HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

#2 Boston College shut out #12 Providence twice to move to 4-0-0 on the year. Hockey East Co-Player of the Week Spencer Knight (Darien, Conn.) stopped all 66 shots he saw from the Friars while fellow sophomore Matt Boldy (Millis, Mass.) added four points (2g, 2a) to claim Co-Player of the Week accolades. Nine players had multi-point nights in a 9-0 road win on Saturday. The Eagles have outscored opponents 22-6 in their first four games.

Merrimack earned a weekend split with #8 Massachusetts in the first games of its 2020-21 season. On Saturday afternoon, the Minutemen took a 3-1 victory thanks in part to freshman Josh Lopina’s (Minooka, Ill.) second multi-point effort (1g, 1a) of the year. The next afternoon, Alex Jefferies (Lunenburg, Mass.) scored a highlight reel goal for Merrimack as his first collegiate tally and added a primary assist in the Warriors’ win over the Minutemen. Jefferies had three points on the weekend (1g, 2a.)

HOCKEY EAST CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Matt Boldy - Boston College
Spencer Knight - Boston College

Matt Boldy (So., F; Millis, Mass.) Recorded two goals and two assists for a team-best four points in a home-and-home sweep of #12 Providence. He set up the game-winning goal in Friday night’s 4-3 home victory before a three-point night with two goals and an assist on Saturday’s 9-0 clincher at Providence. He finished with a plus-four rating, a game-winning goal, and one shorthanded tally.

Spencer Knight (So., D; Darien, Conn.) posted back-to-back shutouts in a home-and-home sweep of #12 Providence, stopping all 66 shots he faced over the weekend to move to 4-0-0 on the year. The blank sheets were the sixth and seventh perfect games of his career, moving into sixth place all-time in BC history. As Knight leaves to join Team USA at the World Junior Championship, he carries a shutout streak of 132:00 and a 13-game unbeaten streak dating back to last year.

PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Alex Jefferies - Merrimack

Alex Jefferies (Fr., F; Lunenburg, Mass.) made a splash in his collegiate debut. He had the primary assist on Merrimack’s lone goal Saturday night at #8 UMass. He followed it up with a highlight reel first collegiate goal and added a primary assist in the Warriors’ Sunday win over the Minutemen for three points on the weekend. Sunday’s win was Merrimack’s first win over a Top-10 opponent since December 2017.

HOCKEY EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Zach Vinnell - Merrimack

Zach Vinnell (So., D; Cochrane, Alta.) averaged a point per game on the weekend after he scored his first goal of the season and added an assist Sunday night in the Warriors’ win over #8 UMass. His Sunday helper set up what proved to be the game-winning goal in the Warriors’ first win over a Top-10 opponent since 2017.

HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Nikita Nesterenko, BC (Fr., F; Brooklyn, N.Y.) Scored twice and added a helper in the Eagles’ sweep of #12 Providence. He wrapped the series with a plus-three rating, six shots on net, and a three-game goal scoring streak.

Logan Hutsko, BC (Sr., F; Tampa, Fla.) Found the back of the net once and set up three other goals to help the Eagles move to 4-0-0 in a weekend sweep of #12 Providence.

Trevor Kuntar, BC (Fr., F; Buffalo, N.Y.) Netted the first three goals of his collegiate career over the weekend, including the game-winning goal in Friday’s 3-0 victory over the Friars.