Ryan Ruikka found the back of the net with a wrist shot from the left edge, giving the Terriers the lead 13 minutes, 59 seconds into the game. The goal was Ruikka’s first collegiate score, with Alex Chiasson receiving the assist.
Chiasson gave BU a two-goal advantage four minutes later, after corralling a rebound in front of the net and lifting the puck past PC goalie Alex Beaudry.
Aaron Jamnick scored the lone Friar goal in the closing minutes of play after pulling Beaudry to give them an extra skater.
BU held off seven Providence power plays and have successfully killed 23 out of 24 opponents man advantages this season.
The Friars (1-4-0, 1-2-0 Hockey East) challenged Millan with 40 shots on net, doubling the Terrier’s total of 20.
BU (4-0-1, 2-0-1 HEA) is off to its best start since 2001, where the team posted a 6-0-1 mark to begin the season.
The Terriers are in first place in the HEA standings after claiming four points this weekend while defeating Massachusetts, 4-3 on Friday.
BU’s next challenge is a visit to UMass-Lowell on Friday to begin a home-and-home series. PC begins their own home-and-home series this Friday as they travel to take on the Minutemen at home.
Black Bears sweep UND
Maine soared past No. 2 North Dakota this weekend, completing the sweep with a 4-2 triumph on Saturday after a 7-3 blowout on Friday.
Brian Flynn scored the eventual game-winner Saturday, rifling a shot in front of the net off a feed from Jeff Dimmen that ricocheted off of a Fighting Sioux defenseman.
The Black Bears took a commanding 4-1 lead in the seventh minute of the third period after Spencer Abbott whipped a slap shot past UND goalie Aaron Dell. Gustav Nyquist’s prime one-time pass assisted the goal, coming on a Black Bear advantage.
North Dakota struck first on Ben Blood’s first goal of the season at the 13:25 mark in the second period.
The lead was short-lived however, after Nyquist netted a rebound off a Robby Dee slap shot in the 17th minute of the second frame to knot the score at one.
Joey Diamond gave the Black Bears a 2-1 advantage on a hard-fought, wrap around goal with less than two minutes to play in the period.
Saturday’s game was played in front of a crowd of 5,361 fans, the largest attendance since Maine hosted Boston College on Jan. 25, 2008.
The Black Bears (3-1-2, 1-0-0 HEA) returns to conference play this Saturday with a matchup at Vermont.
Northeastern Tops River Hawks
Chris Rawlings’ 39 saves helped push the Huskies past UMass- Lowell, 3-1, this weekend.
Steve Silva gave Northeastern the lead with eight minutes, 35 seconds to play in the game, which proved to be the game-winner.
Tyler McNeely started the scoring, giving the Huskies the lead in the sixth minute of the contest after redirecting Brodie Reid’s shot on a power play. The goal was McNeely’s first of the season.
Maury Edwards proved to be the only source of offense for the River Hawks, as the senior capitalized on a power play, netting his own rebound to tie the game at one.
The River Hawks pulled their goalie late in the third period in an attempt to tie the game. McNeely capitalized on the empty-net opportunity, stealing the puck and sealing the victory with his second goal of the contest.
Rawlings faced 40 shot attempts while River Hawks goalie Marc Boulanger saved 23-of-26 challenges, suffering the first loss of his career.
Northeastern (1-2-2, 1-2-1 HEA) hosts Bentley and Holy Cross this weekend, while the River Hawks (1-2-2, 1-2-0 HEA) begin a home-and-home series with the Terriers.
Steven Sellner can be reached at [email protected].
