Friday, February 14
North Andover, Mass.
7:00 PM
Boston College
at
Merrimack
Photo by: Rich Gagnon
No. 6 Eagles Face Merrimack in Home-and-Home Set
February 13, 2020 | Men's Hockey
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Sixth-ranked Boston College returns to Hockey East play as it opens a home-and-home series with Merrimack at 7 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 14) at Lawler Rink in North Andover for the 101st meeting in series history. The series concludes on Saturday (Feb. 15) with a 4:30 p.m. puck drop on the Heights. Saturday's game will air live on NESN and both games can be heard on WEEI 850 AM and BCEagles.com.Â
GIONTA TO THE RAFTERS
• Former All-American Brian Gionta '01 will have his jersey retired by the program at the first intermission during the home game against Merrimack on Saturday
• Gionta was a three-time Hobey Baker finalist (1999, 2000, 2001) and captained the Eagles to the 2001 NCAA Championship, the program's first since 1949
• He graduated as the program's all-time leader in goals (123) and ranks second all-time in points (232)
• The Rochester native was inducted into the BC Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame last October and was also named to the Class of 2019 for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in December
PENNANT RACE
• BC is tied with Maine for third in Hockey East, two points behind UMass Lowell and four behind Massachusetts
• However, Boston College is tied with Northeastern for the least number of league games played (16)
• Only seven points separate first from ninth place in the conference with less than a month remaining
• Merrimack sits five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot at 5-11-3
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
• BC's offense erupted for seven goals and six multi-point performances in a 7-2 victory over 18th-ranked Harvard on Monday in the consolation game of the 68th Beanpot at TD Garden
• Senior Julius Mattila became the 82nd member of the program's 100-point club with an assist in the first period
• Sophomore Jack McBain posted his second two-goal game of the year to lead the way, while rookie Matt Boldy had a career-high three points on a goal and two assists
• David Cotton, Logan Hutsko, Mike Hardman and Alex Newhook all had a goal and an assist on the night
• Boston College put the game away in the second period with a four-goal outburst, including two shorthanded tallies on the same penalty kill from Newhook and McBain
• Spencer Knight stopped 26 of those Crimson efforts for his 16th victory in net
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
• Merrimack cut a 4-1 deficit down to one in the third period but fell 4-3 at home to UMass Lowell last Saturday night
• The Warriors upset Boston University 5-1 at Agganis Arena the night before, scoring a pair of shorthanded goals in the second period
• Senior Tyler Irvine leads the team with 26 points on 12 goals and 14 assists, while rookie defenseman Declan Carlile has a team-leading 17 assists
• Freshman Jere Huhtamaa has seen the most time between the pipes with a 5-10-2 record, 3.40 GAA and .867 SV% in 17 starts
• MC is clicking at 19.2% on the power play and 80.2% on the penalty kill
SERIES HISTORY
• The last four meetings in North Andover have resulted in a pair of ties and a one-goal victory for each school; both teams have exactly 10 goals in those four meetings
• Merrimack edged the Eagles 2-1 last season in early November, marking the Eagles' first loss at Lawler Rink since Feb. 15, 2013
• Boston College responded the following night with a 4-1 victory on the Heights, led by a four-point performance from David Cotton (2-2-4)
• BC has just two losses in its last 15 matchups in the series (11-2-2)
• Six of the last nine meetings have been decided by a goal or less
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
• Julius Mattila became the 82nd member of the program's 100 Point Club on Monday
• Mattila now has 37 goals and 63 assists in 125 career games as an Eagle
• The senior sits second in the entire country in assists per game with 27 helpers in 26 games
• He ranks ninth nationally in scoring average with 1.31 points per game
• Mattila is tied for second in Hockey East and 18th nationally with three game-winning goals
GO SHORTY
• Boston College leads the entire country with nine shorthanded goals
• Alex Newhook and Jack McBain had shorthanded goals just 1:19 apart on the same penalty kill against Harvard in the Beanpot consolation game on Monday
• It marked the first time BC scored two shorties in the same game since Julius Mattila and Christopher Brown did so against Vermont on March 10, 2017 in the Hockey East Quarterfinals
• Newhook is tied for the national lead with three shorties, including one in each of his last two games
• Sophomore forwards Patrick Giles, Marc McLaughlin and Jack McBain all have a pair of shorthanded tallies, which is tied for second in the league and fifth in the country
MILESTONE WATCH
• Michael Karow will skate in his 100th career game on Friday night at Merrimack
• Logan Hutsko is one assist away from 50 for his career
• Hutsko is also five games played from 100
UP NEXT
• Boston College takes on rival Northeastern next week in a home-and-home set beginning on Thursday night at Matthews Arena, airing live on NESN at 7 p.m.
• The series concludes at Kelley Rink on Friday night at 7 p.m. on NESN+
Â
GIONTA TO THE RAFTERS
• Former All-American Brian Gionta '01 will have his jersey retired by the program at the first intermission during the home game against Merrimack on Saturday
• Gionta was a three-time Hobey Baker finalist (1999, 2000, 2001) and captained the Eagles to the 2001 NCAA Championship, the program's first since 1949
• He graduated as the program's all-time leader in goals (123) and ranks second all-time in points (232)
• The Rochester native was inducted into the BC Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame last October and was also named to the Class of 2019 for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in December
PENNANT RACE
• BC is tied with Maine for third in Hockey East, two points behind UMass Lowell and four behind Massachusetts
• However, Boston College is tied with Northeastern for the least number of league games played (16)
• Only seven points separate first from ninth place in the conference with less than a month remaining
• Merrimack sits five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot at 5-11-3
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
• BC's offense erupted for seven goals and six multi-point performances in a 7-2 victory over 18th-ranked Harvard on Monday in the consolation game of the 68th Beanpot at TD Garden
• Senior Julius Mattila became the 82nd member of the program's 100-point club with an assist in the first period
• Sophomore Jack McBain posted his second two-goal game of the year to lead the way, while rookie Matt Boldy had a career-high three points on a goal and two assists
• David Cotton, Logan Hutsko, Mike Hardman and Alex Newhook all had a goal and an assist on the night
• Boston College put the game away in the second period with a four-goal outburst, including two shorthanded tallies on the same penalty kill from Newhook and McBain
• Spencer Knight stopped 26 of those Crimson efforts for his 16th victory in net
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
• Merrimack cut a 4-1 deficit down to one in the third period but fell 4-3 at home to UMass Lowell last Saturday night
• The Warriors upset Boston University 5-1 at Agganis Arena the night before, scoring a pair of shorthanded goals in the second period
• Senior Tyler Irvine leads the team with 26 points on 12 goals and 14 assists, while rookie defenseman Declan Carlile has a team-leading 17 assists
• Freshman Jere Huhtamaa has seen the most time between the pipes with a 5-10-2 record, 3.40 GAA and .867 SV% in 17 starts
• MC is clicking at 19.2% on the power play and 80.2% on the penalty kill
SERIES HISTORY
• The last four meetings in North Andover have resulted in a pair of ties and a one-goal victory for each school; both teams have exactly 10 goals in those four meetings
• Merrimack edged the Eagles 2-1 last season in early November, marking the Eagles' first loss at Lawler Rink since Feb. 15, 2013
• Boston College responded the following night with a 4-1 victory on the Heights, led by a four-point performance from David Cotton (2-2-4)
• BC has just two losses in its last 15 matchups in the series (11-2-2)
• Six of the last nine meetings have been decided by a goal or less
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
• Julius Mattila became the 82nd member of the program's 100 Point Club on Monday
• Mattila now has 37 goals and 63 assists in 125 career games as an Eagle
• The senior sits second in the entire country in assists per game with 27 helpers in 26 games
• He ranks ninth nationally in scoring average with 1.31 points per game
• Mattila is tied for second in Hockey East and 18th nationally with three game-winning goals
GO SHORTY
• Boston College leads the entire country with nine shorthanded goals
• Alex Newhook and Jack McBain had shorthanded goals just 1:19 apart on the same penalty kill against Harvard in the Beanpot consolation game on Monday
• It marked the first time BC scored two shorties in the same game since Julius Mattila and Christopher Brown did so against Vermont on March 10, 2017 in the Hockey East Quarterfinals
• Newhook is tied for the national lead with three shorties, including one in each of his last two games
• Sophomore forwards Patrick Giles, Marc McLaughlin and Jack McBain all have a pair of shorthanded tallies, which is tied for second in the league and fifth in the country
MILESTONE WATCH
• Michael Karow will skate in his 100th career game on Friday night at Merrimack
• Logan Hutsko is one assist away from 50 for his career
• Hutsko is also five games played from 100
UP NEXT
• Boston College takes on rival Northeastern next week in a home-and-home set beginning on Thursday night at Matthews Arena, airing live on NESN at 7 p.m.
• The series concludes at Kelley Rink on Friday night at 7 p.m. on NESN+
Â
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
D
/ Men's Hockey
G
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's Hockey
F
/ Men's HockeyFootball: Owen McGowan Postgame Press Conference (Sept. 14, 2025)
Sunday, September 14
Football: Reed Harris Postgame Media (Sept. 14, 2025)
Sunday, September 14
Football Availability - Coach O'Brien Media Availability
Sunday, September 14
Football: Head Coach Bill O'Brien Media Availability (September 11, 2025)
Thursday, September 11
