Defender of the Week honors for Fensore; 6th in both polls UPDATED

Captain Dom Fensore has been named Hockey East's Defender of the Week following his overtime game-winner against Harvard. It was his second DOTW award of the season for the senior blueliner, who was recognized on Dec. 5, and the fifth of his BU career. Fensore is on a seven-game scoring streak with 6G,4A over that span. Friday night's game-winner was his third of the season.

● GoTerriers.com report

Drew Commesso and Quinn Hutston made Hockey East's Weekly Top Performers list. 

● HockeyEast.com Men's Weekly Release

BU Hockey Writer Scott Weighert spoke with Coach Jay Pandolfo, and seniors Jay O'Brien and Wilmer Skoog about the Terriers' first regular-season game with fans at Walter Brown Arena since Jan. 2, 2005--18 years ago today.

"We played in the COVID year, so we have played, I don't know, maybe eight games here?" Skoog said. "We all expected a big crowd and a loud crowd, and it was just as we expected. Happy everyone could show up and be loud throughout the whole game. It really, really helped us. I think everyone on the team saw this as one of the highlights of the year because playing here in a smaller building, we know it's going to be loud, and it was awesome to get the win as well."

● GoTerriers.com Back to the Future at Walter Brown Arena  

Poll Story--Coming up Sixes

Following the 2-1 OT win against Harvard, Terriers moved up two slots to #6 in the USCHO Weekly Poll. Merrimack, which had been #6 last week, dropped to #8. BU began the season at #12 in the USCHO Poll.

BU also jumped up from #7 to #6 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll. And in the Everything College Hockey Poll, #6 as well.

BU remains at #7 in the PairWise rankings and stands at #8 in the KRACH-based College Hockey News Power Rankings.

World Junior Championships

A day after Quinn Hutson fired his seventh goal in the 2-1 OT win against Harvard, Lane Hutson connected on his first goal in the World Junior Championships, scoring in Team USA’s 6-2 win against Finland. It was his second point of the tournament. Not to be outdone, 2024 recruit Cole Hutson, a defenseman like Lane, scored his fourth in the NTDP U17s’ 7-3 win against Muskegon. So, a Hutson hat trick? Cole added an assist and has 29 points, third best on the U17s.

In the WJC preliminary Team USA finished first in Group B and, after routing Germany in the quarterfinals, will face Canada in the semifinals on Wednesday.

FNL (Friday Night Leftovers)

One more look at Fensore’s third game-winning goal of the season, compliments of sports videographer Bernie Perisie.

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Oh captain, my captain🫡@TerrierHockey @BUAthletics @BurntBoats @spittinchiclets @TeamECH @BOShockeyblog @Canes @BUBand pic.twitter.com/cJQn5coQSu

— Bernie Perisie (@bernieperisie) December 31, 2022

In its last ten meetings with Harvard, BU is 7-3-1 and now has a three-game winning streak. Beginning their rivalry in 1922, the teams have now met 160 times with the Terriers holding an 83-70-3 edge.

Friday’s victory brings BU’s record at Walter Brown Arena to 363-129-37 (.7211).

Not including the 2020-21 season, which started in January, BU now has closed out the calendar year with a win in eight consecutive seasons beginning with the 2014-15 campaign. 

For calendar year 2022, Terriers are 24-9-0, fifth best in D1.  

Denver - 80.7%

Quinnipiac - 80.2%

Minnesota - 75.6%

Minn. State - 73.3%

Boston University - 72.7%

Michigan - 72.0%

Merrimack - 71.1%

Terriers are now 3-1 in games that have gone to overtime. Last season, BU went to overtime eight times resulting in three wins, two losses and three shootout losses.  

Matt Brown now has points in nine of the past 11 games, producing four goals and 11 assists. With 24 points, he’s tied for 10^th in Division 1 and is fifth in points per game. In conference play, Brown is tied for third with 15 points, while Lane Hutson is tied for seventh with 13 points.

Wilmer Skoog, who had the primary assist on Fensore’s game-winner has three goals and four assists in his last six games.

Quinn Hutson now has seven goals on 38 shots for a team-best 18.4% shooting percentage. 

Looking ahead 

2023 recruit Michael Chambre made a season-high 38 saves in the NTDP U18s' 4-3 overtime loss to North Dakota. 

Looking back

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"Being a Boston guy, you still hear people talk about that game to this day 13 years later, and hopefully we can create another memorable one for them today."@JamieHersch spoke with @NHLBruins' Matt Grzelyck about playing in his first #WinterClassic in his hometown. pic.twitter.com/Q1lhCdAetQ

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 2, 2023

Matt Grzelcyk, along with Charlie Coyle and Charlie McAvoy, were among the 17 college players in the NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park where the Bruins edged the Penguins, 2-1. Among the five NCAA alums on the two coaching staffs were Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Sullivan and Boston assistant Joe Sacco.