Luke Tuch playing hockey
Matt Woolverton

Top Two Teams in Nation Set for Historic Battle of Comm. Ave

January 25, 2024

WEEKEND PARKING ADVISORY

#1 Boston University (16-4-1, 5-1-1 HE) at/vs. #2 Boston College (16-4-1, 9-3-1 HE)
Date & Time: Friday, Jan. 26 - 7 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 27 - 7 p.m.
Venue: Conte Forum - Chestnut Hill, Mass. | Agganis Arena - Boston, Mass.
X/Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierHockey

The best rivalry in college hockey will take center stage this weekend as the No. 1 Boston University men's ice hockey team will face No. 2 Boston College in a home-and-home series that begins Friday night in Chestnut Hill before concluding on Saturday at a sold-out Agganis Arena. Puck drop on both nights is scheduled for 7 p.m. Both contests will air live on NESN and ESPN+. In addition, Friday's matchup will be televised live in Canada on TSN while Saturday's game will be on TSN+.

THIS WEEKEND IS HISTORIC

  • For the first time ever, BU and BC will meet as No. 1 and No. 2 in the national polls.
  • The teams are also No. 1 and No. 2 in the PairWise rankings entering the 292nd and 293rd editions of the Battle of Comm. Ave.
  • The last top-three matchup between the two squads was the 2012 Beanpot title game, which No. 3 BC won in overtime against No. 2 BU, 3-2.
  • The most recent on-campus Battle of Comm. Ave that featured both teams in the top five was on Nov. 7, 2014, when No. 5 BU bested No. 3 BC, 5-3, in Chestnut Hill.
TERRIER TIDBITS
  • BU extended its win streak to seven games with a sweep of Vermont in Burlington this past weekend.
  • The Terriers earned a 5-1 win on Friday and a 5-2 victory on Saturday.
  • Freshman Macklin Celebrini repeated as Hockey East Rookie of the Week after totaling three goals against the Catamounts.
  • Celebrini is fourth overall and first among rookies with 1.68 points per game.
  • He has tallied 32 points (16g, 16a) in 19 games, which is tied for second in Hockey East, second among national rookies and fifth overall in the NCAA
  • Celebrini also leads the nation's freshman class with 16 goals.
  • Sophomore Lane Hutson is second among all NCAA defensemen with 10 goals and is tied for fourth among NCAA defensemen (first in HE) with 28 points.
  • He matched his career high with four assists in Friday's 5-1 win at Vermont before opening the scoring on Saturday.
  • Hutson is the only defenseman in the country who has reached double digits in both goals and assists this season.
  • The Terriers are 34-for-36 (94.4%) on the penalty kill since Nov. 22, which ranks second in the nation during that span.
  • They have killed off the last 22 power plays they have faced dating back to the second period of a 5-2 win over Merrimack on Dec. 2.
  • Junior goaltender Mathieu Caron is 7-0-0 with a 1.43 GAA and a .947 save percentage during the Terriers' seven-game win streak, including a 36-save shutout of New Hampshire on Jan. 13 at Agganis.
  • BU is 6-2-1 against ranked opponents this season, including a 4-1-0 record against top-10 teams and a 2-1-0 mark against top-five foes.
  • Graduate student Cade Webber leads the nation with 3.0 blocked shots per game.

SERIES HISTORY

  • The Comm. Ave. rivals have met 291 times and the Terriers lead the series, 139-131-21 (.514).
  • That includes a weekend sweep by the Terriers on Jan. 27-28, 2023, with BU besting BC, 6-3, in Boston before earning a 3-1 win in Chestnut Hill.
  • The Eagles won the last meeting, 4-2, in the Beanpot consolation game.
  • No other opponent has appeared on BU's schedule more often. 
  • Northeastern is the next closest, having faced BU 249 times since the 1930-31 season.
  • The first game in BU Hockey history was on Feb. 6, 1918, against Boston College at Boston Arena.
  • BU and BC have played 46 overtime games and the Eagles hold a 16-10-20 edge.
  • The Terriers have 11 of the 21 shutouts in the series history.
  • BU is 3-0-1 in its last four home games vs. BC.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES

  • Like BU, BC enters this weekend at 16-4-1, though the Terriers have a six-point lead on the Eagles in the league standings.
  • BC has won five of its last six games, including a 6-4 road win and a 6-2 home victory over Merrimack this past weekend.
  • Freshman Gabe Perreault leads Hockey East in both points (34) and assists (27).
  • Sophomore Cutter Gauthier leads the league with 17 goals.
  • Freshman goaltender Jacob Fowler has started all 21 games for BC, posting a 2.27 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
  • BU and BC have played 10 games against common opponents this season, with the Terriers owning a 9-1-0 record and the Eagles going 7-2-1.
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