Feb. 22, 2016
By Dan Colleran
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Tenth-ranked Notre Dame will play host to ninth-ranked Boston University this weekend (Feb. 26-27) at the Compton Family Ice Arena, with a top-four seed and first round Hockey East Tournament bye on the line.
The Irish enter the final regular-season weekend third in the Hockey East standings, while the Terriers are tied for fourth.
Three teams are still in contention for first place, including Notre Dame. In addition the Irish, the Terriers and UMass Lowell remain in contention to join Boston College and Providence College as top-four seeds.
Pl. Team (Possible Finish)
- Boston College (1-3)*
- Providence College (1-3)*
- Notre Dame (1-5)
- Boston University (3-5)
- UMass Lowell (4-5)
* – clinched a first round bye
Complete Hockey East Standings
The Irish would clinch a top-four seed and a first round bye with a win or a tie against Boston University this weekend, or with a tie or loss by UMass Lowell, who plays Boston College this weekend.
All 12 teams will make the Hockey East playoffs, with the top-four seeds earning first round byes and hosting best-of-three second round series on March 11-13. The four first round series will also be played under the best-of-three format and will take place from March 4-6.
On Monday (Feb. 22), the Irish moved to No. 10 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls, marking the 15th-consecutive week Notre Dame has been in the rankings.
— 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).