The East Side: BU takes the top, and Vermont takes everyone by surprise
The Terriers swept Maine to lead Hockey East, a Vermont freshman won both ends of a sweep, and half the weekend went to overtime.
Start with the receipt. Last Monday I said Maine would win at least one game at Agganis. Maine lost 7-2 on Friday, then blew a 2-0 lead on Saturday. Wrong, and not close.
Boston University is the reason, and it's the story of the weekend. The Terriers swept a ranked team, climbed to the top of the league table, and showed both ways to win: by a lot, and late.
The weekend
BU 7, Maine 2 and BU 3, Maine 2 (OT). Seven different Terriers scored on Friday, and the game was 4-1 after one period. Saturday was harder. Maine led 2-0 after the first, BU scored twice in the third, and freshman Caleb Malhotra ended it 1:35 into overtime.
Vermont 3, UNH 2 and Vermont 3, UNH 2 (OT). Two one-goal games, both to the Catamounts. Freshman Mathias Loiselle won Friday's on a penalty shot late in the third and Saturday's in overtime.
BC 3, Northeastern 2 (OT) and Northeastern 4, BC 3 (OT). A split, both in overtime. Dean Letourneau won Friday's 45 seconds in, and Tyler Fukakusa answered at 2:06 on Saturday.
Merrimack 5, UConn 4, then a 5-5 tie. Freshman defenseman David Green had two goals and an assist on Friday. UConn's Veeti Louhivaara made 28 saves on Saturday, and the Huskies took the shootout point.
Elsewhere, UMass beat Harvard 4-2, UMass Lowell split at Colgate, and Providence lost 5-1 at Quinnipiac.
By our count, six of the 12 games Hockey East teams played Friday and Saturday went past 60 minutes. Nobody in this league is getting a free night.
The race
BU leads with 11 points from a 4-2-0 league record and is 6-2-0 overall. Vermont is second with nine. Providence and Merrimack have six each, and the Friars have only played two league games.
Maine has one point. UMass Lowell has none.
The NPI already likes the top of this league. Providence is 14th, BU 15th, Vermont 17th and Maine 19th. In last week's USCHO poll, Providence was fifth and BU 14th, with Merrimack, UConn, Maine and UMass also ranked.
The mover is Vermont. The Catamounts aren't in the poll, sit 4-3-0 overall, and still own second place and a top-20 NPI spot.
Rivalry file
BC and Northeastern played two overtime games and got one apiece. The Green Line rivalry rarely cares about records, and this weekend proved it again. BC's start is still rough at 2-4-1, but it took a game off a better résumé. These two meet again in the Beanpot in February.
Player of the weekend
Mathias Loiselle, Vermont. My pick. A penalty-shot winner late in the third on Friday, then a goal and two assists on Saturday, including the overtime winner. A freshman who decides both games of a sweep is the whole weekend.
Meg's line
Meg Halloran: On the women's side, BC swept Vermont and Northeastern swept BU. Eloise Caron drove the Huskies, and she had a goal and an assist on Saturday alone.
Weekend slate
- BU at Michigan State, Friday 7 p.m. and Saturday. The league leader goes to East Lansing to face a team that was fourth in last week's poll. Out of conference, but it's the best measuring stick BU will get this fall.
- Vermont at Boston College, Friday 7 p.m. The Catamounts' first big road test since moving into second.
- Providence at UConn, Saturday 5 p.m. The Friars' first game since the Quinnipiac loss, and it counts in the league.
- UMass at Maine, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Maine needs points now, not in February.
- UNH at UMass Lowell, Friday 7:15 p.m., then UMass Lowell at UNH on Saturday at 7. Two teams at the bottom, and someone climbs out.
Also: Holy Cross at Merrimack on Friday, and Northeastern at Holy Cross on Saturday.
Kessler's call
BU wins one game in East Lansing. The Terriers just showed they can win a game they trailed 2-0, and that travels. I'll grade it here next Monday.
