Boston College Athletics
Friday, January 27
Boston, MA
7:00 PM
Boston College
at
Boston University
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Eagles and Terriers Renew Rivalry in Battle of Comm Ave
January 26, 2023 | Men's Hockey
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College and Boston University renew the Battle of Comm Ave this weekend with a home-and-home series between the longtime rivals. The series begins on Friday night at 7 p.m. on NESN from Agganis Arena and wraps up on Saturday night at 7 p.m. on NESN+ at Conte Forum. Both games will also be available on ESPN+. Limited tickets remain for the Saturday series finale at (617) 552-GoBC or BCEagles.com.
SETTING THE SCENE
• Boston College is 5-2-3 in its last 10 games but will try to rebound from a one-point Hockey East weekend at home against Vermont at Kelley Rink
• The Terriers have moved up to No. 4 and 5 in the national rankings following a stretch of seven wins in eight games and a four-game winning streak
• The Eagles are unbeaten in their last five matchups with BU at Kelley Rink (4-0-1), including a 9-6 victory back on Dec. 9 to finish the first half
SERIES HISTORY
• This weekend marks the 289th and 290th editions of the Battle of Comm Ave, which began in 1918 as part of Boston College's first varsity season of men's hockey
• Boston College is 5-2-2 in its last nine trips to Agganis Arena
• Last season, BC earned a shootout win following a 3-3 tie at Agganis on Dec. 10, 2021 then fell to the Terriers 6-3 on Feb. 26, 2022
• BC is riding a five-game home unbeaten streak, as Boston University's last win at Conte Forum came back on Dec. 1, 2017
• The schools split their three-game regular season series 1-1-1 last year, with BC winning the lone meeting on the Heights 3-1 on Feb. 27, 2022
THE LAST MEETING
• In the highest scoring Battle of Comm Ave since 1986, Boston College pulled away from No. 6 Boston University for a 9-6 Hockey East victory in front of a sellout crowd on Jerry York Night at Kelley Rink on Dec. 9
• Cutter Gauthier registered two goals and two assists for a four-point performance
• Six other Eagles had multi-point games, including Trevor Kuntar (1-2-3), Nikita Nesterenko (1-1-2), Lukas Gustafsson (1-1-2) and Connor Joyce (1-1-2)
• Oskar Jellvik and Eamon Powell each collected a pair of assists
• It marked the highest goal total in a Battle of Comm Ave since a 9-6 Boston College victory at Boston Garden on Dec. 2, 1986
• Schiller Family Head Coach Greg Brown was a freshman defenseman in that game
POWER UP
• Boston College is second in the league and 12th nationally on the power play at 24.4%
• The Eagles have scored at least once on the power play in 14 of their last 19 games
• Cutter Gauthier (5) and Trevor Kuntar (4) are both top-10 in Hockey East in PPG
A CUT ABOVE
• With 12 goals in his first 17 collegiate games, Cutter Gauthier ranks second in Hockey East and third nationally in goals per game (0.71)
• He is fourth in the league and 16th in the country in points per game (1.18)
• Gauthier has scored goals in back-to-back games on three occasions this season
• The forward was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Month for November
COOKING WITH GAS
• Freshman Andre Gasseau was named the Pro Ambitions Hockey East Co-Rookie of the Week on Jan. 16 for his first career weekly honor
• Gasseau had a career-high three-point performance at Sacred Heart on Jan. 14, including a shorthanded goal and the primary assist on the overtime winner
• The Garden Grove, California native has 12 points in 21 games this season and has posted three multi-point performances on the year
• Gasseau ranks fifth nationally with a pair of shorthanded goals
AT THE DOT
• BC ranks fourth in Hockey East and 13th nationally in faceoff percentage at 53.2%
• The Eagles are +56 at the dot over their last 11 contests, winning the faceoff battle in nine of those games including both last weekend against UVM
• Center Cam Burke ranks eighth in Hockey East with 212 faceoffs won
• Burke (57%) and Trevor Kuntar (56.9%) are fifth and sixth in the league in faceoff percentage among skaters with at least 250 attempts
NHL NOTES
• Johnny Gaudreau (Columbus) had two assists in his return to Calgary on Jan. 23
• Kevin Hayes (Philadelphia) scored twice in his 600th career NHL game on Jan. 22 and recorded his first career hat trick on Jan. 17
• Marc McLaughlin (Boston) was recalled by the Bruins on Jan. 23
• Alex Tuch (Buffalo) scored against Florida on Jan. 16 to set a new career-high in goals with 21, which was previously set in 2018-19 with Vegas
UP NEXT
• BC plays a pair of road league games next week at Northeastern on Tuesday and UMass Lowell on Friday prior to the 70th Beanpot
SETTING THE SCENE
• Boston College is 5-2-3 in its last 10 games but will try to rebound from a one-point Hockey East weekend at home against Vermont at Kelley Rink
• The Terriers have moved up to No. 4 and 5 in the national rankings following a stretch of seven wins in eight games and a four-game winning streak
• The Eagles are unbeaten in their last five matchups with BU at Kelley Rink (4-0-1), including a 9-6 victory back on Dec. 9 to finish the first half
SERIES HISTORY
• This weekend marks the 289th and 290th editions of the Battle of Comm Ave, which began in 1918 as part of Boston College's first varsity season of men's hockey
• Boston College is 5-2-2 in its last nine trips to Agganis Arena
• Last season, BC earned a shootout win following a 3-3 tie at Agganis on Dec. 10, 2021 then fell to the Terriers 6-3 on Feb. 26, 2022
• BC is riding a five-game home unbeaten streak, as Boston University's last win at Conte Forum came back on Dec. 1, 2017
• The schools split their three-game regular season series 1-1-1 last year, with BC winning the lone meeting on the Heights 3-1 on Feb. 27, 2022
THE LAST MEETING
• In the highest scoring Battle of Comm Ave since 1986, Boston College pulled away from No. 6 Boston University for a 9-6 Hockey East victory in front of a sellout crowd on Jerry York Night at Kelley Rink on Dec. 9
• Cutter Gauthier registered two goals and two assists for a four-point performance
• Six other Eagles had multi-point games, including Trevor Kuntar (1-2-3), Nikita Nesterenko (1-1-2), Lukas Gustafsson (1-1-2) and Connor Joyce (1-1-2)
• Oskar Jellvik and Eamon Powell each collected a pair of assists
• It marked the highest goal total in a Battle of Comm Ave since a 9-6 Boston College victory at Boston Garden on Dec. 2, 1986
• Schiller Family Head Coach Greg Brown was a freshman defenseman in that game
POWER UP
• Boston College is second in the league and 12th nationally on the power play at 24.4%
• The Eagles have scored at least once on the power play in 14 of their last 19 games
• Cutter Gauthier (5) and Trevor Kuntar (4) are both top-10 in Hockey East in PPG
A CUT ABOVE
• With 12 goals in his first 17 collegiate games, Cutter Gauthier ranks second in Hockey East and third nationally in goals per game (0.71)
• He is fourth in the league and 16th in the country in points per game (1.18)
• Gauthier has scored goals in back-to-back games on three occasions this season
• The forward was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Month for November
COOKING WITH GAS
• Freshman Andre Gasseau was named the Pro Ambitions Hockey East Co-Rookie of the Week on Jan. 16 for his first career weekly honor
• Gasseau had a career-high three-point performance at Sacred Heart on Jan. 14, including a shorthanded goal and the primary assist on the overtime winner
• The Garden Grove, California native has 12 points in 21 games this season and has posted three multi-point performances on the year
• Gasseau ranks fifth nationally with a pair of shorthanded goals
AT THE DOT
• BC ranks fourth in Hockey East and 13th nationally in faceoff percentage at 53.2%
• The Eagles are +56 at the dot over their last 11 contests, winning the faceoff battle in nine of those games including both last weekend against UVM
• Center Cam Burke ranks eighth in Hockey East with 212 faceoffs won
• Burke (57%) and Trevor Kuntar (56.9%) are fifth and sixth in the league in faceoff percentage among skaters with at least 250 attempts
NHL NOTES
• Johnny Gaudreau (Columbus) had two assists in his return to Calgary on Jan. 23
• Kevin Hayes (Philadelphia) scored twice in his 600th career NHL game on Jan. 22 and recorded his first career hat trick on Jan. 17
• Marc McLaughlin (Boston) was recalled by the Bruins on Jan. 23
• Alex Tuch (Buffalo) scored against Florida on Jan. 16 to set a new career-high in goals with 21, which was previously set in 2018-19 with Vegas
UP NEXT
• BC plays a pair of road league games next week at Northeastern on Tuesday and UMass Lowell on Friday prior to the 70th Beanpot
Players Mentioned
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