Northeastern on Deck for BC Tuesday Night

Tuesday, November 29

Boston, MA

7:00 PM

Boston College

Northeastern

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Northeastern on Deck for BC Tuesday Night

November 28, 2016 | Men's Hockey

No. 3/4 Boston College continues its mid-week battles as the Eagles look to remain unbeaten in Hockey East play; BC will canvas the city to Huntington Ave. to take on Northeastern and look avenge last year's Hockey East semifinal decision

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 (7 p.m.)

WHERE: Matthews Arena / Boston

GAME NOTES: PDF / WEB

HOW TO FOLLOW:
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BOSTON COLLEGE vs. NORTHEASTERN
Boston College faces its second of three Beanpot foes on Tuesday night when the Eagles travel down Saint Botolph St. to take on the Huntington Hounds of Northeastern. No love is lost between these two programs as the Huskies bounced Boston College from the Hockey East Tournament last season with a 5-4 win in the semifinals at TD Garden. In that victory, Northeastern snapped Boston College's 10-game unbeaten streak as BC went 8-0-2 over that stretch before NU's big win on March 18, 2016. In all, the Eagles lead the Huskies 163-49-16 with a 76-30-11 advantage in Hockey East tilts. The last time Boston College lost to Northeastern at Matthews Arena, NU curbed BC's 19-game winning streak that culminated in BC's last national title in 2012 by topping the Eagles, 3-1, on Oct. 13, 2012. BC has dominated the series from the onset, winning 57 of the first 65 installments. Over the course of the last four seasons, Jerry York is 14-2-1 against Northeastern's Jim Madigan.

HOUNDING THE HUSKIES
Northeastern skates into Tuesday's tilt with a balanced 5-5-4 record with its most recent outing coming in the form of a come-from-behind victory over Minnesota, 6-4, on Nov. 25. Trailing 4-2 entering the third period, the Huskies stormed back with four goals in the final frame to knock off the Gophers behind Dylan Sikura's hat trick. The Huskies have some firepower, touting three of the nation's top-three scorers in Zach Aston-Reese (1.57 - tied for seventh), Dylan Sikura (1.57 - tied for seventh) and Adam Gaudette (1.43 - 10th). The trio makes Northeastern the only team in the nation to have at least three skaters with 20 points or more. As a whole, Northeastern's offense is tied for 18th nationally, scoring at a rate of 3.29 goals per game. Defensively, the Huskies are tied for 32nd, surrendering exactly 3.00 goals per game. NU sports the second-best power play unit in Hockey East, converting at a rate of 21.3 percent (19-for-89) which is 12th on the national level.

TRENDING UP
Boston College has been lighting the lamp often lately, having scored an aggregate of 56 goals in its last 13 outings. The Eagles are now averaging just under four goals per game (3.81 gpg) on the season which is fifth best in all of college hockey and the most productive offensive unit in all of Hockey East.

GAU-GAU GAUDREAU
In Sunday's setback to Minnesota on Nov. 27, senior winger Matthew Gaudreau accounted for his fifth multi-point performance of the season with a goal and an assist. Gaudreau's goal was of the short-handed variety, marking the first of his career. The Carneys Point, N.J. native also tallied a career-best seven shots on net. Through 16 games played, Gaudreau ranks 60th in the country in scoring, averaging 1.06 points per game and is tied for eighth in Hockey East.

BENCHMARK SCORING
No other team in college hockey has scored as many points as Boston College has this season. The Eagles are leading the NCAA in total points (175), total assists (114), game-winning goals (11) and is second in overall plus/minus (+27). Boston College has also tallied the 13th-highest average of shots on net to this point, triggering 32.75 shot attempts per outing.

IN THE RED
The Eagles are outscoring their opponent at a significant margin and possess the fourth-highest mark in the NCAA. Boston College's + 1.44 goal differential is the best in Hockey East as the Eagles have netted 61 goals and given up only 38. The +26 mark is the second best in the NCAA.

THE GREAT WOLL OF CHESTNUT HILL
First-year goaltender Joe Woll has been steady in net for the Eagles all season and is currently in the top 25, nationally, in all goaltending categories. Woll is currently 20th in save percentage (.920), 25th in goals against average (2.43) and 20th in winning percentage (.654). The Dardenne Prairie, Mo. native has only given up more than three goals once in his last eight starts.

CASE'N THE JOINT
Sophomore defenseman Casey Fitzgerald has been on fire as of late and is currently tied for 20th amongst ALL college skaters in Hockey East and not just blue liners. The North Reading, Mass. native is 19th amongst all defensemen with 0.87 points per game and tied for second within his position for goals scored with five ( 5 ). Within conference play, Fitzgerald's point total is tied for second best amongst all defensemen.

DEFENSIVE DEEDS
Following the 4-2 setback against Minnesota on Nov. 27, BC is only surrendering 2.38 goals per game which is tied for 15th best in college hockey. Despite being the third-most penalized team in college hockey thus far (18.2 PIMs / game), the Eagles' penalty-killing unit has done a good job, snuffing out 82-of-100 opportunities at a rate of 82.0 percent.

NONPLUSSED
Freshman defenseman Connor Moore has been steady on this ice all season and currently possess the second-best plus/minus rating ( + 14 ) in the country, tied with four others. Senior blue liner Scott Savage is closely behind, tied for third with a +13 rating. Austin Cangelosi, on the front lines, is tied for 16th amongst all skaters in the game with a +11 rating.

SHORT SCORING
With Matthew Gaudreau's short-handed goal against Minnesota on Nov. 27, the Eagles now have four on the season; one of 10 teams in college hockey with that mark. (Bentley, BU, Lake State, St. Lawrence have five • Harvard, Maine, Michigan, Omaha, Penn State and now Boston College have accounted for four).

CONFERENCE CONFIDENCE
Boston College remains unbeaten in league play having assembled a 6-0-1 mark in conference play. The Eagles are four points clear of second-place Vermont with 13 points. It marks the second-consecutive years the Eagles have started out 6-0-1 in conference play. Boston College is also the first team in college hockey to crack into the double digits column in victories, reaching 10 victories faster than any other program in college hockey this season.