O’Regan and Lefort grab HE Player of the Week Honors

Junior Danny O’Regan, who recorded his first career hat trick (video) and added an assist in BU’s 4-2 win against Merrimack, was named Hockey East’s Warrior Player of the Week.

His four points were a career high for one game and, with 11 goals, he has one more than last season. Freshman Jack Eichel, who assisted on all four goals Saturday, and junior Matt O’Connor, who stopped 56 of 59 shots over two games, earned spots on the weekly top performers list.

Terriers moved up a notch from #3 to #2 in the USCHO weekly poll and maintained their #2 ranking in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.  In SB Nation’s Power Rankings, the Terriers are ranked first in Hockey East and fourth in Division 1.

Eichel, who leads Division 1 in points (25), assists (17) and plus/minus (+20), heads to U.S. Junior National Team Camp following next Saturday’s game at Rensselaer. He won’t have far to travel as BU’s Walter Brown Arena is hosting the camp. Eichel, who will be participating in his second World Junior Championships, is featured on the cover of two leading publications previewing the WJCs: USA Hockey Magazine and The Hockey News. 

● College Hockey Inc. report 

● USCHO Hockey East Blog  

Looking ahead

2016 recruit Patrick Harper is off to a hot start with Avon Old Farms. He scored one goal and assisted on four others in Saturday’s win against Albany Academy. On Sunday, he scored AOF’s only goal in Sunday 4-1 loss to Cushing, but was named the game’s second star. The 16 year old, who played fall hockey in Mass Midget Selects league and led all scorers in the Tier 1 18U division, has a 3-5-8 line in three games for the Winged Beavers.

Looking back

Among the alumni attendees at Saturday’s BU-Merrimack game were former BU All-Americans and longtime NHLers Mike Grier and Shawn McEachern (photo).  Earlier in the day McEachern’s Rivers School prep team was edged, 2-1, by Thayer Academy, coached by McEachern’s BU linemate, Tony Amonte.
 ● McEachern & Amonte combine on overtime game-winner vs. Maine in 1991 Hockey East title game (video).

Grier (photo) is in his first season as a pro scout for the Chicago Blackhawks, whose front office has a number of ex-Terriers. Ron Anderson, a member of the 1971 and 1972 NCAA title teams, is Director of Player Recruitment. Former BU captain and Bruins head coach Mike Sullivan and longtime NHL defenseman Adrian Aucoin are coaches on the player development staff .

Eric Gryba,defenseman on BU's 2009 championship team, recorded his fourth assist of the season in Ottawa’s 4-3 OT win against Vancouver.

Women’s Team

#5 Terriers close out first semester tonight by hosting Providence in a 7 p.m. start at Walter Brown Arena. It’s the first meeting of the season between Coach Brian Durocher’s Terriers and the Friars, coach by former BU netminder Bob Deraney.

Providence is 2-2 in its last four games, but had been winless in its first 12 games and ranks last in Hockey East in scoring. Senior Beth Hanrahan is the Friars’ goals and points leader.

The 11-3-2 (7-2-0 HE) Terriers have won their last eight home games against Providence.

● GoTerriers.com preview, GameTracker, TerrierTV Webcast

● Providence College preview

For the second time in three weeks junior Sarah Lefort is Hockey East’s Warrior Player of the Week. The Ormstown, Que., native scored a pair of unassisted goals in BU’s 4-1 win against Vermont and has produced two goals in three of her last four games. Freshman forward Rebecca Leslie and sophomore goalie Victoria Hanson were named to the league’s weekly top performers list.

● Daily Free Press recap of 4-1 win against Vermont