Weekend With The Black Bears

This weekend BU will be looking to continue their win streak with a home and home series with the Maine Black Bears. Tonight’s game is at Agganis, while Saturday night’s tilt is up in Orono. This scheduling certainly puts Maine behind the eight ball, as they essentially have to travel to play both games. BU will leave right after tonight’s game for the trip north.

Chase Phelps and Maine's Steven Swavely discuss a call
in BU's 5-2 win at the Alfond last winter.
(Photo by Matt Dresens)

Last year, BU swept a pair of games with Maine on the same calendar weekend. Up in Orono, BU scored a 5-2 win and a night later won 6-1 at home. The Terriers haven’t lost to Maine since January of 2014 in a rainstorm at Frozen Fenway, 7-3.

The Black Bears started the year off on a strong note, winning their first three games, including a 4-3 overtime win over Quinnipiac. They have since fallen on troubled times. It took Maine nearly a month’s time to find the win column again, and they come into this series with an 8-11-3 record. Last weekend, the Black Bears split a pair of games with Uconn, winning Saturday at Frozen Fenway 4-0. For anyone interested, that makes Maine 2-0-0 in Fenway games.

Scouting The Black Bears
Natick, Mass native Cam Brown sits atop the Maine scoring chart. In 20 games played, the senior forward has just four goals, but has posted 22 assists, far and away the most on the team. Fellow senior Blaine Byron and freshman Chase Pearson both pace the Black Bears in goals scored at 10 a piece. Other players to watch include Nolan Vesey, Mitchell Fossier and Patrick Shea.

In goal, three goalies have seen time. Rob McGovern has played the bulk of the minutes, coming into the weekend with a 7-7-3 record to go along with a .914 save percentage and a 2.80 goals against. Sophomore Matt Morris has a 1-4-0 record in six appearances with a .868svp and a 4.55 GAA. Freshman Stephen Mundinger has seen time in three games, but has no decisions to his record. BU saw both Morris and McGovern last year, with McGovern getting pulled in game two after giving up four goals on 22 shots.

BU Notes
- Jake Oettinger will be in net tonight.
- Shane Switzer was back on the ice at full speed at practice yesterday. He was recovering from a hit to the head in the Union game on January 5th.