HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

Five programs secured their spot in the 2019 Hockey East Tournament as Massachusetts, UMass Lowell, Providence, Northeastern, and Boston College are all guaranteed a playoff position. Merrimack was eliminated from contention over the weekend, while six schools - Boston University, UConn, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont - will battle for the final three places.

Providence won a key weekend series with UMass Lowell, exploding for six goals in Friday’s win and coming back with a 1-0 victory on Saturday. Hayden Hawkey (Sr., G; Parker, Colo.) allowed just one goal over the two games, stopping 41 of 42 shots. On Friday, he posted his 65th career win to become Providence’s all-time winningest goaltender.

Massachusetts swept Boston College for the first time in program history over the weekend, setting a school record for wins in a season with 23 in the process. The Minutemen also tied the school record for wins in Hockey East play with 15. In Friday’s 4-3 win, Jake McLaughlin (Hinsdale, Ill.) scored the game-winning goal with 2.3 seconds left in regulation.

Northeastern won all three games it played last week, including laying claim to its second straight Beanpot on Monday. Cayden Primeau (Voorhees, N.J.) went 3-0-0 with a 1.33 goals against average and .957 save percentage and picked up the Beanpot MVP and Eberly Awards for his performance. He made 88 saves and allowed just four goals.

Maine earned an important three points in league play in a two-game set at Merrimack. Black Bears junior forward Mitchell Fossier (Alpharetta, Ga.) picked up three points in the set on one goal and two assists to keep Maine in the thick of the playoff hunt.

HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Cayden Primeau - Northeastern

Cayden Primeau, NU (So., G; Voorhees, N.J.) Went 3-0-0 with a 1.33 goals against average and .957 save percentage last week, helping Northeastern claim its second straight Beanpot title. The sophomore also picked up the Beanpot MVP and Eberly Awards for his performance, as he stopped 58 of 61 shots he faced in the tournament. Over the week, he made 88 saves and allowed just four goals.

PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Tyce Thompson - Providence

Tyce Thompson (Fr., F; Milford, Conn.) netted a goal in each of Providence’s two wins over #10 UMass Lowell last week, including the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win on Saturday night.

HOCKEY EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Hayden Hawkey - Providence

Hayden Hawkey (Sr., G; Parker, Colo.) allowed just one goal over two games against #10 UMass Lowell, stopping 41 of 42 shots and posting a 0.50 goals against average, .976 save percentage, and one shutout. On Friday, he posted his 65th career win to become Providence’s all-time winningest goaltender. On Saturday, he posted his seventh shutout of the season and 15th of his career.

HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Graham McPhee, BC (Jr., F; Las Vegas, Nev.) Netted two goals in Saturday’s 4-2 setback to #3 UMass. His first multi-goal game of the season and his first tally since the season’s opening weekend on Oct. 13 at Wisconsin.

David Cotton, BC (Jr., F; Parker, Texas) Posted three points (2g, 1a) in three games last weekend, including a goal and an assist in the Beanpot title game.

Christopher Brown, BC (Sr., F; Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) Dished out assists on four of BC’s five goals against UMass.

Jake Oettinger, BU (Jr., G; Lakeville, Minn.) Made 26 saves on Saturday to backbone BU to a 2-0 shutout over UConn.

Patrick Curry, BU (Jr., F, Schaumburg, Ill.) Scored a goal against both Harvard and UConn last week.

Alexander Payusov, UConn (Jr., F; Moscow, Russia) For the second time in just over a week, he delivered the Huskies an overtime victory, scoring the game-winning goal just 51 seconds into overtime to beat Boston University, 3-2, Friday night.

John Leonard, UMass (So., F: Amherst, Mass.) Had three points, including two power-play goals, to help UMass to the first-ever series sweep of Boston College in program history. Both of his goals tied the game after UMass had fallen behind and he set up the game-winning goal in Saturday’s victory.

Jake McLaughlin, UMass (Jr., D; Hinsdale, Ill.) Scored the game-winning goal with 2.3 seconds left in regulation in Friday’s 4-3 come-from-behind win over Boston College. It was the Minutemen’s first win over Boston College sine 2013.

Christoffer Hernberg, UML (Sr., G; Espoo, Finland) Stopped 28 of 29 shots in a 1-0 road loss to #13 Providence on Saturday.

Lincoln Griffin, NU (Sr., F; Walpole, Mass.) Posted three goals and two assists across a three-win week for the Huskies. He scored the game-winning goal in the Beanpot final, giving Northeastern back-to-back Beanpot crowns. He found the back of the net in each of the three outings.