Top-Tier Matchup vs. Providence Set for Live Audience Friday Night

Friday, October 28

Chestnut Hill, MA

6:00 PM

Boston College

Providence

Buy Tickets

Top-Tier Matchup vs. Providence Set for Live Audience Friday Night

October 27, 2016 | Men's Hockey

No. 8 Boston College welcomes No. 14 Providence to Kelley Rink Friday night for the Eagles second home game in eight outings live on American Sports Network outlets; On Saturday night, the Eagles travel to Amherst for a battle with UMass at 7 p.m.

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 28, 2016 (6 p.m.) / Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016 (7 p.m.)

WHERE: Kelley Rink - Chestnut Hill, Mass. (Friday) / Mullins Center - Amherst, Mass. (Saturday)

MEDIA INFORMATION (Friday): Live broadcast on all American Sports Network listings (FULL CLEARINGS LISTINGS HERE) / Will be broadcast live on NESN locally

BROADCAST TEAM: Tom Caron (Play-by-Play) / Colby Cohen (Color Commentary)

GAME NOTES: PDF / WEB

HOW TO FOLLOW (Friday):
- Television: Watch Live on NESN or any of these clearances across the country
- Radio: WEEI 850 AM -- Jon Rish (Play-by-Play) // Andy Powers (Color Commentary)
- Live Stats
- If in Canada, follow along on your TSNGO app
- BUY TICKETS

HOW TO FOLLOW (Saturday):
- Watch Live (UMass Athletics)
- Radio: WEEI 850 AM -- Jon Rish (Play-by-Play) // Andy Powers (Color Commentary)
- Live Stats

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. PROVIDENCE
Providence and Boston College collide on NESN and the rest of the America Sports Network outlets in the Eagles' first home Hockey East game at Kelley Rink Friday night. Last season, the Eagles and Friars met on three occassions, including Estero, Fla., as the two teams skated to a 1-1-1 record. PC took down the Eagles, 2-1, on Dec. 29 last year before newcomer Ian Milosz came in and defeated and tied the Friars. Boston College has enjoyed a great deal of success at home when Providence comes to town, winning 12 of the last 13 outings at Kelley Rink with the only blemish occurring on March 2, 2013 (5-1 loss). In the last 25 games overall, dating back to 2008, Boston College has dominated Providence, owning a 19-2-4 mark. BC posted a 15-0-2 mark from March 14, 2008 to March 1, 2013 against the Friars. Before beating BC in 2013, Providence had not won in Chestnut Hill since Oct. 31, 2006. Overall, the Eagles own a significant margin in the overall series, 110-48-14, and a 58-24-12 mark in Hockey East play. The win on Dec. 29, 2015 was Providence coach Nate Leaman's third win over BC in 12 tries (3-8-1).

FRIAR FOCUS
Providence skated into Friday's heavyweight battle with a 2-2-1 mark. It also stands as the Friars' Hockey East opener. Five Friars have attained five points (Erik Foley, Josh Wilkins and Jake Walman) while Foley is PC's leading goal scorer with three (3). In fact, all three of Foley's markers have come on the power play. PC's defense, backstopped by sophomore Hayden Hawkey (2-2-1 • 2.56 • .877), is tied for 18th in college, allowing 2.60 goals per game. Offensively, Providence is scoring 3.00 goals per game, tied for 27th in the game. Providence is also the most penalized team in Hockey East, averaging 22.2 PIMs per game. The power play ranks 15th in the NCAA right now (20.5 percent - 9-for-44) while the penalty kill is the exact same as Boston College's, killing off opposing penalties at a rate of 83.3 percent (30-of-36).

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. MASSACHUSETTS
Boston College looks to extend its unbeatan streak over Massachusetts to six games on Saturday as the Eagles return to the Mullins Center from last season; the site where head coach Jerry York won his 1,000th-carere game. BC has not lost in Amherst since 2012. As members of Hockey East, the Eagles lost their first trip to western Mass against the Minutemen on Jan. 7, 1995 (3-5) before rattling off 16-consecutive victories on Masschusetts' ice over the course of 10 years from 1995 to 2005. Since then, UMass has given BC a run for its money as Boston College holds only a slight 7-5-1 margin over the Minutemen in games at the Mullins Center since 2006. When BC and UMass met on a Tuesday in early November last season, it marked the 75th meeting between the two Commonwealth institutions. Boston College holds the overall series advantage, 60-13-3 and is 8-1-1 in its last 10 encounters with the Minutemen. Since Massachusetts has joined Hockey East, Boston College has mounted a 32-6-3 mark on home ice and a 28-5-1 win-loss total in Amherst.

MINUTE ON THE MINUTEMEN
Newcomer Jonny Lazarus leads UMass with five points (2-3-5) while classmate Griff Jeszka has also scored a pair of goals under first-year head coach Greg Carvel. Lazarus is tied as the seventh-most prolific scoring freshman in the early goings of the season. The Minutemen are 2-2 after splitting the season-opening series with common opponent Colorado College (3-0 and 4-7). The previous weekend, UMass took out Army (3-2) and lost to Quinnipiac, 2-3, in Hamden, Conn. on Tuesday night. Massachusetts has been splitting time in net between freshman Ryan Wischow (2-0-0 • 2.37 • .923) and sophomore Nic Reynard (0-2-0 • 3.22 • .922). Both the UMass offense and defense are middling around the middle of the NCAA pack as the offense is tied for 27th (3.00 gpg) while the defense is surrendering just as many goals per game, tied for 25th.

GOAL LIGHT GALORE
The Boston College offense lit the lamp 10 times over the course of its non-conference sweep over Colorado College and Holy Cross. The Eagles netted four goals in their home opener aginst CC and followed it with six more at the DCU Center on Saturday night at Holy Cross. BC's overall offense is averaging 3.57 and is now the 17th-ranked offense in college hockey and ranked sixth in Hockey East through six games.

ROOKIE PARTY
The Eagles new-look roster includes 13 rookies this season. All of them have dressed at least once this year and following last weekend, 12 of 13 have scored at least one point. David Cotton leads the newcomers with five points (2-4-6)) while Graham McPhee broke out of his shell with three helpers on Oct. 22 at Holy Cross. Mike Booth and Luke McInnis both scored their first-career goals at the DCU Center as well.

PULLIN' OUTTA THE POWER PLAY FUNK
Before BC's home opener, the Eagles could not find their rhythm on the power play as BC missed out on its first 23 chances. This past weekend and at Merrimack on Tuesday night the Eagles found the back of the net four times, going 4 - for - 15 with the extra skater as Colin White, Casey Fitzgerald, Chris Calnan and Scott Savage all scored on the power play.

BETTER THAN MARGINAL
The Eagles outscored their last three opponents by a combined score of 12-4, taking down Colorado College and Holy Cross, 4-1 and 6-1, respectively, before pulling even with Merrimack on Tuesday night, 2-2. Through the fourth week of play, Boston College possesses the 11th-best scoring margin. BC is outscoring its foes by +1.43 goals per game. Boston College has totaled 25 goals and surrendered 15 thus far.

SAVAGE SCORING
Senior defenseman Scott Savage four the back of the net for his first-career power play goal on Saturday night at Merrimack. It was his first of the power play variety in his 121st game on the blue line. It marked Savage's sixth-career goal overall and his first since scoring against Massachusetts on Nov. 3, 2015.

FRISKY FITZY
Sophomore defenseman Casey Fitzgerald netted three goals over the course of the Colorado College - Holy Cross weekend, including one on the power play. The North Reading, Mass., native produced his first-career multi-goal game at Holy Cross on Oct. 22 as well. Fitzgerald's goals has also counted extra on the scoresheet as he knocked in both game-winning tallies against CC and HC. It marks the first time the all-rookie defenseman from last season has scored a goal in back-to-back games.

RISING TO THE TOP
In six games, Boston College's defense is surrending only 2.14 goals per game, ninth best in the country and third best on the conference level. Despite being the 11th most penalized team in college hockey thus far (20.6 PIMs / game), the Eagles' penalty-killing unit has done a good job, snuffing out 40-of-48 opportunities at a rate of 83.3 percent.

GOALIE GANG
In Boston College's home opener against Colorado College on Friday, freshman netminder Ryan Edquist earned his first-career start as an Eagle. The Lakeville, Minn. Native stopped 23 shots in his debut. Joe Woll started off BC's quest in Hockey East play with a 2-2 draw at Merrimack. Woll has a goals against average of 2.32 (20th in the NCAA) while his save percentage of .926 ranks 17th in college hockey. In his one game this far, Edquist's save percentage rests at .958 while his goals against average is a scant 1.01.

HOCKEY EAST OPENERS
With their second-consecutive tie occurring when traveling to Merrimack after a 2-2 draw on Oct. 25, the Eagles are 12-7-4 in Hockey East conference openers in the Jerry York era.

YORK TO MISS TIME
Boston College men's head hockey coach Jerry York will undergo an outpatient eye procedure today and will miss Tuesday night's game at Merrimack. Associate head coach Greg Brown will lead the team in York's absence. York will return back to the Eagles' bench as soon as possible.

FRESHMEN FINDING THEIR GROOVE
Following Boston College's two non-conference victories over Colorado College and Holy Cross, 12 of 13 freshmen that has dressed for the Eagles all now have at least one point. Luke McInnis (Holy Cross), Mike Booth (Holy Cross) and Jesper Mattila (Colorado College) all scored their first-career goals as Eagles while Graham McPhee posted a playmaker (three assists) at Holy Cross. David Cotton leads the rookies with six points (2-4-6).