 "Photo: Ryan Fung/Collegian")
Any weekend with two Hockey East games is important, but when one of the opponents moves to No. 1 in the nation, the weekend's games evolve from big to huge.
The No. 20 Massachusetts hockey team (4-2-1, 2-1-1 Hockey East) returns home this weekend after playing six of its last seven games on the road. Tonight, UMass will host No. 1 Boston University (6-1-0, 3-1-0 Hockey East) and UMass Lowell (3-4-0, 1-2-0 Hockey East) on Saturday.
BU is one of the premier programs in the nation and will prove to be tough competition for the Minutemen.
"[The Terriers] have some of the best scorers in the league and a whole host of athletes who are capable of being difference makers," UMass Coach Don Cahoon said. "They've improved goaltending, which gives them added confidence in the tight games. Arguably, they have the best defensive corps in all of college hockey."
BU has scored at least six goals in its last three games, including two games against ranked opponents - No. 5 Michigan (7-2) and No. 14 Vermont (7-2). The Terriers also beat UMass Lowell, 6-4, on Nov. 7.
Boston University has scored 33 goals by 14 different skaters this season, while only allowing 14. Leading the Terriers in goals is Colin Wilson and Jason Lawrence with five, followed by Nick Bonino and Chris Higgins with four.
The Terriers' defense is led by senior Matt Gilroy, who will see a lot of ice time against UMass' top scoring line of senior Alex Berry, senior Cory Quirk and sophomore James Marcou. Gilroy and his defensive partner junior Brian Strait can shut down any line in the nation.
UMass' top line compliments each other and relies on quick, precise passes to make its way down the ice. Marcou is a natural playmaker, combining his talent with Berry, and Quirk's experience and skill allows the line to be the Minutemen's greatest offensive threat.
Beyond Gilroy and Strait, Boston University is very deep defensively. Colby Cohen and Kevin Shattenkirk play a similar game as Gilroy and Strait. They all position themselves well and play a big role on offense.
The Terriers' goaltenders, freshmen Kieran Millan and Grant Rollheiser, have both seen time in net. Millan has played in four games, allowing nine goals, while Rollheiser has allowed five goals in three games. After struggling with netminders last season, Millan and Rollheiser have stepped up and helped increase the team's confidence in their defensive zone.
On Saturday, UMass Lowell's goaltending situation is undetermined due to the injury of junior Cart Hutton in the third period of the River Hawk's loss to Boston University. Hutton will be out of play for at least a month because of his ankle. The netminder position will be between freshman T.J. Massie and junior Nevin Hamilton.
Going into the third period of the River Hawks game, they were winning 3-2. After Hutton's injury, Massie took the ice and allowed four goals on 12 BU shots to hand the Terriers the win.
Leading the River Hawks offensively is junior Kory Falite, who has scored three goals this season, and freshmen David Vallorani, who leads the team in points with one goal and five assists.
Cahoon and the Minutemen are concentrating on Friday's game before thinking about challenging UMass Lowell.
"I know UMass Lowell is not looking beyond New Hampshire [who the River Hawks play tonight] as they have business to take care of [today]. You cannot spend a lot of time on the second game until the first one of the weekend has been played," Cahoon said.
Melissa Turtinen can be reached at mturtinen@dailycollegian.com.
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