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| North Reading native and Austin Prep alum Bobo Carpenter leads the Terriers in goals so far this season, but is just one of several local players who should influence a pair of games between old rivals BU and BC. Photo from GoTerriers.com. |
Simply put, no weekend series during the college hockey season excites fans in Massachusetts more than The Battle of Commonwealth Avenue. Boston College and Boston University renew their storied rivalry this weekend in Hockey East play, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. from Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill.
The series-opening contest will not only be the 275th all-time meeting between the Terriers and Eagles, but also the 100th season in which the two teams get together. BU has a 133-123-18 mark against its longest running rival since the series began with a game at Boston Arena (now known as Matthews Arena on Northeastern University’s campus) on Feb. 6, 1918.
The season is just about two months old for most teams across Division 1 men’s hockey, and the Eagles stand five points ahead of second-place Providence in the Hockey East standings, with eight wins in nine Hockey East games. However, BC does not have a win in non-conference play as it stands 8-5-2 overall. BU has a 4-4-1 record in league play, which ties it for fifth place with UConn.
There is still some time to play from behind in Hockey East, as the seventh through 11th-place teams have all played seven or fewer league games.
Of course, there will be no shortage of players from Massachusetts taking the ice in the series. Twelve players in the BC-BU series and 109 across college hockey ― the third-most of any U.S. state, behind only Minnesota and Michigan ― call the Bay State home.
