In the Heights (Week 7 Recap)
The women's team earn a split on the Heights, while the men's squad gritted out a split in Orono
After an OT loss at Agganis, the women dominate the Boston College Eagles on the Heights to earn the split, while the men earn a split of the Maine Black Bears in Orono.
Women’s
Boston College (2-3 L (OT), 3-1 W)
In front of a record 2,866 person home crowd Friday night, the Terriers and Boston College Eagles, faced off in the first Battle of Comm Ave at Agganis Arena. After BC scored in the first, Sydney Healey tied early in the second on the power play, her third career goal vs. the Eagles. In a span of 2:32 after Healey’s goal, the team would exchange a pair of goals, concluding with Julia Shaunessy scoring her first of the season to tie things up. It was Shaunessy 4th career multipoint game, after also recording an assist on Healey’s goal. The Eagles scored 1:16 into overtime to give the Terriers their first home loss of the season.
The Terriers’ power play goal was their 6th in their last 8 games—scoring 1 in 6 different games in that span. BU went 2-2 on the PK. At the dot, the Terriers won 67.9% of faceoffs, led by Clara Yuhn (86.67%) and Lilli Welcke (73.68%).
On Saturday, the Terriers dominated the Eagles, holding them to just 9 shots compared to the Terriers 31. BC scored early in the first period, but that would be their only tally in the game. The Scarlet and White, scored two within a minute and a half early in the 2nd to take the lead for good. Ani FitzGerald opened the scoring for the Terriers with her third goal of the season and her first career goal vs. BC. Lindsey Bochna got the game winner, extending her point streak to 5 games, her longest as a Terrier and tied for the longest of her career. Sydney Healey clinched the win with a goal late in the third. It was her 4th goal vs. BC, tied for most against any opponent. Julia Shaunessy assisted on both the Terriers second and third goal, her fifth multipoint game. It was also the first time in her career she recorded back to back multipoint games.
The Terriers were again perfect on the PK, going 2-2. BU has allowed just 1 power play goal in their last 13 games, killing 35 of their last 36 penalties. BC was held to just 9 shots on goal, the second time this season, BU held an opponent to less than 10 shots—the first, November 8th vs. Merrimack.
With the win, the Terriers move to 10-4-1 on the season. It took the team, 15 games to reach their 10th win, their fastest to reach that milestone since 2019-20, which was also 15 games.
Other Notes
BU have faced BC in 9 different arenas, the most for any opponent
Terriers have won back to back games vs. BC at Conte Forum for the first time, since a span of 3 in a row from November 30th, 2018 through February 19th, 2021
Men’s
Maine (2-5 L, 2-2 T (SOW))
On Friday, the Terriers opened them game allowing 4 unanswered goals to the Maine Black Bears, including a short-handed goal and two 5 on 3 goals. In the third, BU finally got on the board when co-captain, Ryan Greene, scored on a 5 on 3 power play, his fourth of the season and second power play goal. With the goal, Greene as scored in each of his first two games at Alfond Arena. Co-captain Shane Lachance and freshman Cole Eiserman each recorded an assist on the goal, bringing them each to 10 points through 10 games, joining Quinn Hutson for the team lead. Doug Grimes scored six and a half minutes later to cut the lead to two. His first of the season and first goal since December 1st, 2023 vs. Merrimack. Tristan Amonte record an assist on Grimes’ goal and through 8 games this season, Amonte has 3 points (1g-2a) which matches his total for his previous 41 games as a Terrier. Maine scored an empty net goal in the waning minutes of the third period to earn the 2-5 win. It was Maine’s first win over BU in 6 games, a 1-8 win on March 5th, 2022.
The Terriers when 4-6 on the PK, with both goals coming on a 5×3. On the power play, BU went 1-6, scoring their 5 straight Friday power play goal. Max Lacroix saved 29 of the 33 shots he faced, a career high.
On Saturday night, Cole Eiserman got the Terriers off on the right foot, scoring the exactly midway through the first period. It was Eiserman’s 7th of the season, the most among all Hockey East freshmen and 2nd among all freshmen nationally. Eiserman has recorded at least a point in all but two games this season—Oct 25th vs. North Dakota and Nov 9th vs. Lowell. Maine got two back to take the lead into the third period. With the goalie pulled, Shane Lachance sent the game into overtime with 20 seconds left on the clock. It was Lachance’s 5th goal in 11 games this season, last season it took till game 15. Tom Willander assisted on both goals, his first multipoint game of the season and first since the 2024 NCAA West Regional Semifinal vs. RIT.
In the shootout, goalie Matheiu Caron stopped all 4 of Maine’s attempts. Co-captain Ryan Greene scored the only BU goal in the shootout, to secure BU the extra conference point. It was the first BU shootout goal in their last 9 shootout rounds, with the last goal coming from Quinn Hutson in the first round vs. UMass-Amherst on October 28th, 2023.
Mathieu Caron, back in net after two games off, saved 30 of Maine’s 32 shots, and 9 of 10 on the penalty kill. BU killed 3 of 4 penalties, the first time since October 25th vs. North Dakota, that BU did not allow multiple goals when their opponent had multiple power play opportunities.
The shootout was the Terriers’ first in Orono since December 3rd, 19941. A game that featured current Terrier Head Coach Jay Pandolfo. The Terriers also won that shootout, that time by a score of 2-1. Kaj Linna and Shawn Bates had goals in that shootout.
Other Notes
Two games in Orono have gone to shootouts, in the first Bob Lachance scored in the third period, in the second—30 years later—his nephew Shane Lachance scored in the third period for the Terriers
The last time BU played Maine in Orono in November (November 1st & 2nd, 2019) the result was also a Friday night loss and a Saturday night tie
Box score of the last BU-Maine shootout in Orono —December 3rd, 1994 (Photo: Boston Globe)
Advanced Stats
Game 1
At even strength, things were a bit closer, with Maine leading xG by only 1.37-1.67. Per Period xG: 1st (1.14-.83, BU), 2nd (.48-1.90, Maine), 3rd (.95-.75, BU).
BU taking 5 penalties in the 2nd is what hurt them the most. From the midpoint of the 1st til Cole Hutson’s tripping penalty at 5:43 in the second, BU led in xG. Jack Harvey was the only Terrier with Net xG greater than .05 and was 1 of only 5 Terriers with a positive Net xG.
For the second straight game, Matt Copponi had the Terriers’ top Game Score performance. In terms of high danger shots, Maine led 3 (.85 xG) - 2 (.58 xG), with 2 of Maine’s resulting in goals compared to 0 for BU. Jack Hughes won a team high 16 puck battles. Shane Lachance, Cole Eiserman, and Doug Grimes led the team with 3 scoring chances a piece.
The last time BU’s xG was close to Maine’s was just as Ross Mitton’s penalty midway through the 2nd, after that things were never close. BU showed some life after their first goal, but Maine locked things down after Grimes’ goal midway through the 3rd, limiting BU to only low danger shots.
BU was an at their best when the Coles, Eiserman (61.74%) and Hutson (61.29%) were on the ice, both with xG% over 60.
Game 2
BU was again outplayed by Maine in all aspects outside of hits. Their 9:24 of OZone Possession was their least all season. It was just the third time in the Jay Pandolfo era that BU was held under 10 mins, the other two both occurred in the 2023 East Regional Final vs. Cornell (6:33) and Semifinal vs. Western Michigan (6:59).
Per Period xG: 1st (.55-.90, Maine), 2nd (.72-2.94, Maine), 3rd (1.76-.65, BU), OT (.28-.42, Maine). 60% of Maine’s xG for the game was recorded in the 2nd Period. Outside of the 2nd Period, xG was 2.59-1.97 BU.
Shane Lachance led all players with a Game Score of 3.57. BU recorded 4 high danger shots (1.67 xG), all 4 were shots on goal, with one resulting in Shane Lachance’s game tieing goal. Lachance’s goal had a whopping .59 xG.
Maine recorded 8 high danger shots (2.05 xG), 7 on goal, 6 of which were saved by Matheiu Caron.
Doug Grimes recorded a team high 57.14 xG%, among BU players with TOI over 10 mins. Only 4 Terriers record xG% above 50%, with 13 below 33%.
In the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons, Hockey East used a 5-3-2-0 point system that award 5 points for a win, 2 points for a tie and an additional point in the shootout. It was the only time Hockey East used a shootout until the current system as put in place in 2021-22
What’s the most unique rink on the list of places BU has played BC? Or is it mostly just rinks here in Boston?