Merrimack Comes to Town for 6 PM Faceoff Live on ASN

WHEN: Monday, Feb. 10, 2017 (6 p.m.)

WHERE: Kelley Rink at Conte Forum / Chestnut Hill, Mass.

TV BROADCAST: America Sports Network (New England Sports Network (NESN) locally)

NESN BROADCAST TEAM:
- Tom Caron (Play-by-Play) / Billy Jaffe (Color Commentary)

GAME NOTES: PDF / WEB

HOW TO FOLLOW
- Television: American Sports Network - LIVE STREAM SHOWN HERE (shown on New England Sports Network (NESN) locally and TSN2 in Canada)
- Radio: WEEI 850 AM -- Jon Rish (Play-by-Play) // Andy Powers (Color Commentary)
- Live Stats
- Buy Tickets

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. MERRIMACK
Boston College looks to close out the regular season series against Merrimack on Friday night live on American Sports Network and hopes to keep a very lengthy streak intact. Going back to the last THIRTY (30) encounters between the Eagles and Warriors at Kelley Rink, Boston College is undefeated, possessing a 27 - 0 - 3 mark against Merrimack when defending home ice. It has been a different story in North Andover as MC skated to a 2-2 draw against Boston College in the first meeting of the season on Oct. 25. In the last 10 games at Lawler Rink, Merrimack is 4-3-3 against the Eagles. All-time, the Eagles possess a 65-21-7 overall mark against the Warriors. Merrimack head coach, Mark Dennehy, a former Eagle under Len Ceglarski, started off his career against Jerry York winless in his first 19 meetings. York posted a 17-0-2 mark against Dennehy's club until he obtained the elusive first win over his alma mater on Nov. 1, 2009, in North Andover. In all, York is 30-4-5 against Dennehy. MC has only defeated BC once in the last 12 encounters. It occurred on Feb. 15, 2013 when Conor Toomey scored an overtime game-winning power play goal with 31 seconds left in overtime in North Andover.

WARRIOR WATCH
After going 2-7 from Dec. 9 to Jan. 21, Merrimack has been a nice little run, having gone unbeaten in its last four games (2-0-2), including a sweep of then-No. 1 Boston University on Jan. 24 and Jan. 27, 3 - 1 and 4 - 1, respectively. In all, the Warriors are 10-13-5 with a 4-7-5 mark in Hockey East play, tied for ninth place in the league with Northeastern. Junior forward Bretty Seney leads MC's scoring efforts with 22 points (8-14-22) while senior forwrad Hampus Gustafsson has scored the Warriors' most goals with 11. Gustafsson is ranked 76th in all of college hockey, averaging 0.41 goals per game. Merrimack's defense is strong, ranked 20th overall (2.57 gpg) but has struggled to score with the 53rd-ranked offense, scoring at a rate of 2.25 goals per game.

TWENTY SOMETHINGS
With another offensive eruption in Durham, N.H. on Feb. 3 in a 6-4 win at New Hampshire, Boston College can now tout having SIX 20-point scorers. Currently, no other team in college hockey can boast that claim. Ironically enough, BC does not have a skater that is averaging over a point per game. Following the Eagles' third six-goal performance in five games, the BC offense is now ranked ninth, overall, in the nation and third in Hockey East. Boston College is averaging 3.33 goals per game.

NOT TO POINT FINGERS, BUT
Boston College possesses the third-most points in all of college hockey (100-182-282), eight behind Ohio State. BC has is also tied for the second-most assists (182) and are currently tied for fifth in goals scored (200). Boston College is also leading college hockey in even-strength points scored (207) and fourth in the nation in most road points scored with 153. BC is also back up to in first place in the NCAA in plus/minus differential (+39).

LEADING THE WAY
Boston College's top five point getters through 30 games are Matthew Gaudreau (6-21-27), Colin White (13-10-23), Austin Cangelosi (11-11-22), Ryan Fitzgerald (7-15-22) and Christopher Brown (7-15-22). White's 0.52 goals per game ranks tied for 35th in all of college hockey while Gaudreau's 0.70 assists per game are tied for 38th in the NCAA.

HERE'S MY PLUS-ONE
The Eagles are outscoring their opponent by just under one goal per game and are possess the 11th-highest mark in the NCAA. BC's +0.93 goal differential is tied for fourth in the league as the Eagles have netted 100 goals and given up only 72. The +39 plus / minus mark, as a club, is the best mark in all of college hockey.

STARTING OFF STRONG
The Boston College defense has been rock solid starting off games thus far. The Eagles' defensive unit has not allowed more than two goals in the first period of play the entire season until Notre Dame snuck a couple past on Jan. 28. At this point, BC leads all teams in the league in first-period goals given up, surrendering only 14 through 30 games.

DEFENDING THE HEIGHTS
The freshmen goaltending tandem of Joseph Woll and Ryan Edquist have performed at a high level this season as both are keeping the Eagles' defensive corps in the top half of the rankings. Against UConn on Jan. 24, Woll turned in a career performance, turning away 42 shots. In all, Woll has amassed a 14-9-1 (.604 - 26th in the NCAA) record, with a 2.49 goals against average (27th in the NCAA) and a .920 save percentage (16th overall). Edquist has been the primary back up with nice numbers, picking up his fourth-career win (4-1-1 in all) after defeating UMass on Jan. 20. In all, Edquist owns a 1.75 goals against average with a .929 save percentage.

DON'T GET ALL DEFENSIVE
Heading into the Merrimack contest, Boston College has only surrendered four goals or more on six occasions. The Eagles tout the fourth-stingiest defense in Hockey East and the 13th toughest to score against in the NCAA.

NONPLUSSED
Defensemen Scott Savage and Michael Kim currently tied for 10th in the country with an overall plus / minus of +18 through 30 games. His classmate, forward Austin Cangelosi continues to creep up that column as the Estero, Fla. native is third overall in all of college hockey. Cangelosi is at +24 right now, just five behind Union's Spencer Foo (+29).

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIIIIIIIME OF THE YEAR
Heading into the Merrimack contest Boston College is tied for ninth in the Pairwise ranking with an RPI rating of .5549, claiming the third spot of five Hockey East constituents above the top 16 in the Pairwise rankings. Boston University (3), Providence (T-7th), UMass Lowell (12th) and Vermont (14th) round out the league representation in the Pairwise rankings.

BEANPOT TROT
The Eagles fell to Boston University in the semifinal round of the 65th annual Beanpot Tournament, 3-1. With BU's win, it snapped a six-game losing streak against the Eagles in the Beanpot. The Eagles will play in the consolation game against Northeastern on Feb. 13. The Eagles have hoisted 20 Beanpot trophies and will play in its 31st consolation game on Monday afternoon at TD Garden.

SHORT-CANGEDED GOALS
Austin Cangelosi scored his third short-handed goal of the season on Feb. 3 at New Hampshire. The senior centerman is one of seven skaters in college with that many shorties this season. The Estero, Fla. has tallied five short-handed goals in his career, tied with Ryan Fitzgerald for most on the roster. He also scored BC's only goal in the Beanpot, marking his 12th of the season. Cangelosi is two tallies away from reaching the 50-goal scoring mark for his career.

Merrimack Comes to Town for 6 PM Faceoff Live on ASN

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Players Mentioned

Christopher Brown

Austin Cangelosi

Ryan Edquist

Ryan Fitzgerald

Matthew Gaudreau

Michael Kim

Scott Savage

Colin White

Joseph Woll