Jan. 30, 2014
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Inside BU Hockey - Episode 15
Two squads adjacent in the Hockey East standings will meet on national television Friday (Jan. 31), as the Boston University men's ice hockey team visits Massachusetts. The game, which is on NBCSN, will start at 7:30 p.m.
The Terriers, who posted a 3-1 victory over UMass in the season opener on Oct. 11 at Agganis Arena, are in still in search of their first road win, as they are 0-8-0 in opposing rinks this season. Both teams have weathered an eight-game (0-7-1) winless streak this season.
Since their first game in the 1919-20 campaign, the Terriers and Minutemen have played 69 times. BU holds an impressive 53-11-5 (.804) record against UMass and is 19-7-3 (.707) in the 29 meetings at the Mullins Center. However, the Terriers are an even 4-4-1 in their past nine trips to Amherst.
Massachusetts is 2-5-1 in its last eight contests and, like BU, earned a split last weekend. The Minutemen posted a 5-2 home win over Merrimack on Friday before falling, 3-2, to the Warriors in North Andover.
The Minutemen only have seven regular-season games left, which is the fewest of any team in the country.
UMass boasts the top power-play unit in Hockey East, operating at a 21.8-percent success rate. Nearly half (26) of the Minutemen's 56 goals this season have been scored on the man advantage.
Senior Colin Sheary leads the squad in both points (20) and assists (16) while freshman Steven Iacobellis and senior Branden Gracel share the team lead in goals with 10 each. Senior Michael Pereira, brother of former Terrier captain Joe, scored his 100th career point with a two-goal effort Saturday at Merrimack.
In goal, junior Steve Mastalerz has started 22 of the team's 26 games and boasts a 2.66 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
Thanks to a three-goal spurt early in the second, BU opened its first season under head coach David Quinn with a win over UMass. Following a scoreless first period, three Terriers got on the scoreboard within the first eight minutes of the second to break open the game. Sophomore Ahti Oksanen assisted on all three tallies.
BU has scored 13 power-play goals over its past 13 games and boasts the third-best power play in the conference at 20.8 percent, which ranks 17th nationally. BU is ranked eighth nationally in combined special teams at 53.2 percent.
Freshman Nick Roberto has had three multi-point games since the start of the second half and has 12 points (5g, 7a) in his last 13 games. Classmate Robbie Baillargeon is tied for the team lead in points (18). The two have combined for 34 points this season, as only six other teams in the nation have received more points from their top two rookies.
