Game-day information: Game 32 vs. Boston University  |  Beanpot Championship
When	Monday, Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Where	Boston, Mass.  |  TD Garden  |  Directions
Broadcast and stats	TELEVISION: NESN, TSN  |  Channel Listings Live Blog  |  Live Stats  |  Audio  |  Tickets
Notes and yearbook	Game notes (PDF)  |  2014-15 Yearbook  |  Media Center VIDEO INTERVIEWS: Lauwers, Rosenthal, J. Stevens
Promotions	VOTE: Roy for Hobey Baker
Social media	@GoNUmhockey  facebook.com/GoNUmhockey instagram.com/GoNUathletics  Use GoNU and Beanpot

BOSTON -- Boston's bragging rights are on the line on Monday night when the Northeastern men's ice hockey battles No. 3/2 Boston University in the 2015 Beanpot championship game at 7:30 p.m. NU is looking to capture its first Beanpot title since 1988.
 
Recapping Saturday's 6-3 loss at Maine
Nolan Vesey's hat trick and a four-point night from Devin Shore led Maine to a 6-3 victory against Northeastern on Saturday night at Alfond Arena. Dylan Sikura, Mike McMurtry and Garret Cockerill all scored for Northeastern, which was outshot 29-24 in the game and received 23 saves from Derick Roy. NU was held without a power play goal, going 0-of-4 while Maine went 1-of-6 and won 29-of-56 face-offs.
 
The all-time series with the Terriers
Northeastern and Boston University are meeting for the first of three meetings, culminating with a home-and-home set in the final weekend of the regular season later this week. The Terriers lead the all-time series 156-57-8 as NU looks to pick up its first victory against BU since the 2013 Beanpot semifinals.
 
Scouting Boston University
Boston University currently sits atop the Hockey East standings with a conference mark of 13-4-3. The Terriers have the most potent offense in Hockey East, averaging 3.63 goals per contest while defensively they enter Monday with the fourth-best scoring defense, giving up 2.27 goals per game. BU has been a strong team late in the games, scoring 56 of its 109 goals in the third period.
 
Jack Eichel and Evan Rodrigues are the two leading scorers for the Terriers and enter Monday's game ranked first and second in the nation in total points with 49 and 43, respectively. Eichel has been a lethal weapon for the Terriers from an assist standpoint with a nation-leading 33 on the season; he pairs that with the best plus/minus rating at +34. Rodrigues is the Terriers' third-leading goal scorer with 14 tallies on the season and is second on the team in assists with 29. Danny O'Regan, Ahti Oksanen, Matt Grzelcyk and Cason Hohmann round out the top scorers on the team with 20 or more points each.
 
The goalie for the Huskies' crosstown rival this season has been Matt O'Connor. In 24 starts, O'Connor has a record of 16-3-4. He's allowed 50 goals this season, but has turned away 665 shots. His save percentage of .930 is ranked No. 11 in the nation, while his goals against average of 2.02 comes in at No. 15.
 
How we got here
Dustin Darou scored with 1:34 remaining in the third period to lift Northeastern into the 2015 Beanpot final with a 3-2 victory over No. 11 Boston College on Feb. 3 at TD Garden.
 
Colton Saucerman and John Stevens also scored for the Huskies, who beat BC in the Beanpot for the first time since the 2009 semifinals. Kevin Roy added two assists, while Clay Witt made 21 saves to help NU extend its unbeaten streak to five straight games and end BC's quest for a sixth straight Beanpot crown.
 
Huskies vs. Terriers in the Beanpot
Northeastern and Boston University will be meeting in the Beanpot for the 40th time in tournament history. The Terriers lead the series, 31-8, including victories against NU in 15 of the last 16 meetings. Monday marks the 12th time that the teams will meet in the championship, with three of Northeastern's four Beanpot titles coming in wins against BU.
 
Northeastern in the Beanpot championship
The Huskies will make their 17th appearance in the Beanpot championship game, and third in as many seasons. It's the second time that the Huskies have reached the tournament title game in three straight seasons (1983-85). NU is 4-12 all-time in the Beanpot final.
 
Madigan and the Beanpot
Northeastern head coach Jim Madigan played and coached in the Huskies' golden era of Beanpot success. Madigan has direct involvement with three of NU's four Beanpot championships, two as a student-athlete (1984, 1985) and one as an assistant coach (1988).
 
Madigan actually scored a goal in one of Northeastern's two victories over BU in the Beanpot, including the 4-3 victory on Feb. 8, 1983. Trailing 3-0, Madigan scored the Huskies' first goal, sparking a four-goal flurry for the win. As a head coach, Madigan is 3-4 in four seasons.
 
Fourth time's a charm?
NU coaches in their fourth season at the helm have never placed higher than second in the Beanpot. Greg Cronin is the lone coach to lead team to the championship game (2009). Below is a list of finish and year of each head coach in his fourth season:
• Jim Bell (1959 – 4th place)
• Fernie Flaman (1974 – 3rd place)
• Ben Smith (1995 – 3rd place)
• Bruce Crowder (2000 – 4th place)
• Greg Cronin (2009 – 2nd place)
 
Monday Night Roy
After scoring five of Northeastern's six goals in the 2013 Beanpot, Kevin Roy added to his sterling freshman season by earning Beanpot MVP honors. Roy became the first Beanpot MVP of a second-place team since Boston University's Sean Fields in 2004. Roy was the Huskies' fifth-ever MVP and Northeastern's first since Bruce Racine took home the award in 1988.
 
Roy became the first rookie skater to net a hat trick in his first Beanpot appearance since Boston College's Krys Kolanos on Feb. 7, 2000, in a 6-1 win over NU. The Lac-Beauport, Quebec, native became the first Husky to score a hat trick in the Beanpot since Mike Ryan netted three against Harvard on Feb. 8, 2002. Roy was also the first freshman to score the opening goal of the Beanpot since Boston College's Brock Bradford on Feb. 6, 2006. Roy followed that up with another Tuesday night performance of two goals in the championship game vs. Boston College.
 
Last season, Roy posted one goal and two assists, and is Northeastern's active leader in career Beanpot scoring with six goals and two assists in four games.
 
Should Roy have another strong tournament, he could become the fourth player in tournament history to take home two Beanpot MVP honors, and first player since Sean Fields in 2003 and 2004. He recorded two assists in last week's semifinal game against Boston College.
 
Time to shine for Beanpot rookies
Five skaters (Garret Cockerill, Dustin Darou, Trevor Owens, Ryan Rosenthal, Nolan Stevens) made their Beanpot debuts last week against Boston College with a lot to live up to. Last year, NU's freshman class tallied three goals and six assists, which was more than half of the Huskies' total scoring. Junior Dustin Darou, who missed the last two Beanpots due to injury, did just that. He netted the eventual game-winning goal with less than two minutes to play in regulation to propel NU into the finals.
 
Brendo's back in the 'Pot
Sophomore Brendan Collier will be playing in his second Beanpot, but first as a Husky. Collier is a transfer from Boston University, and played in both Beanpot games with the Terriers last season. Collier is the first Husky since Vinny Saponari (Boston University and Northeastern) to appear in the Beanpot with two different teams.

Stop. Wait a minute
A snowstorm in the Boston area caused both nights of the Beanpot to be pushed back to Feb. 3 and Feb. 23, respectively. It marked just the second time in tournament history that games were postponed, and first since 1978 when the second night of the Beanpot was pushed back to March 1.

Offense explodes against Connecticut
In NU's two-game sweep of UConn, the Northeastern offense potted 15 goals, including a 9-0 victory at Matthews Arena on Feb. 13. It was the most goals scored in a two-game span since the 1993-94 season when NU defeated Illinois Chicago on Nov. 6 (10-9) before a 5-4 win against Boston University on Nov. 12.
 
The Huskies offensive outburst against UConn on Feb. 13 marked the first time they've scored nine goals in a game since defeating Alabama-Huntsville 9-1 on opening night last season (Oct. 11, 2013). NU's nine-goal margin of victory was also the largest for the Huskies since defeating Connecticut 10-1 on Oct. 11, 2012.
 
Huskies off to a hot start in 2015
Since returning from the holiday break, the Huskies have been playing some of their best hockey of the season. NU is 10-2-3 since the start of the new year and is unbeaten in nine its last 10 games. The Huskies' nine-game unbeaten streak was tied for the fourth longest unbeaten streak in program history and first since the 2007-08 season when NU went unbeaten in 11 straight (9-0-2). The Huskies are also tied with North Dakota for the nation's best winning percentage (.794) in the last 17 games.
 
Offense starting to find the net
The Northeastern offense has hit its stride in the last 16 games with 66 goals, tied for second in the nation in that span. Of those 63, 25 have come in the third period, which is tied for second in the country.
 
Power play clicks at UMass
After starting the season 0-of-18 on the man advantage, the Northeastern power play has emerged in the last 27 games, going 29-of-119 (24.4%), which is fourth in the nation and second in Hockey East in that span. NU's 29 goals on the man advantage are the third most 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.
 
Sizzling start to the second half
NU was unbeaten in its first four games in January for the second straight season. It's the first time in program history that NU has gone unbeaten in consecutive Januarys. The last time NU was unbeaten in its first three games in January in two straight seasons was the 1965-66 and 1966-67 seasons.
 
Power play production
With NU 13th in the nation in power play percentage (29-of-137; 21.2%), several Huskies have upped their point totals while on the man advantage. NU has 86 of its 269 points this season on the power play (31.9%), while Kevin Roy has 15 points on the man advantage, which is tied for 11th in the nation, tied for second in Hockey East and nearly half of his season total (15-of-39). He is one of only 17 players in the nation with at least 15 power play points.
 
Northeastern's grade-A chances
With 94 goals through 31 games of the season, NU has done most of its damage from high-percentage areas. Of Northeastern's 94 goals this season, 84 of them have come from the grade-A area (89.3%).
 
Help me, help you
Through 31 games this season, Kevin Roy and Dalen Hedges lead the team with 23 assists apiece, which is tied for 13th in the nation. Hedges has an assist in 18 games this season, including 13 of his last 21 games. He has already topped his freshman year assist total (14), which he reached in 35 games last year. He and Roy are two of just 36 players in the nation with at least 20 assists.
 
Second act
A trio of sophomores has led the charge for the Huskies through the 2014-15 season. Dalen Hedges (eight goals, 23 assists) is second on the team with 31 points this season, while Mike Szmatula (12 goals, 14 assists), Matt Benning (21 assists) and Zach Aston-Reese (10 goals, 10 assists) trail close behind more than halfway through the year. Last season, the now sophomore class was fourth in the nation in rookie scoring with 125 points (42 goals, 83 assists).
 
This year, they lead all sophomore classes with 131 points (40 goals, 91 assists). The next closest is Sacred Heart with 113 points.
 
Hot Sauce
Since returning from injury on Nov. 7, Colton Saucerman has made his presence felt, especially at the offensive end of the ice. The Colorado Springs, Colorado native is tied for fifth on the team with seven goals this season. All of Saucerman's goals have come on the power play, which is tied for eighth in the nation and makes him the only defensemen in the nation with at least six power play goals.
 
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.
 
Roy picks up Warrior Player of the Week honors
After recording seven points (four goals, three assists) in two games last weekend, Kevin Roy was named the Warrior Hockey Player of the Week on Feb. 16. Roy scored four goals in a 9-0 victory against Connecticut on Feb. 13 before adding three assists in a 6-1 win at UConn the following afternoon. Roy became the first Husky to score four goals in a game since Cody Ferriero at Harvard on Dec. 29, 2012. In Friday's win, Roy also became the 34th player in program history to reach 50 career goals.
 
The Lac-Beauport, Quebec native led the nation in scoring two weekends ago with seven points, and was also a +7 during the two games. Roy leads the Huskies with 39 points this season on 16 goals and 23 assists. He is tied for ninth in the nation in total points, tied for 20th in goals and tied for 13th in assists.
 
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 52 goals and 67 assists in 96 career games (1.24 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 14 players in the nation to have recorded a five-point game this year.
 
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 (2.54) and first in save percentage (.923). He's also in sole possession of fourth on the NU all-time list in career shutouts (five) in 66 career games.
 
On Jan. 3 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 seven games, he's posted a 2.12 goals against average and .922 save percentage. In those games, Roy is 5-1-1 in those games, tied for the third most wins in the nation in that span.
 
Derick Roy named Stop It Goalie of the Month
After helping backstop Northeastern to a 5-1-3 record in January, Derick Roy has been named the Stop It Goaltender of the Month, Hockey East announced on Feb. 5.
 
Roy, who went 4-0-1 in January, split time with redshirt senior Clay Witt throughout the month, posting a 1.77 goals against average and .933 save percentage. He allowed two goals or fewer in each of his five starts, including a 23 save performance in a 4-1 victory at No. 10/9 Vermont that handed the Catamounts just their second home loss of the season.
 
Clay cementing his place among NU's greats
Clay Witt's 27-save performance against Connecticut last Friday moved him into fourth on Northeastern's all-time shutout list (five). Next on the list is Keni Gibson, who recorded seven from 2001-05.
 
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 six defensemen in the nation with at least 21 assists this season. Benning has 16 assists in his last 16 games, and 11 in his last nine.
 
We're coming home
Last night's win against Maine, coupled with Connecticut's loss to New Hampshire, secured the Huskies a home playoff series at Matthews Arena. Northeastern can finish anywhere from second to eighth in the league standings, and will host either a first round (Mar. 6-8) or quarterfinal (Mar. 13-15) series.
 
More on last weekend's wins vs. UConn
Northeastern used a five-goal first period to open the floodgates against Connecticut last Friday night. It marked the first time since the 2006 that NU had scored five goals in a period when the Huskies scored six in the third period in a 7-2 win vs. Holy Cross on Dec. 30, 2006.
 
Down, but never out
The Feb. 6 win at Massachusetts marked the sixth time since the start of January that Northeastern's opponents have scored the game's first goal. In those games, the Huskies are 4-0-2.
 
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."

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