No. 2/3 Terriers Host Maine Friday
November 20, 2014 | Men's Ice Hockey
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Inside BU Hockey - Epsiode 7
BOSTON - The No. 2/3 Boston University men's ice hockey team (6-1-1, 4-1-1 Hockey East) kicks off a stretch of five games in 10 days when it hosts Maine (3-7-1, 2-3-0 HE) on Friday (Nov. 21) at Agganis Arena in the latter half of a home-and-home series. Game time at Agganis Arena is set for 7:30 p.m.
BU and Maine are meeting at Agganis Arena for the first time since Dec. 8, 2012, as last season's designated home game for the Terriers was played at Fenway Park. The first 3,000 fans at Friday's contest will receive BU hockey t-shirts.
The two teams met a week ago with the Terriers posting a 3-1 victory in Orono. Each member of BU's top forward line scored a goal, as the Terriers erased an early 1-0 deficit with a power-play, a go-ahead shorthanded tally and a late empty-netter.
Freshman Jack Eichel and junior Danny O'Regan each recorded a goal and an assist while junior Ahti Oksanen buried his second power-play goal of the season.
BU is now ranked as high as second in the nation, which is its highest ranking since being No. 2 in both polls the week of Feb. 13, 2012. The Terriers are already over halfway to last season's win total of 10 and a win on Friday would allow BU to match its 2013-14 Hockey East win total of five.
The Terriers and Black Bears have played 122 times since first meeting in the 1923-24 season, and BU holds a 59-50-13 edge (.537), including an 19-8-5 advantage in the 32 meetings since the beginning of the 2005-06 season. BU is 10-3-2 in the 15 meetings at Agganis Arena, but Maine is 2-1-1 in the last four tilts at Parker Rink.
Maine's had a season of streaks, dropping its first four games before responding with a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) only to have that followed by a current three-game losing streak.
Sophomore Cam Brown, the younger brother of former BU women's soccer All-American and current assistant coach Casey Brown, leads the Black Bears in points (9) and goals (5) while junior Steven Swavely (2g, 6a) is right behind with eight points. Sophomore Blaine Byron (3g, 4a) has added seven points.
For the Terriers, Eichel (5-8--13) O'Regan (6-5--11) and senior Evan Rodrigues (3-8­--11) are the top three point-scorers in Hockey East play thus far this season.
Eichel ranks first in the nation in points per game (1.88) and plus-minus (+15). He also leads all Hockey East players in points (15) and assists (9).
The rookie standout has yet to be held without a point, as he is the first Terrier since Shawn McEachern in 1988-89 to open his collegiate career with an eight-game point streak. He is now looking to become the first BU player since Frantisek Skladany in 2001-02 to start off a season on a nine-game point streak.
Junior Matt O'Connor has allowed only nine goals in six games and his .949 save percentage and 1.51 goals-against average both rank sixth amongst Division I goaltenders.
The Terriers have outscored their opponents 18-3 in the third period this season, but have only scored three first-period goals.
BU will have a short turnaround before making its first visit to the state of Connecticut in over 13 years on Saturday (Nov. 22) when it takes on UConn at the XL Center in Hartford at 3:30 p.m.
