Irish And Eagles To Close Out Season Series

Jan. 26, 2017

Game Notes

By Dan Colleran

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Fighting Irish and Boston College Eagles will close out their regular season series at Conte Forum on Saturday night.

In the first game of this season’s series, Notre Dame came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Boston College, 3-2, at the Compton Family Ice Arena (Dec. 10). Anders Bjork broke through on the power play and, after an Andrew Oglevie tally tied the game five minutes later, Bjork buried the shorthanded, game winner for the Irish at 17:30 of the second. It was Boston College’s first conference loss of the season.

The No. 11/13 Eagles enter the weekend in first place in the Hockey East standings with 23 points in 15 games (11-3-1). With 16 points in 13 games (7-4-2), the 15th-ranked Irish moved up to fourth place following last weekend’s 1-0-1 weekend against New Hampshire.

OVERVIEW | GAMES 26

Matchup: Notre Dame at Boston College
Date: Saturday, Jan. 28
Time: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Site: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Arena: Conte Forum
Television: None
Live Streaming: BCEagles.tv
Live Radio | Audio: WZOC 94.3 FM | WatchND
Play-by-Play: Darin Pritchett
Live Stats: Hockey East
Live Updates: @NDHockey
Series History: BC leads, 21-19-2 (42 games)

NOTES TO KNOW

• Cal Petersen ranks ninth in the country with a 1.97 goals against average (second in Hockey East), while his .926 save percentage ranks 12th nationally (second in Hockey East).
• Since returning from break (Dec. 31 vs. Alaska), Petersen has a .951 save percentage to go along with a 5-2-1 record and three shutouts.
• Junior Anders Bjork has 36 points this season on 15 goals and 21 assists. His 36 points rank fourth in Hockey East and tied for sixth in the country.
• Notre Dame has won three of its last four overall meetings with Boston College, and is 4-1-0 in its last five games at Conte Forum.

NOTRE DAME 3, BOSTON COLLEGE 2 (Dec. 10, 2016)

• Facing a two-goal deficit against Boston College following the opening period of play, the Irish scored three goals in the second period in an eventual 3-2 victory at the Compton Family Ice Arena (Dec. 10).
• Anders Bjork broke through on the power play and, after an Andrew Oglevie tally tied the game five minutes later, Bjork buried the shorthanded, game-winner for the Irish at 17:30 of the second.
• Notre Dame handed Boston College its first conference defeat of the 2016-17 season.
• The Irish outshot the Eagles 32-17, including a 21-9 count in shots on goal over the final two periods.

NOTRE DAME – BOSTON COLLEGE SERIES NOTES

• Boston College holds a slight edge in the all-time series, 21-19-2.
• The series began Dec. 20, 1969 and, since 1995, the teams have met every year except for two (1999-2000 and 2005-06).
• Last season, the Irish and Eagles split their regular-season series.
• In game one last year, the Irish trailed 3-1 at 7:05 of the third period but rallied to score three straight goals to post a 4-3, come-from-behind win at third-ranked Boston College on Dec. 10 at Conte Forum.
• In Notre Dame’s 3-1 Senior Night victory on Feb. 28, 2015, Cal Petersen made 55 saves – his highest career save total in a regular season game.
• The Eagles helped dedicate the Compton Family Ice Arena on Nov. 18, 2011 as No. 4 Notre Dame downed No. 3 BC, 3-2 in overtime when Bryan Rust scored with 1.1 seconds remaining.
• Boston College led the first half of the series, going 14-7-2 against the Irish from 1969-2002, but Notre Dame has led the rivalry since, going 11-7-0 since 2003.
• The teams met in the 2014 Hockey East quarterfinals with Notre Dame claiming the best-of-three series at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass., upsetting the top-seeded Eagles.
• Other recent notable meetings include a 4-3 BC win at Fenway Park (Jan. 4, 2014), while BC also defeated the Irish 4-1 in the 2008 NCAA Championship game in Denver, Colorado (Notre Dame’s first appearance in the NCAA Championship game).

STREAKS AND TRENDS

• Andrew Oglevie has a five-game point streak (3-4-7) and Jake Evans is on a three-game point streak (1-3-4).
• Evans has notched at least one point in 10 of Notre Dame’s last 11 games (5-7-12).
• Notre Dame is 7-2-1 over its last 10 games.

IRON MAN

• Cal Petersen has started 75 consecutive games in the Notre Dame net, dating back to a 5-1 win at Maine on Feb. 7, 2015.

Consecutive Goaltender Starts (NCAA DI)

1. Ben Scrivens, Cornell (2007-10) 104
2. David McKee, Cornell (2004-06) 102
3. Andrew Volkening, Air Force (2007-10) 97
4. John Muse, Boston College (2008-09) 81
5. Andy Illes, Cornell (2011-14) 80
6. Dan Murphy, Clarkson (1994-98) 80
7. John Lothrub, Minnesota (1964-66) 78
8. Joe Cannata, Merrimack (2009-12) 77
9. Brant Nicklin, Duluth (1996-98) 76
10. Cal Petersen, Notre Dame (2014-) 75

— 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 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).