HOCKEY EAST HEADLINES

No. 2 Boston College completed a weekend sweep of No. 1 Boston University in front of sold out stadiums to launch into a tie for first in the Army ROTC Hockey East Standings in a historic weekend where the rivals clashed as the top teams in the country for the first time. BC earned its first win over the USCHO No. 1 team since the 2010 National Semifinal against Miami.

The No. 10 Providence Friars recorded their 1,100th win in program history on Saturday night, completing a sweep of UMass Lowell. Austen May posted three points (1g, 2a) and the overtime winning goal for the Friars.

Northeastern, now 3-1-0 in its last four, swept Merrimack thanks in part to five points (2g, 3a) from sophomore Jack Williams. The Huskies now draw a Tuesday night date with No. 3 Boston University in a game that will air nationally on ESPNU.

UNH and Vermont split a weekend series in Burlington. Vermont has now claimed 10 league points against ranked opponents while the Wildcats are off to their best start in league play since 2016-17.

Hockey East saw four more sell outs last weekend, increasing the league total to 37 so far this year. In 2022-23, the league hosted 19 sellout crows all season. Boston College leads the nation with an average of 1,937 more fans per game than last year, a 38% increase in attendance. Maine has seen a 28% increase in attendance, UNH has seen an 18% increase, UMass 14% and BU 11%.

HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jack Williams - Northeastern

Jack Williams (So., F; Biddeford, Maine) racked up a five-point (2g, 3a) in a weekend sweep of Merrimack. In Friday’s 5-3 win, he scored twice and added an assist before dished out two more helpers, including the primary assist on the game-winning goal, in Saturday’s 4-1 win. He finished the weekend with seven shots on goal, two blocks, 23 faceoff wins and a plus-four rating. He has recorded at least one point in every Northeastern win this season.

PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Ryan Leonard - Boston College

Ryan Leonard (Fr., F; Amherst, Mass.) totaled three points with a goal and two assists in a weekend sweep of No. 1 Boston University. Leonard lit the lamp to start the scoring on Friday night and assisted on the goal that proved to be the game-winner. On Saturday, he assisted on Cutter Gauthier’s go-ahead goal as BC led the rest of the way. He finished plus-four on the week- end.

ARMY ROTC DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Austen May - Providence

Austen May (So., D; Woodhaven, Mich.) tied for the Hockey East league in scoring over the past week with five points on two goals and three assists. He posted a goal and an assist in the 7-2 win at UMass Lowell on Friday and followed that up with a career-high three points, including the overtime winning goal on Saturday in Providence’s 4-3 win. He finished the weekend with eight shots on goal and a plus-four rating.

STOP IT GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Jacob Fowler - Boston College

Jacob Fowler (Fr., G; Melbourne, Fla.) stood tall in a weekend sweep over No. 1 Boston University. He posted a .935 save percentage with four goals allowed and 58 saves, making 26 and 32 stops. Friday’s first-period to start the Battle of Comm Ave was scoreless with Fowler making 13 saves. He followed up on Saturday night with 10 saves in the first period in support of an offense that did not record a shot on goal for the first five minutes. Fowler helped keep the BU power play in check as BC killed off five of six penalties, including a five-save penalty kill in the second period.

HOCKEY EAST TOP PERFORMERS

Cutter Gauthier, BC (So., F: Scottsdale, Ariz.) Scored in both games of a weekend sweep over No. 1 Boston University, lifting his season total to 19 goals and his career-best point streak to 13 games (11g, 10a), which is tied for the longest in the nation this season and longest in Hockey East since 2018-19. On Friday night, he put the game away with an empty net goal and followed with a go-ahead goal in the second period on the road on Saturday. He finished the weekend plus-two with 16 faceoff wins and two blocked shots.

Lukas Gustafsson, BC (So., D; Atlanta, Ga.) Led the BC defense in a 2-0-0 weekend against No. 1 Boston University with five blocked shots and added a goal. He blocked a pair of shots on Friday and followed with three more in a one-goal win on Saturday. Gustafsson lit the lamp in the first period on the road Saturday night, scoring on a one-time rebound. He finished the weekend plus-two on the ice.

Chase Bradley, UConn (Jr., F; St. Louis, Mo.) Finished a 1-1-0 the weekend with a shorthanded goal and four assists for five points and a plus-two rating.

Jake Richard, UConn (Fr., F; Jacksonville, Fla.) Scored a goal and dished out an assist in the CT Ice Tournament.

Jak Vaarwerk, UML (Fr., F; Clarence, N.Y.) Had a goal and an assist for two points in two games with UMass Lowell. He scored in game one and picked up a helper in Saturday’s game two.

Ben Meehan, UML (Sr., D; Walpole, Mass.) Scored in Friday’s game against Providence, before adding an assist in game two to finish the series with two points.

Ty Daneault, MC (Fr., F; Red Deer, Alta.) Found the back of the net in both games against Northeastern, reaching 10 goals in his freshman season.

Zach Bookman, MC (So., D; Syracuse, N.Y.) Dished out an assist in each game against Northeastern.

Colton Huard, UNH (Jr., D; Foothill Ranch, Calif.) Posted one goal and one assist for two points and tallied three blocks as the Wildcats went 1-1-0 at Vermont. He was a member of a defense that only allowed 2.50 goals per game in the series.

Dylan Hryckowian, NU (Fr., F; Ile Bizard, Que.) Recorded a four-point weekend to help Northeastern sweep Merrimack, as he tallied two assists in each game. He finished with six shots on net and was plus-three. He has now recorded six points in four consecutive games (1g, 5a).

Cameron Whitehead, NU (Fr., G; Orleans, Ont.) Started both games for the Huskies to complete the weekend sweep of Merrimack. He finished with a .918 save percentage over the weekend and made a total of 45 saves.

Riley Duran, PC (Jr., F; Woburn, Mass.) Registered four points, with a goal and an assist in each game of the Friars’ two-game sweep of UMass Lowell. He finished the weekend with nine shots on goal and a plus-two rating.

Bennett Schimek, PC (So., F; Mendota Heights, Minn.) Registered a career-high four points on two goals and two assists in Providence’s 7-2 win at UMass Lowell on Friday night. He finished the weekend with eight shots on goal and a plus-four rating.