Harvard at Boston College: Pregame Notes and Line Combinations

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- Welcome inside Kelley Rink at Conte Forum on the campus of Boston College where the eighth-ranked Eagles are set to host some midweek hockey on Tuesday night, welcoming in crosstown rival Harvard University.

BC is in the midst of its first three-game losing streak since the first week of 2010 and its first 0-3 start to the month of November since 1994-95, Jerry York’s first season as head coach.

North Reading, Mass. native sophomore Ryan Fitzgerald did his part by scoring two goals on just three shots, but the Eagles suffered a 5-3 defeat at the hands of archrival Boston University on Friday to fall to .500 on the year. Last Wednesday, UConn handed BC a 1-0 loss in its first-ever Hockey East home game.

Sophomore goaltender Thatcher Demko is not dressed, so Medfield, Mass. native senior Brad Barone will make his first career start for the Eagles. Sophomore Alex Joyce was added to the roster today and will serve as back-up to Barone after it was announced senior Brian Billett took a personal leave of absence from the team.

The Crimson are just two weekends into the season but sit unbeaten at 1-0-2, joining only Michigan Tech (8-0-0) and Robert Morris (7-0-1) as teams without a loss in the Division 1 ranks.

Senior Steve Michalek needed to make just 14 saves in a 4-0 shutout of RPI on Friday night before closing the weekend in the Capital Region by taking a third point with a 2-2 tie at Union. Michalek posted 42 stops in the latter contest, just one short of his career high. Junior Jimmy Vesey is one of four Harvard skaters riding a three-game point streak to open the season. This North Reading native scored all three of his goals last weekend, including two in Friday’s shutout.

The BC-Harvard series dates back to 1919 and commences for the 121st time tonight as the Crimson make the 4.4-mile trip to Chestnut Hill for the first time since Nov. 28, 2008. BC holds the all-time edge, 71-44-5, and has won each of the last nine meetings.

Here are tonight's lines:

CRIMSON (1-0-2, 1-0-2 ECAC Hockey)

Jimmy Vesey - Alexander Kerfoot - Kyle Criscuolo
Devin Tringale - Luke Esposito - Brian Hart
Seb Lloyd - Tyler Moy - Jake Horton
Phil Zielonka - Eddie Ellis - Joseph Caffrey

Patrick McNally - Desmond Bergin
Max Everson - Brayden Jaw
Wiley Sherman - Clay Anderson

Steve Michalek
Merrick Madsen

EAGLES (4-4-0, 1-3-0 Hockey East)

Destry Straight - Adam Gilmour - Chris Calnan
Quinn Smith - Austin Cangelosi - Brendan Silk
Zach Sanford - Ryan Fitzgerald - Alex Tuch
Cam Spiro - Michael Sit - Matthew Gaudreau

Ian McCoshen - Noah Hanifin
Scott Savage - Michael Matheson
Travis Jeke - Teddy Doherty

Brad Barone
Alex Joyce