Friday, February 23
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
7:00 PM
Boston College
vs
Maine
Regular Season Comes to a Close vs. Maine at Kelley Rink
February 21, 2018 | Men's Hockey
Following the first shutout in Orono in over 18 years, No. 20 Boston College returns to The Heights to close out the regular season with a pair against Maine on Friday & Saturday nights
BOSTON COLLEGE vs. MAINE
Following a strong performance in Orono on Feb. 17, Maine returns to Kelley Rink to close out the regular-season series on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24. Boston College has shutout Maine three times in its last five meetings as the Eagles kept the Black Bears off the board in back-to-back outings on Nov. 6-8, 2015 on The Heights. Saturday's shutout in Orono, though, marks the Eagles' first shutout of Maine on its own ice in over 18 years. The last time BC denied Maine of any scoring at Alfond Arena was on Jan. 29, 2000. The Eagles are on a nice little five-game winning streak against Maine and winners in seven of the last eight, but it has not always come easy against the Black Bears. Prior to this five-game winning streak over Maine, the Black Bears owned a 7-5 mark against Boston College. Friday's tilt marks the 123rd contest of the series as Boston College owns a 67-46-9 record overall. Head coach Jerry York is 9-2 against Maine's Red Gendron, who is in his fifth season at the helm of the Black Bears.
BLACK BEAR BREAKDOWN
Now that a majority of the season has unfolded, it's safe to say Maine jumped off the page a bit this year and responded nicely from a disappointing 2016-17 campaign. The Black Bears are right in the thick of things, tied for fifth in the Hockey East standings with a 10-9-3 conference record and a 16-12-4 mark, overall. Last season, Maine finished with an 11-21-4 mark with a 5-15-2 win-loss total in conference play. As is usually the case against Maine, it has involved itself in some tight games this season, including this most recent stretch. The Black Bears have gone to overtime in four of their last five outings, winning two and losing two. Six of Maine's last nine games have gone to overtime and the Black Bears have played in nine overtime games overall this season, going 3-2-4 in those decisions. Sophomore Mitchell Fossier leads Maine in scoring with 0.90 points per game, including 11 goals and 17 assists through 31 games. Classmate Chase Pearson is one point behind and leads his club with 20 assists, which is tied for 46th nationally. Despite being shutout four times this season, including against BC on Feb. 17, Maine's offense ranks 12th overall in college hockey in scoring (3.16 gpg) while the defense is tied for 35th, surrendering 3.03 goals per game. Maine is the most penalized team in Hockey East, eightth nationally, averaging 14.8 PIMs per game.
ATOP THE LEADERBOARD
Boston College now has its sights set on its 16th regular season Hockey East championship as the Eagles need only two points over the course of their last two remaining games against Maine to claim the conference crown. The Eagles are two points ahead of Providence with a game in hand and three points ahead of Northeastern and own the tiebreaker. Boston College is 16-6 in league play. With the win at UMass on Feb. 15, Boston College bypassed the first round of the Hockey East Tournament and is guaranteed to finish in the top four of the Hockey East standings. The Eagles are guaranteed to host a Hockey East quarterfinal series at Kelley Rink on Friday and Saturday, March 9th and 10th. Sunday, March 11th will be if necessary.
OFFENDING THE OPPOSITION
The Boston College offense has started to heat up as of late, accounting for five goals in back-to-back outings against UMass and Maine on Feb. 15th and 17th, respectively. It marks the first time the Eagles have scored that many goals in consecutive games this season. BC has lit the lamp five times in as many games this season as the offense is now tied for fifth in Hockey East, averaging 2.88 goals per game, and tied for 29th nationally.
HUTS-KO'ing THE COMPETITION
Freshman Logan Hutsko has been on fire as of late. The Tampa, Fla. native is currently on a four-game point streak, having accounted for nine points (6-3-9) within that span and notching a multi-point performance in each of those games. The BC rookie leads the Eagles in points scored this season (11-15-26) and also has posted the most multi-point performance (6) of any other Eagle in 2017-18. He is currently tied for first in points scored amongst Hockey East freshmen (0.81 ppg) and tied for 13th in the entire league.
SPECIAL TEAMS SPREE
Boston College has now scored a power play goal in nine of its last 11 games after David Cotton scored one at UMass on Feb. 15. BC's penalty-killing unit has done a nice job of turning a positive into a negative as the Eagles are tied for fourth in the nation with six short-handed goals this season. Boston College is one of nine teams in the NCAA with at least six short-handed goals this year, as both Christopher Brown and Graham McPhee lead the way for BC with a pair of shorties thus far.
FINNISH HIM
Julius Mattila accounted for his fourth multi-point performance this season and third multi-goal game this year with two goals and an assist at UMass. The Finn followed that with his 11th goal of the season at Maine on Feb. 17. The Tampere, Finland native is now second on the team lead with 11 goals scored. He has accounted for three goals in his last two outings.
HUTSKO HEROICS
Freshman Logan Hutsko became the first Eagle to account for five goals in two games since Nathan Gerbe turned the trick 10 years ago during the 2007-08 season. Hutsko scored the game-tying goal and overtime winner against UMass Lowell on Feb. 9 and followed that performance with a natural hat trick against Harvard in the Beanpot consolation on Feb. 12, all occurring in the third period, in a span of 11 minutes and 23 seconds, including an even strength goal, power play goal and extra attacker goal. Gerbe is the last Eagle to have scored four goals in a game, doing so at Harvard on Dec. 12, 2007. The future NHLer then scored against Air Force on Dec. 29, 2007. It marks BC's first hat trick since JD Dudek to accomplish the feat. Dudek tallied three goals at UConn on November 22, 2016 in a 5-2 win. Because Hutsko's goals all occurred in the third period, it counts as a natural hat trick. The last time an Eagle scored a natural hat trick, it took place on Nov. 4, 2016 when Austin Cangelosi turned the trick at Maine.
CASE'N THE JOINT
Captain Casey Fitzgerald is BC's leading scoring defenseman (5-13-18), which is tied for ninth in the conference. The junior leads the Eagles in shots on goal (91), second in blocked shots (25) and scored his first power play goal of the season on Jan. 6 vs. NMU.
THE BRICK WOLL
Sophomore backstopper Joseph Woll earned his second Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honor after racking up his first shutout of the season and second of his career in a 5-0 win at Maine on Feb. 17. It marked his first shutout of the season and first blanking since last March in the Hockey East quarterfinals against Vermont on March 10, 2017. The St. Louis native has stopped 629-of-692 shots faced in his first 25 outings for a .909 save percentage which is currently 37th in all of college hockey while his 2.57 goals against average ranks 31st in the game. Woll has stopped 1,541 - of - 1,691 shots faced (.911 save percentage) with a career mark of 2.61 goals against average. Woll was also one of 20 goalies named to the watch list for the 2018 Mike Richter Award, which annually honors the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey. Woll recently returned from the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship where he backstopped Team USA to a bronze medal.
DEFENDING THE NEST
Boston College's defense continues to limit the opposing lamp being lit as BC is now holding its opponents to 2.75 goals per game. That number is 24th, nationally, and fourth overall in the league. Over the last 11 games, BC has limited its opponent to three goals or less on eight occasions.
LOOSE CHANGE FROM THE SHUTOUT AT MAINE
- Boston College has shutout Maine three times in its last five meetings as the Eagles kept the Black Bears off the board in back-to-back outings on Nov. 6-8, 2015 on The Heights. Saturday's shutout in Orono, though, marks the Eagles' first shutout of Maine on its own ice in over 18 years. The last time BC denied Maine of any scoring at Alfond Arena was on Jan. 29, 2000.
- Second-year goaltender Joseph Woll recorded his second-career shutout and first of the season after stopping all 33 Maine attempts on Saturday night in Orono. The St. Louis, Mo. Native logged his first shutout last March in the Hockey East quarterfinals against Vermont on March 10, 2017. It marks the Eagles' second shutout of the season as Ryan Edquist stopped all 23 shots against UConn on Dec. 30, 2017. Woll stopped sixteen shots in the first period, tying the second most attempts he has thwarted this season. He stopped 20 shots in the second period against Providence on Jan. 12 and turned away 16 shots in the middle frame at BU on Dec. 2.
- Casey Fitzgerald curbed an 11-game scoring drought by opening up the scoring in Orono with a blast from the point at 2:47 of the first period. The junior captain scored his fifth goal of the season and 14th tally in the maroon and gold in his 107th-career game. The North Reading, Mass. native added an assist in the third period for his third multi-point performance of the season (1-1-2).
- Logan Hutsko is currently on a four-game point streak, having accounted for nine points (6-3-9) within that span. After Hutsko assisted on Mattila's goal in the first period, the Tampa, Fla. native and then scored his sixth goal in the last four games 18 seconds into the third period. The freshman forward now leads the Eagles in points scored this season (11-15-26) and also has posted the most multi-point performance (6) of any other Eagle in 2017-18.
- Sophomore Graham McPhee put the game out of reach with a short-handed empty netter with 1:35 to play. The Las Vegas, Nev. native maintained his lead in the goal-scoring department, scoring his 12th of the season. He also scored his second short-handed goal of the season (Jan. 14 vs. UNH) and as well as second empty netter of the year (Dec. 2 vs. Boston University).
- Julius Mattila stays hot after his two-goal performance at UMass on Thursday and scored his 11th goal of the season. The Tampere, Finland native is now second on the team lead with 11 goals scored. He has accounted for three goals in his last two outings.
- Sophomore Zach Walker scored his first goal of the season midway through the second period to give the Eagles a 3-0 edge. It marked the Boise, Idaho's first goal since scoring one against Northeastern on Dec. 6, 2016 and is his third-career goal in 58 career games.
- Sophomore Ron Greco made the one-timer pass to Zach Walker for his first goal of the season and followed that up by making the play on McPhee's empty-netter late in the third period. The two assists mark the Philadelphia native's first-career multi-assist game. Greco also assisted out in Amherst on Feb. 15, marking the first time he has recorded assists in back-to-back games as an Eagle. Greco now has five goals and four assists on the season.
- David Cotton doled out his team-leading 16th assist on Julius Mattila's first-period goal at Maine. The Parker, Texas native is second on the team in points scored (8-16-24).
- Casey Carreau and Michael Karow both assisted on Casey Fitzgerald's first-period goal, standing for their fourth and sixth assists of the season, respectively.
- Christopher Grando curbed a four-game scoreless streak with the assist on Walker's first goal of the year. The Islip, N.Y. native now has five goals and 11 assists on the season.
Following a strong performance in Orono on Feb. 17, Maine returns to Kelley Rink to close out the regular-season series on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23-24. Boston College has shutout Maine three times in its last five meetings as the Eagles kept the Black Bears off the board in back-to-back outings on Nov. 6-8, 2015 on The Heights. Saturday's shutout in Orono, though, marks the Eagles' first shutout of Maine on its own ice in over 18 years. The last time BC denied Maine of any scoring at Alfond Arena was on Jan. 29, 2000. The Eagles are on a nice little five-game winning streak against Maine and winners in seven of the last eight, but it has not always come easy against the Black Bears. Prior to this five-game winning streak over Maine, the Black Bears owned a 7-5 mark against Boston College. Friday's tilt marks the 123rd contest of the series as Boston College owns a 67-46-9 record overall. Head coach Jerry York is 9-2 against Maine's Red Gendron, who is in his fifth season at the helm of the Black Bears.
BLACK BEAR BREAKDOWN
Now that a majority of the season has unfolded, it's safe to say Maine jumped off the page a bit this year and responded nicely from a disappointing 2016-17 campaign. The Black Bears are right in the thick of things, tied for fifth in the Hockey East standings with a 10-9-3 conference record and a 16-12-4 mark, overall. Last season, Maine finished with an 11-21-4 mark with a 5-15-2 win-loss total in conference play. As is usually the case against Maine, it has involved itself in some tight games this season, including this most recent stretch. The Black Bears have gone to overtime in four of their last five outings, winning two and losing two. Six of Maine's last nine games have gone to overtime and the Black Bears have played in nine overtime games overall this season, going 3-2-4 in those decisions. Sophomore Mitchell Fossier leads Maine in scoring with 0.90 points per game, including 11 goals and 17 assists through 31 games. Classmate Chase Pearson is one point behind and leads his club with 20 assists, which is tied for 46th nationally. Despite being shutout four times this season, including against BC on Feb. 17, Maine's offense ranks 12th overall in college hockey in scoring (3.16 gpg) while the defense is tied for 35th, surrendering 3.03 goals per game. Maine is the most penalized team in Hockey East, eightth nationally, averaging 14.8 PIMs per game.
ATOP THE LEADERBOARD
Boston College now has its sights set on its 16th regular season Hockey East championship as the Eagles need only two points over the course of their last two remaining games against Maine to claim the conference crown. The Eagles are two points ahead of Providence with a game in hand and three points ahead of Northeastern and own the tiebreaker. Boston College is 16-6 in league play. With the win at UMass on Feb. 15, Boston College bypassed the first round of the Hockey East Tournament and is guaranteed to finish in the top four of the Hockey East standings. The Eagles are guaranteed to host a Hockey East quarterfinal series at Kelley Rink on Friday and Saturday, March 9th and 10th. Sunday, March 11th will be if necessary.
OFFENDING THE OPPOSITION
The Boston College offense has started to heat up as of late, accounting for five goals in back-to-back outings against UMass and Maine on Feb. 15th and 17th, respectively. It marks the first time the Eagles have scored that many goals in consecutive games this season. BC has lit the lamp five times in as many games this season as the offense is now tied for fifth in Hockey East, averaging 2.88 goals per game, and tied for 29th nationally.
HUTS-KO'ing THE COMPETITION
Freshman Logan Hutsko has been on fire as of late. The Tampa, Fla. native is currently on a four-game point streak, having accounted for nine points (6-3-9) within that span and notching a multi-point performance in each of those games. The BC rookie leads the Eagles in points scored this season (11-15-26) and also has posted the most multi-point performance (6) of any other Eagle in 2017-18. He is currently tied for first in points scored amongst Hockey East freshmen (0.81 ppg) and tied for 13th in the entire league.
SPECIAL TEAMS SPREE
Boston College has now scored a power play goal in nine of its last 11 games after David Cotton scored one at UMass on Feb. 15. BC's penalty-killing unit has done a nice job of turning a positive into a negative as the Eagles are tied for fourth in the nation with six short-handed goals this season. Boston College is one of nine teams in the NCAA with at least six short-handed goals this year, as both Christopher Brown and Graham McPhee lead the way for BC with a pair of shorties thus far.
FINNISH HIM
Julius Mattila accounted for his fourth multi-point performance this season and third multi-goal game this year with two goals and an assist at UMass. The Finn followed that with his 11th goal of the season at Maine on Feb. 17. The Tampere, Finland native is now second on the team lead with 11 goals scored. He has accounted for three goals in his last two outings.
HUTSKO HEROICS
Freshman Logan Hutsko became the first Eagle to account for five goals in two games since Nathan Gerbe turned the trick 10 years ago during the 2007-08 season. Hutsko scored the game-tying goal and overtime winner against UMass Lowell on Feb. 9 and followed that performance with a natural hat trick against Harvard in the Beanpot consolation on Feb. 12, all occurring in the third period, in a span of 11 minutes and 23 seconds, including an even strength goal, power play goal and extra attacker goal. Gerbe is the last Eagle to have scored four goals in a game, doing so at Harvard on Dec. 12, 2007. The future NHLer then scored against Air Force on Dec. 29, 2007. It marks BC's first hat trick since JD Dudek to accomplish the feat. Dudek tallied three goals at UConn on November 22, 2016 in a 5-2 win. Because Hutsko's goals all occurred in the third period, it counts as a natural hat trick. The last time an Eagle scored a natural hat trick, it took place on Nov. 4, 2016 when Austin Cangelosi turned the trick at Maine.
CASE'N THE JOINT
Captain Casey Fitzgerald is BC's leading scoring defenseman (5-13-18), which is tied for ninth in the conference. The junior leads the Eagles in shots on goal (91), second in blocked shots (25) and scored his first power play goal of the season on Jan. 6 vs. NMU.
THE BRICK WOLL
Sophomore backstopper Joseph Woll earned his second Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honor after racking up his first shutout of the season and second of his career in a 5-0 win at Maine on Feb. 17. It marked his first shutout of the season and first blanking since last March in the Hockey East quarterfinals against Vermont on March 10, 2017. The St. Louis native has stopped 629-of-692 shots faced in his first 25 outings for a .909 save percentage which is currently 37th in all of college hockey while his 2.57 goals against average ranks 31st in the game. Woll has stopped 1,541 - of - 1,691 shots faced (.911 save percentage) with a career mark of 2.61 goals against average. Woll was also one of 20 goalies named to the watch list for the 2018 Mike Richter Award, which annually honors the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey. Woll recently returned from the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship where he backstopped Team USA to a bronze medal.
DEFENDING THE NEST
Boston College's defense continues to limit the opposing lamp being lit as BC is now holding its opponents to 2.75 goals per game. That number is 24th, nationally, and fourth overall in the league. Over the last 11 games, BC has limited its opponent to three goals or less on eight occasions.
LOOSE CHANGE FROM THE SHUTOUT AT MAINE
- Boston College has shutout Maine three times in its last five meetings as the Eagles kept the Black Bears off the board in back-to-back outings on Nov. 6-8, 2015 on The Heights. Saturday's shutout in Orono, though, marks the Eagles' first shutout of Maine on its own ice in over 18 years. The last time BC denied Maine of any scoring at Alfond Arena was on Jan. 29, 2000.
- Second-year goaltender Joseph Woll recorded his second-career shutout and first of the season after stopping all 33 Maine attempts on Saturday night in Orono. The St. Louis, Mo. Native logged his first shutout last March in the Hockey East quarterfinals against Vermont on March 10, 2017. It marks the Eagles' second shutout of the season as Ryan Edquist stopped all 23 shots against UConn on Dec. 30, 2017. Woll stopped sixteen shots in the first period, tying the second most attempts he has thwarted this season. He stopped 20 shots in the second period against Providence on Jan. 12 and turned away 16 shots in the middle frame at BU on Dec. 2.
- Casey Fitzgerald curbed an 11-game scoring drought by opening up the scoring in Orono with a blast from the point at 2:47 of the first period. The junior captain scored his fifth goal of the season and 14th tally in the maroon and gold in his 107th-career game. The North Reading, Mass. native added an assist in the third period for his third multi-point performance of the season (1-1-2).
- Logan Hutsko is currently on a four-game point streak, having accounted for nine points (6-3-9) within that span. After Hutsko assisted on Mattila's goal in the first period, the Tampa, Fla. native and then scored his sixth goal in the last four games 18 seconds into the third period. The freshman forward now leads the Eagles in points scored this season (11-15-26) and also has posted the most multi-point performance (6) of any other Eagle in 2017-18.
- Sophomore Graham McPhee put the game out of reach with a short-handed empty netter with 1:35 to play. The Las Vegas, Nev. native maintained his lead in the goal-scoring department, scoring his 12th of the season. He also scored his second short-handed goal of the season (Jan. 14 vs. UNH) and as well as second empty netter of the year (Dec. 2 vs. Boston University).
- Julius Mattila stays hot after his two-goal performance at UMass on Thursday and scored his 11th goal of the season. The Tampere, Finland native is now second on the team lead with 11 goals scored. He has accounted for three goals in his last two outings.
- Sophomore Zach Walker scored his first goal of the season midway through the second period to give the Eagles a 3-0 edge. It marked the Boise, Idaho's first goal since scoring one against Northeastern on Dec. 6, 2016 and is his third-career goal in 58 career games.
- Sophomore Ron Greco made the one-timer pass to Zach Walker for his first goal of the season and followed that up by making the play on McPhee's empty-netter late in the third period. The two assists mark the Philadelphia native's first-career multi-assist game. Greco also assisted out in Amherst on Feb. 15, marking the first time he has recorded assists in back-to-back games as an Eagle. Greco now has five goals and four assists on the season.
- David Cotton doled out his team-leading 16th assist on Julius Mattila's first-period goal at Maine. The Parker, Texas native is second on the team in points scored (8-16-24).
- Casey Carreau and Michael Karow both assisted on Casey Fitzgerald's first-period goal, standing for their fourth and sixth assists of the season, respectively.
- Christopher Grando curbed a four-game scoreless streak with the assist on Walker's first goal of the year. The Islip, N.Y. native now has five goals and 11 assists on the season.
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