Game-day information: Game 20 vs. No. 16 Boston College
When	Friday, Jan. 9, 7 p.m.
Where	Boston, Mass.  |  Matthews Arena  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	Live Stats  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Tickets
Notes and yearbook	Game notes (PDF)  |  2014-15 Yearbook  |  Media Center
Promotions	Hockey East Skating Strides - Wear pink to the game VOTE: Roy for Hobey Baker
Social media	@GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey  |  RSVP to the Facebook event  instagram.com/GoNUathletics  Use #GoNU

BOSTON -- Two of the hottest teams in college hockey collide this weekend as the Northeastern men's ice hockey team hosts No. 16 Boston College for the first of two Hockey East contests, beginning on Friday night at Matthews Arena.
 
Hockey East Skating Strides
Friday night's game will serve as Northeastern's Skating Strides game, and fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game. Entering its ninth season, the Hockey East Skating Strides program has raised more than $240,000 for various breast cancer charities. Skating Strides has also given the student-athletes the opportunity to give back to the communities in which they study and play hockey.
 
Recapping Tuesday's 3-2 win against No. 19 Yale
Mike McMurtry's power play goal with 3:14 left in regulation completed the comeback for Northeastern, which erased a two-goal first period deficit to top No. 19 Yale on Tuesday night at Matthews, 3-2.
 
Kevin Roy recorded his 100th career point with his second period goal, while Torin Snydeman also scored for the Huskies, who were outshot 30-28 by the Bulldogs. Derick Roy got the start in goal for the second straight game, making 28 saves. The NU power play converted twice for the second straight game, going 2-of-4 while the NU penalty kill held Yale to an 0-of-3 showing. The Huskies also won 35-of-64 faceoffs, led by Mike Szmatula's 18-of-25 performance.
 
The all-time series with the Eagles
Northeastern and Boston College will meet for the 223rd time in the history of the two programs, with the Eagles holding a decisive 161-47-14 advantage. Friday will be the first of three meetings between the squads in the regular season, culminating in the semifinals of the 63rd Beanpot on Feb. 2.
 
Scouting Boston College
Boston College, like the Huskies, enters the weekend set on a 7-2-1 tear in its last 10 games, highlighted by a 3-2 win at Dartmouth to capture the Ledyard National Bank Classic last week. The Eagles return five players who participated in the World Junior Championships for Team USA, led by goaltender Thatcher Demko. Demko has a goals against average of 2.11, good for seventh in the Hockey East, and a .927 save percentage.
 
Teddy Doherty leads BC in points with 15 (five goals, 10 assists) on the season while Adam Gilmour trails close behind has 14 points through the team's 19 games.
 
Winner, winner, chicken dinner
Despite a rough start to the season, the Huskies have come on in recent weeks, going 6-1-1 in their last eight games, and 4-0-1 in their last five. NU's performance in their last five games is currently tied for the fourth longest active unbeaten streak in the nation. During the last five games, NU is averaging 4.00 goals per game, compared to its 1.86 average through the first 14 games of the campaign.
 
Offense starting to find the net
The Northeastern offense has hit its stride in the last four games with 20 goals, tied for the second most in the nation in that span. Of those 20, eight have come in the third period alone, which is tied for fourth in the country.
 
The Huskies scored five goals in the third period last weekend against St. Lawrence, including three on Friday night that helped erase a three-goal deficit in the final 20 minutes to earn a 3-3 tie. It marked the first time since Dec. 30, 2013 at Dartmouth that NU has scored at last three goals in the third period.
 
Power play explodes at UMass
After starting the season 0-of-18 on the man advantage, the Northeastern power play has emerged in the last 13 games, going 17-of-59 (28.8%), which is third in the nation and tops in Hockey East in that span. NU's 17 goals on the man advantage are tops in the nation in that span.
 
On Dec. 16 at Massachusetts, the Huskies went 5-of-9 on the man advantage, the most power play goals in a game since scoring five against Merrimack on Nov. 21, 1992. The outburst upped NU's power play percentage to 20.8% after entering the game against the Minutemen with a 15.9% success rate on the man advantage.
 
Cardiac canines
Northeastern is 2-0-1 since returning from the holiday break, and has come from behind in all three games. NU erased a three-goal deficit in the third period on Jan. 2 vs. St. Lawrence before potting a pair of third period tallies the next night against the Saints. Then on Tuesday, the Huskies stormed back from a 2-0 deficit in the first period to top No. 19 Yale, 3-2.
 
In the last three games, Northeastern is outscoring its opponents 10-4 in the final 40 minutes of regulation, and 6-0 in the third period alone.
 
Sizzling start to the second half
NU is unbeaten in its first three games in January for the second straight season. It's the first time since the 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons that NU is unbeaten in three straight to start the second half in consecutive seasons.
 
Power play production
With Northeastern 10th in the nation in power play percentage (19-of-88; 21.6%), several Huskies have upped their point totals while on the man advantage. NU has 57 of their 132 points this season on the power play (43%), while Kevin Roy has 11 points on the man advantage, which is tied for second in the nation and 55% of his season total (11-of-20). He is one of only 12 players in the nation with at least 10 power play points.
 
Help me, help you
Through 19 games this season, sophomore Dalen Hedges leads the team with 13 assists, which is tied for 21st in the nation. The Ottawa, Ontario native has an assist in 10 games this season, including six of his last nine games. He is also one helper away from tying his freshman total, which he reached in 35 games last year. Mike McMurtry is also lending a helping hand with eight assists this season, one more than his total last season. Half of his assists have come on the power play.
 
Roy reaches history on Jan. 6 vs. No. 19 Yale
Winger Kevin Roy is back in the Red and Black for his junior season on Huntington Avenue. He enters tonight's game with 44 goals and 56 assists in 84 career games (1.19 points per game). On Jan. 6 vs. Yale, he became the 47th player in program history to reach 100 career points, and 21st player to do it in three seasons or less.
 
On Sept. 30, Roy was named one of college hockey's ten impact forwards in 2014-15 by USCHO.com. One opposing coach called Roy, "as skilled as any player in the country, especially around the net."
 
Roy has led the Huskies in scoring in each of the past two seasons, one of eight active players in the nation to have led their squads in scoring in at least two consecutive seasons. He is also one of seven players in the nation to have recorded a five-point game this year.
 
Roy named Hobey Baker Award candidate
For the second straight season, junior forward Kevin Roy has been nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, which honors an elite NCAA men's ice hockey player who exhibits both athletic talent and strong sportsmanship.
 
Voting is now open for fans that would like to show support for the junior. Fan voting plays a crucial role as the field will be cut from the 68 players nominated to just 10 finalists. Those who wish to vote may submit a ballot at HobeyBaker.com once every 24 hours.
 
Northeastern's grade-A chances
With 46 goals through the first 19 games of the season, Northeastern has done most of its damage from high-percentage areas. Of Northeastern's 46 goals this season, 43 of them have come from the grade-A area (93%).
 
Hot Sauce
Since returning from injury on Nov. 7, junior defenseman Colton Saucerman has made his presence felt, especially at the offensive end of the ice. The Colorado Springs, Colorado native is tied for third on the team with four goals this season, all of which have come in the last 11 games.
 
All four of Saucerman's goals have also come on the power play this year, which is tied for 10th in the nation and makes him one of four defensemen in the nation with at least four power play goals.
 
Streaking
Several members of the Huskies have active point streaks entering Friday night's game against the Bulldogs. Kevin Roy has set the tone for NU in the last four games with 10 points (five goals, five assists), highlighted by a five-point night at Massachusetts on Dec. 16.
 
Mike McMurtry, who has an assist in three of his last four games along with a game-winning goal, is riding a career-long streak while Adam Reid also reached a career-long Tuesday, and has two goals and two assists in his last four.
 
Benning chipping in
In addition to his high minute total on the Northeastern blue line, sophomore defenseman Matt Benning has found the time to contribute in the offensive zone, as well. The St. Albert, Alberta is one of 21 defensemen in the nation with at least 10 assists this season. Benning has five assists in his last four games.
 
Platoon between the pipes
For the second straight season, Northeastern's opponents have gotten a look at two of the Huskies' top netminders early in the season. Redshirt senior Clay Witt started the team's first two games of the season before Derick Roy got the nod in six straight games. Roy responded by making a career-high 38 saves on two occasions against two of the nation's top teams (No. 6/4 Colgate on Oct. 18 and No. 6/7 UMass Lowell on Nov. 7).
 
Witt ranks second all-time at Northeastern in goals against average (2.57) and first in save percentage (.924). He's also tied with Marc Robitaille for fourth all-time in career shutouts (four) in just 59 career games.
 
Last weekend against St. Lawrence, Roy got his first start in nearly two months, and allowed a season-low two goals while making 21 stops en route to a 4-2 victory. In his last two games, he's posted a 2.00 goals against average and .925 save percentage.
 
Roy makes NCAA Top Plays of the Week
In the midst of his 10 points in four game streak, Kevin Roy made NCAA Top Plays of the Week on Tuesday with the first of his two goals against St. Lawrence on Jan. 3. Roy received a pass from Dalen Hedges, before quickly cutting out in front of the net and beating the goaltender five-hole while falling to the ice.
 
NU, Michigan State agree to three-sport deal
Northeastern and Michigan State have agreed to a three-sport, home-and-home series in 2015-16, as announced on Dec. 10 by Northeastern Athletics.
 
The Huskies will host the Spartans in men's and women's basketball, as well as men's ice hockey on Dec. 18-19, 2015, before returning the games in East Lansing, Michigan, the following season.
 
"This is a very exciting opportunity for our athletic department," said Peter Roby, director of athletics and recreation at Northeastern. "We are thrilled and appreciative of Athletics Director Mark Hollis and our friends at Michigan State for their willingness to bring their teams to Boston and help us create such a fun weekend. We have great respect and admiration for what MSU has accomplished and we look forward to next December."

Season tickets, as well as individual game tickets, are available for men's ice hockey and can be purchased by visiting GoNU.com/tickets. In addition, the student sale for the 2015 Beanpot will take place on Saturday, January 17, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Matthews Arena lobby. Please contact the Ticket Office by calling 617-373-4700 or emailing huskytix@neu.edu with any questions.

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