Women's Ice Hockey (15-10-6, 10-8-4 WHEA) vs. Northeastern (19-10-3, 14-7-2 WHEA)
Date & Time	Friday (Feb. 17) - 7 p.m.
Venue	Walter Brown Arena - Boston, Mass.
Watch	Terrier TV
Game Notes	BU
Live Stats	GoTerriers.com
Twitter	@BUGameDay | @BUwhockey

   
Parking Advisory

The Boston University women's ice hockey team will begin the final weekend of the regular season on Friday night when the Terriers host Northeastern at Walter Brown Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

BU (15-10-6, 10-8-4 WHEA) and Northeastern (19-10-3, 14-7-2 WHEA) have not met since October, when the Huskies earned wins both at home and at Walter Brown Arena. The last meeting was a 4-3 home loss for the Terriers. However, in non-Beanpot games during February and March, BU is 7-0-0 against Northeastern at home or at a neutral site since 2013. Overall, the Terriers have won 30 of the 50 all-time meetings.

While Northeastern is locked into the second seed for the Hockey East playoffs and concludes its regular-season schedule on Friday, the Terriers have plenty on the line. BU enters the weekend in third position with 24 points, one point ahead of Providence and Vermont, both of which are tied for fourth place at 23 points. Vermont hosts last-place Merrimack for a pair of games (Fri.-Sat.) and Providence has a home-and-home with regular-season champion Boston College (Sat.-Sun.) BU holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with Providence but not with Vermont and can finish anywhere from third to seventh. UConn and New Hampshire are currently tied for sixth with 20 points; if UNH wins just once against the Huskies, BU will not finish lower than sixth.

If BU wins just one game this weekend, the Terriers will finish no lower than fifth. Just one UNH victory over UConn also ensures that BU will finish no lower than sixth, even if the Terriers lose both games this weekend. Two Terrier wins ensures third place. The playoff picture will become crystal clear for BU prior to puck drop on Sunday afternoon against Maine.

The Terriers averaged just 2.37 goals per game during January, but they seem to have found their groove again as the calendar turned to February. BU has scored at least four goals in its first three February fixtures and has averaged 5.0 goals per game in those tilts, which is tied for the top mark in the country. Overall, the Terriers are fifth in the country with an average of 3.48 goals per game.

Their offensive output has been improved partially because of the surge in their power play. BU boasts the fourth-ranked power play in the NCAA entering the final weekend of the regular season. The Terriers have scored on 20.5 percent of their power-play chances this season. Over their last four games, the Terriers have clicked at 36.4 percent on the power play, third-best in the nation.

Friday is the final regular-season game for Northeastern, which has nothing to play for after locking up the second seed in the Hockey East playoffs. The Huskies have won their last five league games and six of their last seven contests overall, including a 2-1 victory at Boston College on Feb. 10.

Despite missing the last three games on duty with the Czech Republic, junior Denisa Krizova leads the Huskies with 39 points thanks to 17 goals and a team-best 22 assists. Junior McKenna Brand leads the NCAA with 23 goals and is second on the squad with 36 points (23g, 13a). Sophomore goaltender Brittany Bugalski has started all 29 games she has played, posting a 1.92 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage en route to an 18-8-3 record.

Following Friday's fixture, the Terriers will host Maine on Sunday, Feb. 19. BU will honor its seven-member senior class, which includes graduate student Mary Parker. In addition, Sunday is the 10th annual ChiliFest. Fans will be able to enjoy chili from five different dining halls on campus and vote for the winner. Game time is set for 3 p.m.