Tuckerman - Ginand - Donovan
McNeely - Silva - Costa
MacCauley - Rassey - Guzior
Maley - Liotti
Nycholat - Strathman
Chisholm - Hewkin
Thiessen in goal
7:52 p.m. - Senior Chris Higgins will miss tonight's contest due to a hand injury suffered in last night's game. Freshman Chris Connolly will move up to the first line to take Higgins' place and freshman Victor Saponari will dress for the first time since Jan. 16. Here's is BU's linuep:
Connolly - Wilson - Lawrence
McCarthy - Bonino - Yip
Z. Cohen - Popko - Vin Saponari
Glass - Vic Saponari - K. Gilroy
Strait - M. Gilroy
C. Cohen - Shattenkirk
Warsofsky - Gryba
Millan in goal.
7:26 p.m. - The teams just took to the ice for warm-ups. After a sellout at Agganis on Friday, another sellout is on tap tonight in which should be an electric atmosphere at the oldest hockey rink in North America. Northeastern students lined around the block for a chance to get one of the 500 tickets allotted for them on game day.
7:17 p.m. - Welcome from Matthews Arena where the top-ranked Boston University Terriers will look to extend their nation-best 11-game unbeaten streak in their series finale with No. 4/5 Northeastern. BU is 2-0-1 against the Huskies this season, including a 1-0-1 mark in the teams' Hockey East series. The Terriers also posted a 5-2 victory over the Huskies in the Beanpot final.
Northeastern has been in first place in the Hockey East standings for the entire season and held on to its slim one-point lead over BU with last night's draw.
