Top line powers Terriers past Lowell

If BU's top line needs a nickname, last night the unit tried out "production line," producing three goals and ten points in the #2 Terriers' 7-4 win over #6 Lowell at Tsongas Arena before a standing-room-only crowd of 6706, which included several busloads of BU students. Junior Alex Chiasson (photo) led the way with a career-high four point night (1 goal, 3 assists) while his linemates, senior Chris Connolly and sophomore Matt Nieto each contributed a goal and a pair of assists.

After the River Hawks scored early in the opening period, BU reeled off five goals, two on the power play, with the scores coming from Wade Megan (team-leading 15th), Chiasson, Yasin Cissé, Connolly and Adam Clendening. Lowell goals late in the second period and in the first minute of the third narrowed the score to 5-3, but Ross Gaudet's breakaway goal and Nieto's power play in the third period provided the final margin of 7-4.




The victory moved BU back into a first-place tie with BC. The top five teams are separated by just three points. BU and Lowell meet again tonight, at Agganis Arena, with two crucial points and control of the season series at stake.

Chiasson's big night earned first-star honors and gave him a team-leading 35 points, one more than his tally last season. The Dallas Stars draft pick has reached 88 career points, putting him a dozen away from joining the Terrier Century Club.

With three power play goals in five chances, BU has a 28.8 pwer play percentage in conference games, tops in Hockey East. BU also leads the conference in scoring with 3.75 gpg.

● GoTerriers.com recap, comprehensive box score
● Video highlights
● Coach Jack Parker post-game comments (video)
● Boston Hockey Blog recap, feature on Cisse, Parker comment on rival’s milestone
● USCHO recap
● HockeyEastOnline recap
● Boston Globe recap
● College Hockey News’ The Take Away

Looking ahead
2012 recruit Robert Polesello scored his 11th goal of the season for Indiana in a 4-3 loss to Des Moines.

2013 recruit Brendan Collier, captain of top-ranked Malden Catholic and the Massachusetts high school leading scorer, discussed the revival of hockey in his hometown of Charlestown, Mass. A generation ago, BU's 1978 national championship team featured three skaters from Charlestown: captain (and 1980 U.S. Olympian) Jack O'Callahan, top scorer Mark Fidler, and wing Billy Cotter
● Peter Gammons' 1978 Sports Illustrated feature on "locals."

2013 recuit Sam Kurker, captain of St. John's Prep, assisted on three goals in the Eagles' 4-2 win against Framingham.

Looking back
Colby Cohen scored a power play goal, assisted by David Warsofsky, in the Providence Bruins' 6-0 thumping of Hershey. Cohen also added an assist.