Gameday—Terriers return to MSG for Red Hot Hockey II

The Terriers’ holiday week pair of non-conference games concludes with Saturday night’s reprise of Red Hot Hockey against Cornell at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Two seasons ago, BU upended the Big Red 6-3 (video) at a sold out Garden.

Seventh-ranked Cornell enters the game with a 5-2 mark and one of the nation’s top offenses, with a 4+ goals per game average and a strong power play. Terriers will look to duplicate the improved discipline they showed Tuesday against Harvard when BU took only three penalties, one of which was a coincidental one. The Big Red are led on offense by seniors Blake Gallagher and Colin Greening.

BU's top line from Tuesday's win against Harvard remains intact. Chris Connolly, Nick Bonino and Joe Pereira produced four of BU's six goals against the Crimison. Alexx Chiasson returns as right wing on the third line after missing Tuesday's game with the flu. Sophomore Grant Rollheiser makes his third start of the season. He has a 1-0-1 record.

Along with our usual list of game previews and links, check out the historical article, "BU in The Big Apple," written two years ago by contributor mh82 about BU’s past games in New York City, including games at previous Madison Square Gardens beginning in 1926.

▪ GoTerriers.com has links to game notes, live stats, the WWZN radio Webcast, and the video Webcast on All Access.
▪ Scott Weighart offers a feature piece on four Terriers from the greater New York City area who are looking forward to BU’s return to Madison Square Garden.
▪ Daily Free Press game preview
▪ Ithaca Journal game preview
▪ Inside College Hockey’s pregame coverage looks at David Warsofsky’s move to forward for a few games this season.
▪ Boston Hockey Blog in-game blog
▪ WTBU in-game blog

►From the Maine Hockey Journal’s Nathan Fournier, we have a feature on women’s team sophomore defenseman Kasey Boucher, a Lewiston, Maine, native who recently returned home when the Terriers visited the Black Bears.

Looking ahead
Despite missing the season’s first four games and getting off to slow start, 2010 recruit Yasin Cissé is now tied for seventh in the USHL in goal scoring. His ninth goal, scored Thursday night in a 5-4 Des Moines’ loss to Omaha, ties him for the Bucs' team lead with Vermont recruit Conor Brickley.

Looking back
Freddy Meyer enjoyed his first two-point game of the season, assisting on the Islanders first and third goals in a 3-1 win against the Penguins.