BOSTON - Looking to close out the first half of the season on a high note, the Boston University men's ice hockey team hosts crosstown rival Northeastern on Saturday (Dec. 7) at Agganis Arena. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Fans will receive a BU button at Saturday's contest and the annual Teddy Bear Toss will take place in the second intermission. Following the game, students will be able to skate on the ice at Agganis.

The Terriers (5-6-5, 3-3-4 Hockey East) will attempt to earn their second win over a city foe this week following a 5-2 home triumph against No. 12/9 Harvard on Tuesday. That ended a stretch of three straight non-conference games as BU returns to Hockey East play for one tilt before breaking for finals and the holidays.

This will be the 239th meeting between the Terriers and Huskies since they first met during the 1930-31 season. The only team BU has played more games against is Boston College (279).

BU holds a 165-63-10 (.714) advantage, including wins in 13 of the past 21 meetings (13-6-2) but the Huskies are 5-1-1 in the past seven. 

The past two meetings both took place at TD Garden with the Huskies earning 2-1 overtime decisions each time, including the Hockey East semifinal that ended BU's 2018-19 season. Northeastern is one of only four programs in the country that has won its past two match-ups with the Terriers.

Northeastern (10-4-2, 6-3-1 HE), currently ranked as high as eighth in the country, is coming off a successful trip to Northern Ireland, capturing the Friendship Four title with wins over New Hampshire and Colgate. The Huskies have won five straight games and sit tied for first in the Hockey East standings with 13 points.

Sophomore Tyler Madden is tied for the nation lead in goals with 12 and leads the Huskies in points with 22. Junior Zach Solow (5g, 10a) and senior d-man Ryan Shea (2g, 13a) have recorded 15 points apiece and senior Matt Filipe has chipped in 12 (2g, 10a).

In goal, graduate transfer Craig Pantano already has 10 wins after totaling only six last season at Merrimack. He currently sports a 1.97 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.

Last season, BU won it yearly Hockey East series with the Huskies by taking three of four points in a weekend home-and-home in November before the teams had their Beanpot and Hockey East tournament meetings on Causeway Street.

Senior Patrick Harper tallied two assists and was one of five different Terriers to find the back of the net in BU's victory over Harvard. He enters Saturday just three points shy of 100 for his career.

BU held a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes against the Crimson thanks to goals by freshmen Trevor Zegras and Robert Mastrosimone. Harper, senior Patrick Curry and junior Cam Crotty tacked on insurance goals in the final two frames to seal the win and hand Harvard just its second loss of the season.

The Crimson's first goal came shorthanded, marking the first time since Jan. 27, 2018, at Arizona State that the Terriers allowed a tally while skating on a power play.

Junior David Farrance had two assists on Tuesday for his seventh multi-point performance of the year, which leads all NCAA defensemen. He continues to share the nation lead in power-play goals with eight and he leads all Division I blueliners in points (21) and goals (10).

Harper is tied for eighth nationally in points per game at 1.36 while Farrance ranks tied for 12th at 1.31.  

Graduate student Sam Tucker has made 13 straight starts in goal for BU and has a 2.19 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage over the past five contests.