Boston University at Harvard: Pregame Notes and Line Combinations

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Good Thursday evening and welcome inside Bright-Landry Hockey Center on the campus of Harvard University where the No. 5 Crimson are set to host No. 11 Boston University in the 152nd all-time meeting between the two programs.

Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on NESN Plus and the Ivy League Digital Network with Bill Spaulding and Nick Koop on the call.

The Crimson scored a 4-3 overtime win at Minnesota on Saturday, capturing Gophers' own Mariucci Classic championship for the first time ever. Harvard is playing at home tonight for the first time since a Nov. 7 win over Brown.

The Crimson and Quinnipiac are the only two Division 1 teams with just a single loss this season, but only one will stand with that distinction following their Saturday night meeting at Madison Square Garden. Harvard is 5-0-2 since suffering its only loss, 4-1 to the Bobcats on Nov. 13.

Senior Kyle Criscuolo's two-goal night against the Gophers included the game-winner to lift Harvard to a second in-season tournament title this year, a first in the Crimson's 118-year history. Criscuolo's ten goals lead the team, while fellow co-captain Jimmy Vesey is already a 20-point scorer through just 12 games.

Tonight marks BU's first game since it handed Quinnipiac its first loss of the season on Dec. 12. Junior Robbie Baillargeon scored the deciding goal and added an assist in the 4-1 win, while senior Matt Lane scored twice.

The Terrier lineup is back to full strength with seniors Matt Grzelcyk and Ahti Oksanen and sophomore Nikolas Olsson all returning from injury. Newcomer Oskar Andren, who joined the team at the semester break from the NAHL's Lone Star Brahmas, is also dressed for the Terriers.

Defensemen Brandon Fortunato, Charlie McAvoy (U.S.), and Brandon Hickey (Canada) and forward Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (Sweden) are all back from the IIHF World Junior Championship in Finland and will play tonight. Freshman Ryan Donato, also part of the bronze medal-winning American squad, is back for the Crimson as well.

Sean Maguire will make his seventh start of the season for BU tonight. The senior stopped 36 of 37 shots at Quinnipiac en route to earning Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Here are tonight's lines:

TERRIERS (9-6-3, 4-3-2 Hockey East)

Ryan Cloonan - Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson - Danny O'Regan
Ahti Oksanen - Matt Lane - Jordan Greenway
Nikolas Olsson - Bobo Carpenter - Robbie Baillargeon
Chase Phelps - Mike Moran - Oskar Andren

Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Brandon Hickey - Brandon Fortunato
Doyle Somerby - Brien Diffley

Sean Maguire
Connor LaCouvee

CRIMSON (8-1-3, 4-1-3 ECAC)

Jimmy Vesey - Alexander Kerfoot - Kyle Criscuolo
Ryan Donato - Luke Esposito - Colin Blackwell
Seb Lloyd - Sean Malone - Tyler Moy
Devin Tringale - Jake Horton - Lewis Zerter-Gossage

Desmond Bergin - Clay Anderson
Wiley Sherman - Thomas Aiken
Jacob Olson - Victor Newell

Merrick Madsen
Michael Lackey
Peter Traber