Northeastern at Boston University: Pregame Notes and Line Combinations

BOSTON -- Good evening and welcome inside Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University where the No. 10/11 Terriers are set to renew their crosstown rivalry with Northeastern in the 225th all-time meeting between the two programs.

Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The teams conclude their home-and-home series tomorrow night at Matthews Arena.

The Huskies and Terriers are meeting for the first time since concluding last regular season with three consecutive games ― the Feb. 23 Beanpot title game at TD Garden and a home-and-home series during which each team won on road ice.

BU suffered road losses to UConn and Merrimack last Tuesday and Friday, respectively, but bounced back with Saturday's 5-4 win over Denver. Senior Ahti Oksanen scored his first two goals of the season against the Pioneers, including the game-winner just 21 seconds into overtime.

Oksanen had posted just two assists in five games before breaking out to beat Denver, then ranked fifth in the country. Freshman Ryan Cloonan scored and added an assist in the contest and is one of three Terrier skaters tied for the team lead with three goals apiece.

The Terriers are set to receive a big boost for tonight's game in the return of senior defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. The Bruins draft pick missed each of BU's first six games recovering from offseason surgery.

Tonight's game features the top two career point scorers in Division 1 hockey in BU senior Danny O'Regan and Northeastern's Kevin Roy. O'Regan leads the Terriers with seven points, although only one is a goal.

Roy added just his fourth point through seven games with an assist in NU's 3-3 tie last Saturday night at Vermont. The Huskies dropped a 3-2 home decision to open the series with UVM eight nights ago, so they are still in search of a win in conference play.

Nine of NU's 13 goals this year have come in the last three outings, dating back to a 4-3 loss in Minnesota on Oct. 24. The Huskies' offense ranks 11th in Hockey East, but their 240 shots on goal are seventh most in the nation for teams through seven games.

Here are tonight's lines:

HUSKIES (1-5-1, 0-1-1)

Kevin Roy - Dalen Hedges - Mike McMurtry
Nolan Stevens - John Stevens - Dylan Sikura
Zach Aston-Reese - Adam Gaudette - Sam Kurker
Mike Jamieson - Brendan Collier - Lincoln Griffin

Garret Cockerill - Matt Benning
Colton Saucerman - Eric Williams
Trevor Owens - Jake Schechter

Ryan Ruck
Derick Roy
Jake Theut

TERRIERS (3-3-0, 1-2-0)

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

Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Brandon Fortunato - Brandon Hickey
Doyle Somerby - John MacLeod

Connor LaCouvee
Sean Maguire
Max Prawdzik