Feb. 24, 2016
OVERVIEW
— Tenth-ranked Notre Dame hosts ninth-ranked Boston University this weekend in the final series of the regular season with playoff positioning and, possibly, a regular-season championship on the line.
— The Irish are currently third in the Hockey East standings and could still finish anywhere between first and fifth-place.
— Boston University enters the weekend tied for fourth and could finish between third and fifth-place.
DETAILS — GAME 33
Match-up: Boston University at Notre Dame
Date: Friday, Feb. 26, 2016
Time: 7:40 p.m. (ET)
Site: Notre Dame, Ind.
Arena: Compton Family Ice Arena (5,022)
Television: NBC Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Dan Parkhurst
Analyst: Ken Hodge
Live Streaming: NBC Live Extra
Live Radio: New Country 99.9 FM
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Audio: WatchND App (www.watchND.tv)
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Stats:
Live Updates: @NDHockey
All-Time Series: ND leads 6-3-2 (11 games)
DETAILS — GAME 34
Match-up: Boston University at Notre Dame
Date: Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016
Time: 7:10 p.m. (ET)
Site: Notre Dame, Ind.
Arena: Compton Family Ice Arena (5,022)
Television: NBC Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Dan Parkhurst
Analyst: Anson Carter
Live Streaming: NBC Live Extra
Live Radio: New Country 99.9 FM
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Audio: WatchND App (www.watchND.tv)
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Stats:
Live Updates: @NDHockey
QUICK HITS
— The Irish are 13-3-3 over their last 19 games (dating back to Nov. 28) and are also 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.
— In Hockey East play, goaltender Cal Petersen (14-4-2) has a 1.80 goals-against average (which ranks second) and a .935 save percentage (third).
— Sophomore Jordan Gross leads the league in defenseman scoring (Hockey East games only) with 19 points (6-13-19), while Boston University senior Matt Grzelcyk ranks second with 16 points (8-8-16).
PLAYOFF PICTURE
— Entering the final weekend of the regular season, there is still a lot to determine in the Hockey East playoff picture.
— All 12 teams will make the playoffs, with the top-four seeds earning first round byes and hosting best-of-three second round series (the four first round series will also be a best-of-three format).
— Notre Dame (14-4-2/30 points) sits in third place entering this weekend series with Boston University and can still finish between first and fifth-place.
— The Irish would clinch a top-four seed and a first round bye with a win or a tie against Boston University, or with a tie or loss by UMass Lowell (against Boston College).
BOSTON UNIVERSITY AT A GLANCE
— The Terriers, who are also in a battle for a top-four finish and a first round Hockey East bye, enter the weekend with an 18-9-5 record (11-5-4 HEA) and are 2-1-1 over their last four games after falling to Boston College in the Beanpot championship game, 1-0 in overtime (Feb. 8).
— Last weekend, Boston University skated to a 3-3 tie at New Hampshire (Feb. 19) and then posted a 3-2 win at home on senior night against the Wildcats (Feb. 20).
— After replacing Sean Maguire in the Terriers’ 6-3 loss at UMass Lowell (Feb. 13), sophomore Connor LaCouvee started both games in the Boston University goal last weekend (1-0-1, .884 save percentage, 2.40 goals-against average).
— On the season, LaCouvee is 8-4-4 with a .904 save percentage and a 2.75 goals-against average.
— Maguire is 10-5-1 with a .925 save percentage and a 2.24 goals-against average.
— Senior forwards Danny O’Regan (14-22-36), Ahti Oksanen (14-19-33) and Matt Lane (14-12-26) lead the team in points, while all three are tied for the team lead in goals.
— The Terriers have been most dangerous in the third period, scoring 48 goals in the final frame (+18 goal differential in the third period this season).
THE BU-ND SERIES
— The Irish and Terriers have only played 11 times (ND leads 6-3-2) but have met at least once in five of the last six seasons.
— Notre Dame is 3-0-1 in regular-season Hockey East games against Boston University and the Irish also won a first round playoff game against the Terriers, 3-2 on March 8, 2014 (Compton Family Ice Arena).
— Dating back to a 3-3 tie in the consolation game of the 2011 Shillelagh Tournament (Jan. 2, 2011), the Irish are 5-0-2 in their last seven games against Boston University.
— Last season, Notre Dame went 1-0-1 at then second-ranked Boston University (Feb. 21-22), with Mario Lucia and Sam Herr accounting for two of Notre Dame’s three goals in the 3-2 win (Feb. 22).
— Cal Petersen stopped 78 out of 82 BU shots in that series (.951 Sv%) en route to being named the Hockey East Player of the Week.
CAREER STATS vs. BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Sam Herr: 5 GP, 1-3-4
Thomas DiPauli: 5 GP, 0-2-2
Anders Bjork: 2 GP, 1-0-1
Mario Lucia: 5 GP, 1-0-1
Andy Ryan: 5 GP, 0-1-1
Ali Thomas: 4 GP, 0-1-1
Jake Evans: 2 GP, 1-0-1
Jordan Gross: 2 GP, 0-0-0
Luke Ripley: 2 GP, 0-0-0
Steven Fogarty: 5 GP, 0-0-0
Connor Hurley: 2 GP, 0-0-0
Justin Wade: 2 GP, 0-0-0
Dawson Cook: 2 GP, 0-0-0
Cal Petersen: 2-2 (GP-GS), 1-0-1, 1.92 GAA, .951 Sv.%
FAST STARTS
— Notre Dame has taken a 1-0 lead in 25 of its 32 games this season.
— The Irish are 17-3-5 when scoring first.
— Notre Dame is out-scoring opponents 33-13 in the first period (21-8 in Hockey East play).
— The 25 first goals are tied with Providence College for the most in the country.
— ND —
Dan Colleran, associate athletics communications director at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and men’s golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).