This Weekend in Hockey East

by Chris Aliano

Here's this weekend's Hockey East Preview, courtesy of hockeyeastonline.com.

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- Eight Hockey East games are scheduled for the weekend, with one home-and- home series (BU vs. Merrimack) along with pair of home contests for Boston College, Massachusetts and Northeastern. No. 5 ranked UMass-Lowell will take a trip for a weekend set at CHA foe Alabama-Huntsville.

The 10th ranked Minutemen will look to improve on their 4-1-0 home record this season, as they begin their two-game matchup with New Hampshire Friday night at the Mullins Center in Amherst. UMass scored eight goals in its two-game sweep of Niagara last weekend, while UNH is coming off a 4-4 tie with BC and a loss to UML most recently on Sunday. Friday night marks the 100th career meeting between the two schools. Will Ortiz (Framingham, Mass.) and Michael Lecomte (St. Hyacinthe, Que.) combined for seven of UMass’ 21 points last weekend.


Merrimack and BU will also meet for the first time this season on Friday at Lawler Arena in North Andover. The Warriors have scored at least three goals in each of their last six contests heading into the weekend. Merrimack ranks tied for seventh nationally with UMass-Lowell in goals per game at 3.75 goals per game. The Terriers are looking to get back on the winning track, having lost three straight coming into the weekend, scoring only four goals in that span.

No. 5 ranked UMass-Lowell looks to continue its strong start to the season with a pair of non-league games in Alabama. The River Hawks own a 2-1-0 record so far in non-conference play this season. Hockey East Co-Player of the Week Nick Schaus (Buffalo, N.Y.) leads the UML roster in scoring with nine points in six games this year. He ranks second nationally among Division I defensemen in scoring with 1.50 points per contest.

Boston College will host No. 15 Vermont for a two contests at Conte Forum, beginning on Saturday night in Chestnut Hill. The Eagles are fresh off a 5-1 victory against Northeastern last Saturday, while Vermont heads into the game after a 3-0 shutout of Providence College last Sunday. UVM senior goalie Mike Spillane (Bow, N.H.) posted his first career shutout with a 33-save effort against the Friars. Junior forward Brian Gibbons (Braintree, Mass.) leads the Eagles’ roster in scoring with 10 points this season.

The Blacks Bears will head south for a weekend series at Matthews Arena with Northeastern. Maine is coming off 3-2 win against BU last Sunday and is currently in the midst of a two-game win streak. Sophomore goalie Scott Darling (Lemont, Ill.) made 26 saves the Terriers on Sunday. Sophomore phenom Gustav Nyquist (Malmo, Sweden) comes into the game Friday with a seven-game point streak. Nyquist has 13 points during his league-high point streak this season. Huskies’ freshman goaltender Chris Rawlings (North Delta, B.C.) has made 226 saves this season, the second most of any league goaltender. NU owns a perfect 2-0-0 home record at newly renovated Matthews Arena so far this season. Northeastern swept the season series with Maine last year and outscored them by a mark of 10 to 3.

Providence College is the lone Hockey East team idle on the weekend. The Friars return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 17 vs. Brown at Schneider Arena in the 24th annual Mayor’s Cup.

Hockey East								Overall
	GP	W	L	T	Pts	GF	GA		W	L	T	GF	GA
UMass Lowell	5	3	1	1	7	19	14		5	2	1	30	21
Massachusetts	4	3	1	0	6	14	10		6	1	0	27	15
New Hampshire	4	2	1	1	5	16	14		2	5	2	27	38
Boston College	5	2	2	1	5	17	17		3	2	1	20	19
Vermont	5	2	2	1	5	13	13		3	3	1	23	22
Merrimack	3	2	1	0	4	13	9		5	3	0	30	22
Maine	4	2	2	0	4	12	13		3	5	0	24	31
Providence	3	1	2	0	2	5	9		5	3	0	21	17
Northeastern	4	1	3	0	2	5	12		3	4	0	14	21
Boston University	5	1	4	0	2	11	14		2	5	0	14	19