Providence at Boston University: Pregame Notes and Line Combinations

BOSTON -- Welcome inside Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University where the No. 11 Terriers are set to complete a Hockey East home-and-home series with No. 1 Providence on this Saturday afternoon. Faceoff, in a second consecutive rematch of April's national championship game, is set for 4 p.m.

The two teams skated to a 1-1 tie on Friday night at Schneider Arena with the Terriers holding a 40-33 advantage in shots on goal.

PC junior Nick Ellis made a career high 39 saves between the pipes, but BU's Ahti Oksanen scored an extra-attacker goal with 1:29 remaining in regulation for the tie. Mark Jankowski got the scoring going 13:24 into the second period of last night's meeting, the fourth goal and 11th point of his senior year as a Friar.

Oksanen did not score a goal in any of BU's first five games, but has found the back of the net in each of the last four. The senior now has a team-leading five goals while his nine points are second only to senior assistant captain Danny O'Regan.

Providence is the nation's No. 1 team in a regular season ranking for the first time since Feb. 7, 1983, and sports a 10-0-2 record in its last 12 games dating back to last season. With last night's result, the Friars are now 3-1-1 in their last five contests against BU.

Second-year Friar defenseman Jake Walman leads the Friars in scoring with seven goals and 12 points. Four of the Blues prospect's goals and half of his points came in a two-game series sweep at Colgate to close October.

BU freshman defenseman Charlie McAvoy will not play today as he serves a Hockey East suspension handed down this morning following "incidents in the second and third periods" of last night's game.

Here are tonight's lines:

FRIARS (6-0-2, 0-0-1)

Brandon Tanev - Mark Jankowski - Trevor Mingoia
Erik Foley - Brian Pinho - Nick Saracino
Steven McParland - Kevin Rooney - Ryan Tait
Niko Rufo - Bryan Lemos - Garrett Gamez

Kyle McKenzie - Tom Parisi
Jake Walman - Anthony Florentino
John Gilmour - Josh Monk

Nick Ellis
Hayden Hawkey
Brendan Leahy

TERRIERS (5-3-1, 3-2-1)

Ahti Oksanen - Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson - Danny O'Regan
Ryan Cloonan - Matt Lane - Jordan Greenway
A.J. Greer - Robbie Baillargeon - Bobo Carpenter
Tommy Kelley - Mike Moran - Nikolas Olsson

Matt Grzelcyk - Brien Diffley
Brandon Hickey - Brandon Fortunato
Doyle Somerby - John MacLeod

Connor LaCouvee
Sean Maguire
Max Prawdzik