Women's Ice Hockey (11-6-1, 7-6-0 WHEA) vs. #2 Minnesota (14-2-2, 12-2-2 WCHA)
Date & Time	Friday (Dec. 9) - 7 p.m. | Saturday (Dec. 10) - 3 p.m.
Venue	Walter Brown Arena - Boston, Mass.
Watch	Terrier TV (free)
Game Notes	BU | Minnesota
Live Stats	GoTerriers.com
Twitter	@BUGameDay | @BUwhockey

   
For the first time in program history, the Boston University women's ice hockey team will host No. 2 Minnesota at Walter Brown Arena this weekend. The teams will begin the two-game set on Friday night (7 p.m.) before taking the ice again on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m.).

Friday's is the team's Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, with a pre-game dinner to thank all faculty and staff for their support of the program. Faculty, staff and their guests will also receive free admission to the game. To request tickets, please visit GoTerriers.com/thankyou. Registration will close at noon on Friday.

The Raising Cane's "Cane's Challenge" will also make its way to Walter Brown Arena on Friday. If attendance reaches 500 or more, all fans will receive a free Cane's Combo with a purchase of one combo.

In addition, there will be an ugly sweater contest on Friday with first ($150), second ($50) and third ($25) place prizes awarded to the fans with the ugliest sweaters (fan vote).

BU (11-6-1) and Minnesota (14-2-2) have met four different times, including the 2013 national title game and the 2014 NCAA quarterfinal round. All four games have taken place at the Gophers' home rink, with Minnesota winning all four meetings. The teams last met on Oct. 4, 2014, when Minnesota defeated the Terriers, 5-2. Rebecca Leslie scored her first two collegiate goals in that game, with Maddie Elia assisting on both markers.

Friday will be the first time that former Gopher and current Terrier junior Nina Rodgers will faceoff against Minnesota. Rodgers won two national titles with Minnesota. In 81 games with the Gophers, Rodgers scored nine goals and added six assists for 15 points. The last time a Terrier transfer played against her former team, Mary Parker potted two goals in a 4-3 overtime win at Harvard on Nov. 22.

The Terriers enter this weekend having won six of their last seven games, with the one blemish coming last Saturday in a 2-1 loss against UConn. During that seven-game stretch, BU has allowed just 1.86 goals per game, 10th best in the nation. The Terriers continue to boast one of the top offenses in the NCAA, as they average 3.72 goals per game, third-most in the country. Parker and junior Victoria Bach are both tied atop the Hockey East leaderboard in points (25), with Parker also third in the nation with 16 goals.

A good offense has paced the Terriers of late, but senior goaltender Victoria Hanson has also been a key part of the team's success. Hanson has not allowed an even-strength goal in the last 124:02 of game time, dating back to the second period of the Terriers' 4-3 overtime win over Princeton on Nov. 26. The Stoughton, Massachusetts, native has allowed just two 5-on-5 goals over the last four games, and had her six-game win streak snapped last Saturday.

Minnesota enters the weekend with a 14-2-2 record, with one of those losses coming in its last game, an 8-2 defeat at No. 1 Wisconsin. The Gophers did split with the Badgers, however, taking the first game, 2-0. That loss to Wisconsin was the Gophers' first defeat since Oct. 8.

Junior Kelly Pannek leads the NCAA in both assists (26) and points (34) while senior Dani Cameranesi is the NCAA's leading goal scorer, having lit the lamp 18 times. Sophomore Sarah Potomak is behind those two with 27 points thanks to 11 goals and 16 assists. Junior goaltender Sidney Peters is fourth in the NCAA with a 1.39 goals-against average and also sports a .922 save percentage. Peters has started all 18 games for the Gophers and has posted five shutouts.

This weekend's series marks the end of the Terriers' first-semester schedule. They will enjoy a nearly month-long break before returning to action on Jan. 7, 2016, when they head out of town to face Boston College.