Weekend Preview: Getting Friared Up

This weekend, BU will take on Providence in their first home and home series of the new year. Earlier this year, in Providence's home opener, the Friars handed BU their first loss of the season. The story behind that game was that BU was late arriving to the rink and it showed as PC took a 3-0 lead. BU came back though, tying the game at three, before Providence scored two third period goals, bucking the Terriers 5-3.

From The Vault
Wade Megan fights through a check during a game at
PC's Schneider Rink back in February of 2011.
(Photo by Matt Dresens)

Other than that win, Providence has been up and down all year. Currently they sit tied for 27th in the PairWise with Bemidji State and are six points behind the Terriers for first in Hockey East. This is a critical weekend for both teams. If BU sweeps, they will not only pick up four points in the league standings, but could (with some help from a Minnesota Duluth loss or two) move into the top spot in the PWR.

Scouting Providence 
PC is an even .500 this season, with a record of 9-9-2. There are not many notable wins to report other than when they beat BU in their first game of the season. A week after dropping BU, the Friars skated into a two game series, at home, with current number one ranked Minnesota Duluth. Providence was outplayed in game one, a game that I actually was in attendance, losing 5-2. The next night though, PC tied the defending National Champions 2-2. PC's next big win was an overtime shocker, in which they topped previously unbeaten Merrimack 2-1. the next night, the Friars rolled over the Warriors 6-1 at Merrimack.

Scoring leaders
Freshman Ross Mauermann has racked up a team leading 17 points (8g, 9a) in 20 games. Closely behind is Sophomore Derek Army with 15 points, eight goals and seven assists. Providence's goal scoring leader is Tim Schaller, a junior from Merrimack, New Hampshire has 10 goals in 17 games played.

In goal
Every time BU plays Providence and Alex Beaudry is between the pipes, I think of when he stood on his head and knocked off the team of the decade, the '09 BU team, at Agganis on a Tuesday night in February. This year, the Cumberland, Ontario native has an 8-8-2 record with a .902 record and one shutout. He has allowed 50 goals on 510 shots thus far. Beaudry holds a 3-7-0 record vs BU.