Here we go! After handily sweeping Michigan State last week, the Eagles are now the top ranked team in the country. They’ll look to extend their win streak and solidify their ranking as they begin Hockey East play this weekend when they take on UMass Lowell in a home-and-home series.
WHO:
#1 Boston College Eagles (5-1-0, 0-0-0 HEA) vs UMass Lowell Riverhawks (4-2-0, 1-1-0 HEA)
WHERE:
Friday
Kelley Rink at Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA
Saturday
Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA
WHEN:
Friday, November 3 & Saturday, November 4. Puck drops at 7pm on Friday, and 6pm on Saturday.
HOW TO WATCH:
Friday’s game will be live on NESN. Both games will be streaming on ESPN+.
FOLLOW ALONG:
@bcinterruption and @bc_mhockey on Twitter.
PREVIEW:
Lowell has been having a hot start to the year, going 4-2-0 in their first six games. Though they started their season with a loss to Alaska-Anchorage, they’ve only dropped one to UConn since, and swept Colgate in an early non-conference matchup.
On offense, the Riverhawks are led by juniors Owen Cole and Matt Crasa and sophomore Scout Truman, who each have seven points in six games. After the three of them however, the next player has three points in six games.
In net, senior Henry Welsch and junior transfer Luke Pavicich have started three games each — and have almost identical stats. Both are 2-1-0, have a .946 save percentage, have allowed five goals each and made 88 total saves. Pavicich has played just one more minute than Welsch has, and has a 1.63 GAA compared to Welsch’s 1.64 GAA. It seems like they have a true 1a and 1b pair of goalies, so it’s possible that the Eagles face both of them this weekend.
The Eagles were really firing on all cylinders against MSU last weekend, defeating them 6-4 and 5-1. All four lines are making incredibly valuable contributions and the defense is looking strong in their own end for the most part. Jacob Fowler had a great series against the Spartans after a shaky first period start in the first game, so all-in-all the Eagles seem to be in a good place heading into Hockey East play. Here’s to hoping they can add two more wins to their streak this weekend!