Game Day: Terrier vs. Air Force UPDATED; Women face Holy Cross at Fenway

#6 Terriers are in Tempe, Ariz, to take on Air Force in the opening round of The Desert Hockey Classic. The annual tournament, begun in 2015, will be played for the first time in Mullett Arena, the new 5,000 seat on-campus home of the Wildcats which they share with the Arizona Coyotes.

Puck drop is set for 3:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. ET and will be live streamed, free, on ASU Live Stream-2. The other half of the tournament draw features Michigan Tech facing host Arizona State, whose top scorer is former Terrier Robert Mastrosimone.

For BU, it will be the second game this season against an Atlantic Hockey opponent. Terriers beat Bentley, 8-2, to launch the 101^st season of BU hockey.

BU has only played the Falcons, who are 6-10-2, three times previously, most recently an 8-3 Terrier win in the 1999-2000 season-opening Johnson Nissan Classic in Anchorage. BU also defeated Air Force in 1977, 8-7.  A 10-4 Terrier win in the 1972-73 season opener was later forfeited (see THFB 12/13/22).

The Falcons have been idle since Dec. 2 & 3 (2-1 and 4-1 losses to Holy Cross) because last weekend’s scheduled series at Canisius was postponed due to weather. The Air Force offense is led by forwards Will Gavin and Nate Horn and defenseman Luke Rowe—all juniors—each with 13 points. Senior blueliner Brandon Koch has 12. Rowe was Atlantic Hockey Defender of the Month in November. Sophomore Guy Blessing has made 15 starts in goal but is out due to bursitis. so the Terriers will face either junior Maiszon Balboa (3.12, .857 in 77 minutes of actions) or senior Austin Park, who has played just eight minutes this year and stopped all five shots he faced.

Head Coach Frank Serratore has behind the Air Force bench since the 1990-91 season.

The 12-5-0 Terriers have won nine of their last 11 games and will will seek to continue their out-of-conference success after the 2-1 overtime win against Harvard brought the OOC mark to 4-1-0.

BU is averaging 3.8 goals per game, which is tied for fourth among D1 schools. The team's 36.2 shots per game is second in D1.

Senior Matt Brown tops the Terriers in scoring. His 24 points (8G,16A) have him fifth in Division 1 in points per game. Captain Dom Fensore (16 points) and freshmen brothers Lane Hutson (18 points) and Quinn Hutson (13) each have seven goals. Also powering the attack are freshman Ryan Green (15) and seniors Jay O’Brien (12) and Wilmer Skoog (11). Junior netminder Drew Commesso brings a 2.74 GAA and a .908 save percentage.

TONIGHT’S BU LINE-UP

Wilmer-Skoog-Carrabes

Brown-Greene-Hutson

Tuch-Zabaneh-Peterson

Armstrong-Stevens-Kaplan

Fensore-Gallagher

Hutson-McCarthy

Webber-Jarman

Getz

Commesso

Duplessis

 

● GoTerriers.com preview, Game Notes, Live Stats, BU All-Access (audio), BU Women’s Hockey Twitter

● ASU Live Stream-2

● Boston Hockey Blog preview

● Colorado Springs Gazette preview

● College Hockey News Tale of the Tape

 

►Hockey East’s Defender of the Week, Dom Fensore, is also Defender of the Month for December. The senior captain had a 4-3-7 line in five games with three game-winners—with two coming in the third period or overtime. The Carolina Hurricanes’ draft pick is currently on a seven-game point street with six goals and four assists over that span.

Terrier blueliners have now won the DOTM award four consecutive times. Lane Hutson claimed the award for October and November while Fensore was honored for the final DOTM of last season for February.

● Go Terriers.com Fensore named Hockey East Defender of the Month

● HockeyEastOnline.com Monthy Awards

 

BU Terriers Unleashed - Season 4, Episode 2 

 

►USCHO’s Jim Connelly talked with Jay Pandolfo about his memories of playing at Walter Brown Arena where he became an All-American, Hockey East Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist.

● USCHO.com This Week in Hockey East

 

World Junior Championships

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What a play by Lane to set up the GWG!pic.twitter.com/UHJYbDjh8t

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) January 5, 2023

Lane Hutson’s strong move to the net set up Chaz Lucius’ overtime game-winner as the U.S. edged Sweden in a wild bronze-medal game in Halifax. The Terrier freshman, who skated on Team USA’s second defensive pair, finished the tournament with a goal and three assists.

 

Looking back

Charlie McAvoy and his father are featured in a Mass Mutual ad that aired during the Winter Classic at Frozen Fenway.

The former Terrier All-American had a pair of assists in the Bruins' 5-2 win against the Kings.

Joel Farabee scored his eighth goal in the Flyers 6-2 win against Montreal.

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BEEZER IS BUZZING AROUND. #ARIvsPHI | #FueledByPhilly pic.twitter.com/IrqsylUkYA

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 6, 2023

Trevor Zegras scored his 14th goal and added an assist in the Coyotes' 5-3 loss to Florida. He's Arizona's co-leader in goals and has a team-best 36 points.

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THAT BACKHANDER THOUGH pic.twitter.com/sgok7SBuF6

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) January 4, 2023

Women’s Team 

  

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When we take the ice at Fenway, we'll be throwing it back to Coach D's playing days. #GoBU pic.twitter.com/CfUIVLL2Y3

— BU Women's Hockey (@TerrierWHockey) January 4, 2023

Terriers are set to compete in their first-ever outdoor game tonight, taking on Holy Cross in the back end of a Frozen Fenway doubleheader. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m., following the contest between Harvard and Quinnipiac. NESN will broadcast both games.

Four weeks ago, BU edged the Crusaders, 3-2 in overtime, at Walter Brown Arena.

BU’s offense is led by senior Julia Nearis with 15 points (7G,8A). Junior Lacey Martin has a team best eight assists. Senior Nadia Mattivi and junior Catherine Foulem each have nine points.

● GoTerriers.com preview, Game Notes, Live Stats, BU All-Access (audio), BU Women’s Hockey Twitter