Boston University
Merrimack
Men's Ice Hockey Hosts Merrimack for Senior Night on Saturday
March 1, 2019 | Men's Ice Hockey
| Boston University (13-15-4, 11-8-3 HEA) vs. Merrimack (7-23-3, 4-17-2 HEA) | |
|---|---|
| Date & Time | Saturday, March 2 | 7 p.m. |
| Venue | Agganis Arena | Boston, Mass. |
| Tickets | TicketMaster |
| Watch | TerrierTV on Stadium |
| Listen | TSRN - Regular stream and Mandarin |
| Live Stats | GoTerriers.com |
| Game Notes | BU | Merrimack |
| Podcast | Inside BU Hockey - Episode 17 |
| @BUGameDay | @TerrierHockey | |
The Terriers will honor their senior class prior to Saturday's game in addition to recognizing all hockey alumni in attendance during the second intermission. In addition, a student crew will produce the first-ever Mandarin radio broadcast for a men's college hockey game.
BU enters Saturday in fifth place in the Hockey East standings, just two points out of third place, currently shared by Northeastern and UMass Lowell. With two games remaining, the Terriers can still finish anywhere between third and eighth in the standings.
The Terriers and Warriors are meeting for the third time this season with each team having won in its home rink. After a 4-0 loss at Merrimack on Oct. 20, BU rebounded with a 7-2 triumph over the Warriors on Jan. 21.
BU and Merrimack have played 116 times since first meeting on Dec. 11, 1964, and the Terriers hold a commanding 88-20-8 (.793) advantage. The Terriers are 35-9-4 against the Warriors since the start of the 2004-05 season, including a 21-3-2 (.846) mark in the 26 meetings that have taken place at Agganis Arena.
Merrimack, which is playing in its final contest of the season, will be looking to snap a 10-game winless streak (0-8-2). The Warriors are coming off a 4-2 home loss to No. 2 UMass on Thursday as the Minutemen clinched the Hockey East regular season title.
Freshman Chase Gresock has been impressive in the second half, recording 15 points (8g, 7a) over the past 13 games. Gresock leads the Warriors in points (24) and goals (11) this season while junior d-man Johnathan Kovacevic has a team-best 14 assists.
Senior netminder Craig Pantano has a 3.43 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage in 27 games played, including 23 starts.
BU potted three power-play goals and a shorthanded tally en route to 7-2 home win over Merrimack on Jan. 21. Sophomore David Farrance had his first two-goal game as a Terrier while junior Patrick Harper had a goal and two assists. Senior Ryan Cloonan and graduate student Max Willman each scored his first goal of the season.
The Terriers are coming off a 1-1 draw at No. 8 Providence on Thursday. Junior Jake Oettinger turned in an impressive 45-save performance to help BU earn an important point in the playoff race.
The top three shot blockers in Hockey East all reside on the Terrier blue line. Junior Dante Fabbro has a league-best 72 blocks, which ranks tied for ninth nationally, while sophomores Kasper Kotkansalo and Cam Crotty rank second and third with 63 and 60 blocks, respectively. BU ranks sixth nationally in blocked shots per game at 15.3 and the next-highest Hockey East team is New Hampshire in 30th with 12.2. Fabbro is the only player in the country to have 25 or more points and 65 or more blocks.
BU's penalty kill has successfully killed off 44 of its opponents' past 46 power plays, including a stretch of 26 straight, which was the program's longest such streak since a string of 27 straight that ended on March 24, 2017.
Since Nov. 3, junior goaltender Jake Oettinger has a .938 save percentage, which ranks second nationally during the span, trailing only Quinnipiac's Andrew Shortridge (.943) He has allowed just two goals over the past four games, posting a .983 save percentage and 0.48 GAA during the run.
Freshman Joel Farabee has 22 points (9g, 12a) over the past 19 games and was named runner-up for Hockey East Rookie of the Month for February. He ranks fourth nationally in points per game among rookies at 0.91.
