Top-5 Battles Open 2017-18 Schedule

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The third-ranked Boston College women's hockey team officially gets the 2017-18 season underway on Thursday with a premiere inter-conference matchup.

The Eagles will host fourth-ranked Minnesota Duluth for a two-game series at Kelley Rink on Thursday night and Friday afternoon in the first Top-5 battle of the college season.

Thursday's game will be the Eagles' first on their new broadcast home – ESPN3. All of BC's regular-season home games will be stream on ESPN3, which is available at WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.

This marks the third straight year this matchup starts the Eagles' season. In the last two years, BC is 2-1-1 against the Bulldogs, including a series sweep the last time UMD came to Kelley Rink in October 2015. Last season, Minnesota Duluth took the series – 1-0-1 – in Duluth to open the year.

Boston College played an exhibition game two weeks ago to informally get the season underway, handing Canadian university Laurentian a 6-0 loss at Kelley Rink. In that game, Kenzie Kent and Erin Connolly each had a pair of goals, while Daryl Watts and Caitrin Lonergan each scored one goal and one assist. Makenna Newkirk, Toni Ann Miano and Cayla Barnes all had two assists apiece.

While the Eagles are getting their season underway this week, Duluth already has as weekend of play under its belt and comes into the game with a 2-0-0 record.

Last weekend, the Bulldogs swept a two-game home series against Penn State in Duluth. UMD won 1-0 last Friday night in the season opener before taking a 3-0 win on Saturday afternoon. In the first game, the Bulldogs used Ashton Bell's goal just 1:22 into the game and 22 saves from Jessica Convery to earn the one-goal win. On Saturday, the teams played two scoreless periods before Jalyn Elmes put the Bulldogs ahead at 7:55 of the third. UMD tacked on two more goals to secure the 3-0 win.

Both teams are affected by U.S. National Team losses this year, with the Eagles losing Kali Flanagan and defending Hockey East Player of the Year and All-America defenseman Megan Keller to the team.

For Duluth, their starting goaltender last year – Maddie Rooney – is one of the three U.S. goalies this year. Rooney posted a 1.65 GAA and a .942 save percentage as the Bulldogs returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

The Bulldogs also lost their top three scorers from last year, including Patty Kazmaier Award Top 3 Finalist Lara Stalder, who led the nation in points per game (1.60). Ashleigh Brylakiuk (45 points.) and Katherine McGovern (34 points) also graduated after ranking in the top 40 nationally in scoring.

While BC is down a pair of defenseman for the season, they do return Miano, who missed the second half of her junior year in 2016-17. When she left the team, she was the nation's leader in defenseman points (17) and was on a five-game point streak. Now back, she's also joined Barnes, a freshman who is the only three-time gold medalist in IIHF Women's Under-18 World Championship history and also made her full U.S. National Team debut at age 17 last December.

Back in goal is three-year starter Katie Burt, who should be challenging a host of NCAA career goalkeeping records this year, including wins. She has been among the nation's top goaltenders in each of her first three seasons at The Heights.

Captains Newkirk (39 pts.) and Kent (26 pts.) are also back to pace the offense, while sophomores Lonergan (15 goals, 18 assists) and Delaney Belinskas (16 goals, 17 assists) will look to improve up on their freshman campaigns that saw them tie for second nationally in freshman scoring. Newcomers Watts (2016, 2017 Canada Under-18 National Team), Maegan Beres (2017 Canada Under-18 National Team) and Willow Corson are also expected to slot into key roles this year.

No. 3 Boston College (0-0-0) vs. No. 4 Minnesota Duluth
Kelley Rink at Conte Forum | Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Thursday, October 5, 2017 | 7 p.m.
Friday, October 6, 2017 | 2 p.m.

SERIES NOTES

This weekend's meetings will be the 12th and 13th all-time meetings between the two programs
Minnesota Duluth holds a 6-4-1 edge in the all-time series
BC is 3-3-0 against UMD at home and 1-2-1 away ... the teams' first-ever meeting was on neutral ice in Lake Placid, N.Y. at the 2007 Frozen Four
Boston College has won its last three home games against the Bulldogs (Oct. 26, 2012, Oct. 2, 2015 and Oct. 3, 2015)
The Bulldogs won the first four meetings before BC claimed its first win - in Duluth as part of a season-opening, two-game series - in October 2011
Since Duluth opened the series with a 4-0-0 record, BC has gone 4-2-1 against the Bulldogs
Last year, the teams met in Duluth to open the 2016-17 season ... the teams played to a 3-3 tie on Sept. 30, before UMD claimed a 5-2 win on Oct. 1 in the second game ... in that series, then-senior captain Andie Anastos was injured in the first period of the Saturday game after a one-goal, one-assist effort on Friday
Two years ago, the teams met at Kelley Rink in the season's opening week with the Eagles sweeping the series, 4-1 and 4-2
The Eagles are 8-19-2 all-time against WHCA teams

PLAYER NOTES

Of the current 22-player BC roster, all but three returnees have seen action against UMD (Molly Barrow, Kathleen McNamara and Rachel Moore)
Nine current Eagles have recorded points against Minnesota Duluth, including four players who picked up their first career points in last year's series
Kenzie Kent and Toni Ann Miano lead the way with three points each - all assists ... Kent had one assist last year, while Miano had two
Makenna Newkirk has a pair of assists against UMD, all of which came in 2016's meetings
Caitrin Lonergan and Delaney Belinskas scored their first collegiate goals in last year's series in Duluth ... Lonergan (2) and Belinskas' (1) goals were all power-play goals
Kate Annese and Bridget McCarthy also picked up their first collegiate points in last year's series, with assists in game two
Katie Burt has started all four games the teams have played in the last two years, going 2-1-1 with a 2.94 GAA and a .898 save percentage ... she left the second game after the second period last year with an injury

COACHES NOTES

Katie Crowley is 4-5-1 all-time against Minnesota Duluth
The Eagles are 2-1-1 against UMD under their current head coach, Maura Crowell
Crowell and BC associate head coach Courtney Kennedy are assistant coaches on the 2017-18 U.S. Under-18 Team

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Players Mentioned

Andie Anastos

Kate Annese

Cayla Barnes

Molly Barrow

Delaney Belinskas

Maegan Beres

Katie Burt

Erin Connolly

Willow Corson

Kali Flanagan

Megan Keller

Kenzie Kent

Caitrin Lonergan

Bridget McCarthy

Kathleen McNamara

Toni Ann Miano

Rachel Moore

Makenna Newkirk

Daryl Watts