Battle of Comm. Ave Swings Back to Kelley Rink

No. 6 Boston College (13-3-3, 10-2-1 HEA) vs. Boston University (12-7-1, 7-6-0 HEA)
Saturday, January 5, 2017 | 2 p.m.
Kelley Rink at Conte Forum | Chestnut Hill, Mass.

AUTOGRAPH SESSION ON SATURDAY

Following Saturday's game against BU, the Eagles will conduct a postgame autograph session on the Conte Forum concourse
Fans are encouraged to stick around and meet their favorite Eagles following the game

BATTLE OF COMM. AVE RETURNS

Saturday's game is the final Hockey East regular-season meeting in the #BattleOfCommAve
BC and BU have met twice earlier this year with each team winning its home game by a 5-3 score line
The teams will meet at least one more time in the regular-season, however, as they are set to face off in the first round of the Beanpot on Jan. 31

CLASH OF NATION'S SCORING TITANS

Saturday's game will feature two of the nation's top scoring teams ... Boston College ranks second nationally in goals per game, averaging 3.89 ... Boston University is third nationally with a 3.70 per game mark
The Eagles are Terriers are also among the country's top power-play teams, with BC ranked second nationally with a 28.6 percent conversation rate to BU's 18.5 percent mark - sixth-best in the nation
Fans may see a lot of the teams' special teams units on Saturday as the Terriers rank fifth nationally in penalty minutes per game (11.4), while BC is eighth (10.9)
In the teams' first two meetings this year, each team averaged 4.00 goals per game … both teams won their respective home games by 5-3 score lines
Defensively, BC ranks eighth nationally while allowing 1.79 goals per game ... BU is 26th while surrendering 2.95 goals per game

EAGLES vs. TERRIERS

Overall: 24-17-5
Home: 10-7-2
Away: 11-7-2
Neutral: 3-3-1
Hockey East: 19-11-4
HEA Tournament: 2-4-0
Beanpot: 3-1-1
Series Notes
- The teams are playing their 47th varsity games this weekend ... in varsity contests, BC leads the series 24-17-5
- BU's win in the last meeting snapped Boston College's five-game winning streak against the Terriers, the longest winning streak by either team in the series since both teams were varsity programs (2005-06 to present)
- At Kelley Rink, the Eagles are 10-7-2 against BU ... at Walter Brown Arena, the Eagles are 11-7-2 ... at neutral sites, the series is tied, 3-3-1
- Since the 2013-14 season, BC is 11-3-1 against Boston University overall, with the Eagles' losses coming in the 2014 and 2015 Hockey East Championship games and in the last meeting
- BC went six seasons without a home win against BU: 2007-08 through 2012-13 ... the Eagles won the Feb. 4, 2014 meeting at Kelley Rink to snap an 0-7-2 run at home against the Terriers ... however, since the 2013-14 season BC is 6-0-0 at home vs. Boston University
- BC and BU have met in the last three Hockey East Tournament championship games, with the Eagles snapping the Terriers two-tournament winning streak (2014, 2015) last season (2016)
- The two schools met numerous times in the Beanpot before the two programs' ascension to D1 status (BC in 1994-95 and BU in 2005-06) ... the teams met 10 times while BC was a D1 program and before BU transitioned to D1 status in 2005-06, with the Eagles winning all 10 games
Player Notes
- 12 current Eagles have registered at least one point against Boston University
- Andie Anastos has collected 12 points in 14 career games against BU, coming on 6 goals and 6 assists … as a freshman in 2013-14, she posted 8 points (4g, 4a) in 5 games
- Caitrin Lonergan already had two goals and two assists (4 pts.) against BU in just her first two career games against the Terriers
- Delaney Belinskas notched a two-goal effort in the teams' first meeting this season
- Makenna Newkirk (4-5-6) recorded her first career hat trick on Nov. 7, 2015 at BU ... her nine points are second-most among active Eagles in just six games
- Kristyn Capizzano (3-5-8) and Kenzie Kent (1-5-6) also have multiple points against the Terriers ... Kent picked up three points in the 2016 Hockey East Championship game (1-2-3)
- Megan Keller (0-8-8) leads all active Eagles in assists against BU - she missed the last two meetings in November while with Team USA at the Four Nations Cup
- Katie Burt is 6-2-1 against BU with a 2.09 GAA, 2 shutouts and a .920 save percentage ... Burt made 33 saves - three shy of her career high - in the teams' first meeting in November
- Gabri Switaj is 1-0-0 vs. the Terriers with a 3.00 GAA and a .870 save percentage; her first career start came against BU in a 4-3 win in January 2015
Coaching Notes
- Katie Crowley has an 19-16-4 career mark against Boston University
- BC Associate Head Coach Courtney Kennedy and BU assistant coach Katie Lachapelle are currently away from their respective teams while they are members of the U.S. Under-18 National Team coaching staff at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 World Championships in Czech Republic

HOT STREAK CONTINUES INTO 2017

Boston College has gone 10-1-1 in its last 12 games and 6-0-1 in its last seven games
The Eagles' lone loss in this recent stretch came at Boston University on Nov. 5 when the Terriers stormed back to claim a 5-3 win at Walter Brown Arena after entering the third period down 2-0
During this run, the Eagles have played eight road games, going 6-1-1 in those games, plus its 4-0-0 mark at Kelley Rink

KENNEDY WITH EXCUSED ABSENCES BEHIND THE BENCH

Associate head coach Courtney Kennedy will miss Saturday's game - one of five through the Jan. 14 game at Merrimack from which she'll be absent
Kennedy is currently serving as an assistant coach with the U.S. Under-18 National Team at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 World Championships, which start Jan. 7 in Zlin, Czech Republic
This is her third time serving as an assistant coach with the U.S. Under-18s at the World Championships (2013, 2014) ... the U.S. earned silver in both her earlier stints with the team
In addition to Kennedy, former BC All-American Molly Schaus is serving as the team's goaltending coach, and incoming Class of 2021 signee Cayla Barnes is the captain of the U.S. U18 squad at the tournament

BACK TO LEAGUE PLAY THIS WEEKEND

Saturday's game is the Eagles' first Hockey East game since Dec. 3 - an 8-0 win at Providence
BC comes out of the winter break already on the back side of the 24-game Hockey East schedule
BC has played 13 games in conference already, posting a league-best 10-2-1 mark in those games for 21 points
The Eagles hold a three-point lead and have a game in hand over Northeastern (8-4-2, 19 pts. ) ... BU is third with 14 points (7-6-0) in 13 games
BC has just 11 league games left: one each against BU, Connecticut and Northeastern, two vs. Providence and three each vs. Merrimack and Vermont

SPECIAL TEAMS DOING SPECIAL THINGS

Boston College's special teams have been hot this season
The Eagles are second in the nation in combined special teams, proving successful in 105-for-177 opportunities this season (59.3 percent)
On the power play, BC ranks second nationally with a 28.6 percent conversion (26-for-91) ... the team's 26 power-play goals are most in the nation
On the penalty kill, the Eagles rank third nationally with a 91.3 percent success rate (79-for-86) while scoring four shorthanded goals - third-most nationally
So far this season, 30 of the Eagles' 74 goals have come via special teams (26 PPGs, 4 SHGs)

FUTURE EAGLES AT IIHF UNDER-18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

All three of the Eagles' November signees have earned spots on their countries' rosters for the 2017 IIHF Under-18 World Championships in the Czech Republic, Jan. 7-14
Cayla Barnes is the captain of the U.S. entry at the tournament ... Barnes has won back-to-back gold medals at the event and is going for her third
Both Maegan Beres and Daryl Watts were named to Hockey Canada's team
Watts was a member of the silver-medal winning squad last year, while Beres will be making her Canadian U18 debut at the tournament

Battle of Comm. Ave Swings Back to Kelley Rink

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Andie Anastos

Delaney Belinskas

Katie Burt

Kristyn Capizzano

Megan Keller

Kenzie Kent

Caitrin Lonergan

Makenna Newkirk

Gabri Switaj

Battle of Comm. Ave Swings Back to Kelley Rink

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Andie Anastos

Delaney Belinskas

Katie Burt

Kristyn Capizzano

Megan Keller

Kenzie Kent

Caitrin Lonergan

Makenna Newkirk

Gabri Switaj

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