Game Day: BU vs. Union; Agganis Arena Anniversary

#1 Terriers begin the second half of their season hosting defending national champion Union College. The game, which will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network and in Canada on TSN2, marks the first-ever meeting between the schools. 

BU will also celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the first game played at Agganis Arena. On Jan. 3, 2005, BU defeated Minnesota, 2-1, with Brad Zancanaro scoring the first goal and Travis Roy having dropped the first puck.

Terriers will be without the services of freshman Jack Eichel, who has been skating for Team USA in the World Junior Championships. However, the line-up will be bolstered by the return of 2013-14 leading scorer Robbie Baillargeon (photo) and freshman Nikolas Olsson.

Union brings a 10-7-1 record into the game, but has won three of its last four outings. On offense, the Dutchmen are led by three veterans of the national championship team,  Mike Vecchione (24 points), Daniel Ciampini (23) and Jeff Taylor (20). Colin Stevens has a 2.24 GAA.

BU Line-up
Oksanen-O'Regan-Rodrigues
Olsson-Baillargeon-Hohmann
Greer-Lane-Roberto
Phelps-Moran-Piccinich
Grzelcyk-MacLeod
Fortunato-Hickey
Somerby-Diffley
O'Connor 

● GoTerriers.com preview, game notes, GameTracker, Terrier Sports Radio Network webcast  
● Daily Free Press preview
● Episode 1 of BU Hockey--The Season II (video) 

► Episode 12 of Inside BU Hockey features Bernie Corbett’s interviews with Coach David Quinn, freshman blueliner Brandon Hickey and former Terrier goalie and current Union College assistant Jason Tapp. Hickey, a third round draft choice of Calgary in last spring’s NHL draft following a standout season with AJHL Spruce Grove, is the leading scorer among BU blueliners with nine points. Tapp spent four seasons as a BU netminder before embarking on a long minor-league career. He joined the Dutchman staff in 2009 and was instrumental in developing goalies Troy Grosenick and Colin Stevens as Union emerged as a national power.

► Junior goalie Matt O’Connor was interviewed by Corbett for this week’s Inside Hockey East Webcast.

► ICYMI: Terrier Hockey Fan Blog Q&A with BU goalie coach Mike Geragosian

►Boston Hockey Blog: Midseason Hockey East power rankings

World Junior Championships
Team USA lost to Russia, 3-2, in the quarterfinal round, ending its chance for a medal. BU freshman Jack Eichel scored one goal and three assists in five games, tying for second in scoring for Team USA.
● USA Hockey recap
● CBS Eye on Sports recap and analysis

Looking ahead

GIF: @ClaytonKeller37 wins it in OT for @usantdp with an absolute snipe shot #USHL pic.twitter.com/Qgfnw4pWy0
— USHL (@USHL) January 3, 2015

2016 recruit Clayton Keller scored a hat trick including the overtime game-winner as the NTDP U17s defeated Green Bay, 5-4. The left-shot center, who earned first-star honors, leads his team in scoring with a 20-25-45 scoring line in 28 games. He has five multiple goal games this season.

● USA Hockey recap and box score

Fellow 2016 recruit Kieffer Bellows scored Sioux Falls’ first and last goals in the Stampede’s 6-4 win against Tri-City. The Edina, Minnesota native has six goals in his last four games and a team-high 13 goals for the season.

2015 recruit Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson continues to put up points for Omaha with primary assists on three goals in the Lancers’ 4-2 win over Waterloo. In his past 18 games, the 6-1 center from Stockholm has recorded 10 goals and 17 assists, and has led Omaha to eight consecutive wins. With 30 points, he’s seventh in the USHL in scoring.

● Omaha World-Journal recap

Looking back

Charlie Coyle recorded his 12^th and 13^th assists in Minnesota’s 3-1 win over Toronto.

Sahir Gill scored his first AHL goal in the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins’ 5-0 win against Binghamton.