Hockey East Play Begins with Merrimack

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Boston College women's hockey team will open up Hockey East play this weekend with a home-and-home series against Merrimack. The Eagles and Warriors will meet on Thursday night at Lawler Rink and then again on Friday afternoon at Kelley Rink.

Both games will stream live on ESPN+.

GAME 3 | RV/RV Boston College at Merrimack College
Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022 | 6 p.m.
Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass. | ESPN+

GAME 4 | Merrimack College at RV/RV Boston College
Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 | 2 p.m.
Kelley Rink | Chestnut Hill, Mass. | ESPN+

WHAT'S ON TAP
• Boston College and Merrimack will meet for two games this weekend, facing off in North Andover on Thursday and in Chestnut Hill on Friday.
• Thursday night marks the Hockey East opener for both squads.
• This is the fourth time in five years that Boston College opens up conference play against Merrimack.
• The Eagles swept the 2021-22 regular season series, winning two games on the road and one game at home.
• BC is coming off a 5-0 road loss at #7 Quinnipiac while Merrimack split a two-game series with Syracuse.
• The Eagles have not lost a Hockey East opener since the 2012-13 season in a 4-2 loss to a #6 Boston University squad on Oct. 5, 2012.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE
• The Eagles bring a 1-1-0 record into the series with Merrimack after topping Franklin Pierce in the season-opener and then falling on the road at #7 Quinnipiac.
• Hannah Bilka (1-1-2) and Cayla Barnes (1-1-2) lead the Eagles in scoring ... Gaby Roy and Kate Ham have also chipped in a goal apiece.
• Boston College went 19-14-1 overall and 16-9-1 in Hockey East play during the 2021-22 season.

ABOUT MERRIMACK
• The Warriors enter the series at 1-1-0 overall after splitting two games with Syracuse last weekend ... Merrimack fell in overtime in the season opener, 3-2, and then bounced back for a 2-0 win on Saturday.
• Tara Blackburn (1-2-3) and Katie Kaufman (1-2-3) lead the team in points.
• Emma Gorski and Calli Hogarth both started games last weekend, with Hogarth earning a 40-save shutout and Hockey East Goaltender of the Week honors.
• Lat season, the Warriors went 8-25-1 overall and 6-20-1 in Hockey East play.

SERIES HISTORY VS MERRIMACK
• BC is 21-1-0 all-time against Merrimack ... the Warriors became a D1 team and joined Hockey East in 2015-16.
• The Eagles are 11-0-0 at Kelley Rink and 10-1-0 at Lawler Rink.
• BC swept the 2021-22 regular season series, picking up 2-1 and 3-2 road wins along with a 6-4 home win ... the 6-4 win on Feb. 11, 2022 saw BC overcome a three-goal deficit for a win for the first time since Oct. 23, 2011 ... Hannah Bilka had a four-point game, including a hat trick, short-handed goal and game-winning goal.
• Bilka (3-7-10) has a team-leading 10 points against Merrimack while Cayla Barnes has eight points (1-7-8) and Kelly Browne has seven (1-6-7).
• Alexie Guay (1-5-6) has chipped in six points ... 13 current Eagles have at least one point against Merrimack.
• Caroline DiFiore earned her first career point with an empty-netter against Merrimack on Sept. 27, 2019 ... Bilka earned two assists in that same game for her respective first career point (s).
• Katie Pyne scored her first career goal at Merrimack on Oct. 9, 2021 ... Sidney Fess picked up her first collegiate point with an assist in the same game.
• BC has shut out the Warriors seven times in 22 meetings, including both games of the teams' 2017 HEA Quarterfinal and the first two games of the all-time series.
• BC has scored seven shorthanded goals against the Warriors, including three in 2016-17.

A WIN ON THURSDAY WOULD . . .
• Bump the Eagles to 22-1-0 in the all-time series against Merrimack with a record of 11-1-0 on the road and 22-1-0 under head coach Katie Crowley.
• Move Boston College's all-time program record to 500-370-81.
• Give the Eagles a fifth consecutive win in the conference opener and a record of 9-0-1 in the last 10.

UP NEXT
• The Eagles will host Penn State for two games next weekend at Kelley Rink.
• Friday's game is set for a 6 p.m. puck drop while Saturday's is slated for 2 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cayla Barnes

Hannah Bilka

Kelly Browne

Caroline DiFiore

Sidney Fess

Alexie Guay

Kate Ham

Katie Pyne

Gaby Roy