UConn, Boston College Eye First Place Heading into Holiday Season: All Things Hockey East

In the battle of two nationally ranked Huskies, then-No. 14 Connecticut walked away victorious last week, and maybe set the tone for the rest of the season. Not only did it come from behind in both games to secure six points in the Hockey East standings, but the wins propelled UConn to first place in the conference.

The first matchup at home, looked to be a showdown between the goaltenders, senior Tyler Muszelik and junior Lawton Zacher, who made 33 and 31 saves, respectively. However, the real star on the night for UConn ended up being senior Jake Percival, who scored a hat trick on home ice, the first of his collegiate career to lead a 4-2 victory.

The next night saw then-No. 11 Northeastern come out swinging, and for a while it was all over the ice, outplaying UConn at nearly every turn. When sophomore Griffin Erdman created a turnover and snapped the puck by Muszelik with a wrist shot four minutes into the third period, it seemed as if NU, which was up 3-0, was going to run away with the win. UConn had other plans, though, getting two goals back within six minutes to take the momentum. With five minutes remaining, and UConn about to go on the power play, Percival tapped the puck into the back of the net off of a nifty pass from junior Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, leveling the game at 3-3. The winner came in overtime off the stick of junior Joey Muldowney who stole the puck and decked by Zacher to snatch the victory. It was an amazing comeback win for UConn, as its toughness was tested throughout the two-game set.

Looking ahead, if this team is able to find more offense from the underclassmen, this could mark the start of a winning streak , if not more. UConn moved up to No. 11 in this week's national rankings, and the next step is to become a top-10 staple.

As for Northeastern, this series was a stunning loss that it will look to quickly put in the rearview mirror, especially with a home-and-home series looming against No. 18 Boston University this weekend. The Terriers are below .500 and needing points. NU needs to take some of the burden off Zacher’s shoulders, as the goaltender has been the key to the team's easrl-season success. With that being said, if the Huskies cannot rally around him, they won’t win, as Zacher can’t do it alone. Against UConn he faced 69 shoots, while making 57 saves. That's way too many, even if he is one of the best that college hockey has to offer. Moving forward, a sturdier defense will be needed if Northeastern wishes to keep pace with their rival contenders.

No. 18 Boston College Has Won Four Straight

Five weeks into the season, Boston College has secured its first win at home, beating Massachusetts 7-3. The Egales had a complete team effort as seven different players scored including the Boston Bruins seventh-overall pick in this year's draft, sophomore James Hagens.

“I thought the guys were excited to play, coming off a strong weekend in Vermont,” Eagles coach Greg Brown said. “The feeling around the team was good and positive, especially in the first period despite giving up some off man rushes.

BC played better as the game went along and UMass was just unable to adjust and hold off the potent attack, especially in the third period, where they surrendered four goals. Even with a slow start the Eagles had an edge in shots 39-16, and faceoffs 30-23. Boston College appears to have turned things around and the the offense fully awoken from its slumber. UMass, whuch hasn't played well thus far, wass caught off guard and it showed as this matchup showed given how dominant BC was throughout the game.

"Not a great outing tonight," UMass head coach Greg Carvel said. "I thought in the first period our puck decisions played into a lot of transitions for BC, and that's what they do well. We played into their hands, and I don't think we competed well enough and rebound goals are indicative of that. We needed our power play to give us some more life tonight, especially with goalie out. I think we let BC fly around tonight and we were a little out of sorts."

The Minutemen brought the energy in the second game, as they were able to grind their way into the zone and put an enormous 32 shots on net. However, a great performance by freshman goalie Louka Cloutier, saving each and every one of them to earn his second shutout of the season. Junior Ryan Conmy also performed to the tune of one goal and two assists, leading the way in the offensive end for the Eagles, who won the second game 4-0.

For UMass (7-6), it's a disappointing loss, but not a backbreaker as many would think. The effort simply didn't translate to the scoreboard.

"That was the kind of effort I was hoping for from our team tonight after last night," Carvel said. "I thought we played a solid game. It was a game in which the team was going to get a bounce or deflection. We had some chances early in the game. It would have been nice to score early and maybe it takes the game on a different course, but it was tight checking. Both teams are just dumping and trying to earn it back. They got a couple pucks to the net with some deflections and that was a difference in the game, but I was happy with our group tonight."

On the other side, this sweep for the Eagles was the team's fourth straight win, and things finally seem to be getting back on track for a team that has some national championship aspirations. The winning is welcome, but some major tests are approaching fast and will tell a lot about the real state of this hockey team moving forward.

Series Spotlight: No. 10 Maine at No. 15 Boston College

In a possible playoff preview, Boston College will host the Maine Black Bears for a two-game homestead this weekend at the Conte Forum. BC has been hot of late, there's been no question about that, and it look to continue the winning streak against a formidable Maine team that's also been on a bit of a roll, winning five of its last seven games.

This is an offense versus defense showdown, as the Black Bears' 47 goals are the most in Hockey East so far, while the Eagle’s 26 goals allowed are the second fewest. Leading the way in this defensive showcase is Cloutier, who at times has been a brick wall between the pipes. As a freshman, he has posted a .919 save percentage while stopping 193 shots. His play has sparked this winning streak and he will be heavily relied upon to keep it going.

Another key player to watch out for on the BC side is junior defenseman Drew Fortescue, a play-maker from the blueline who has scored three goals and registered five assists, all while blocking nine shots. His play is what BC needs to do to stay in it with a quality opponent like Maine.

The Black Bears will almost certainly turn towards freshman Justin Poirier, who in all likelihood will be the rookie of the year for Hockey East if not more. His 10 goals are the most for the conference by a comfortable margin. His playmaking ability is just what Maine needed this season and it has propelled it to crucial victories in the early part of the season.

Another name to look out for is senior defenseman Brandon Holt, who is also playing at a high level. In his latest series against Vermont, he registered two assists, adding to his team high of 10, which is tied for second most in Hockey East. His 15 blocks are noticeable as well — and great example of how you lead a team as a captain, laying your body on the line on a regular basis.

It will be a series to watch, as it will influence not only the current standings — where UConn, BC and Maine are trying to separate themselves before the holidays — but also for what it could mean if these two cross paths in March.

This Week’s Hockey East Awards

Player: UConn Forward Jake Percival was the hero for the Huskies, scoring four goals in a two game span, including his first career hat-trick, propelling his team towards the wins.

Rookie: Maine forward Miguel Marques was the driving force in the team’s lone win over the weekend, as he racked up three assists and netted a goal in the victory. This marks his first weekly honor in Hockey East.

Defender: New Hampshire defenseman Ryan Philbrick did it all over the weekend for the Wildcats, scoring a goal and collecting an assist, while blocking five shots over the course of two games.

Goaltender: Boston College goalie Louka Cloutier once again helped the Eagles get another series sweep over the weekend. His 45 total saves, coupled with his second straight shutout, earned him the award for the second consecutive week.

Beyond the Blue Line

Boston College might be back for good this season, as the Eagles are finally rounding into form. … Boston University faltered against Quinnipiac and plummeted to No. 18 in the national rankings. The Terriers have too much talent to be that low, and they need to find their mojo, and fast. … Merrimack looked strong against No. 15 Providence, splitting the series. … This week, seven teams are nationally ranked from Hockey East, with Maine being the highest at No. 10 and BU being the lowest. ... Is this a bridge year for Lowell? It's beginning to look like it. … Vermont got an upset win over Maine, showing that even the teams at the bottom of the standings are still dangerous. . … How will UMass respond against No. 16 Providence? … How will New Hampshire fare against No. 11 UConn?