Game Day: Terriers visit the Badgers

GAME DAY! Morning skate underway as the Terriers battle the Badgers tonight at the Kohl Center! #GoBU pic.twitter.com/yE21XpMR5y
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) January 9, 2015

The #2 ranked Terriers are in Wisconsin for a two-game series with the Badgers, marking the first time BU has played Wisconsin in Madison since Jan. 6, 1989.  The Badgers are currently 2-11-1 but blanked Michigan Tech in their last outing. 

The games will be played in the Kohl Center, which BU last visited in 2002 when it won the Icebreaker Invitational tournament, but did not play the Badgers. Game time each night is 8 p.m. ET. See links below for online viewing options.

Last season, BU, ranked #15 at the time, defeated Wisconsin at Agganis Arena, by a 7-3 margin with Cason Hohmann (photo) leading the way with four points (1G, 3A).

For the first time this season, all members of the Terriers are healthy and available to play. Jack Eichel’s return to the lineup reunites the OREO line with Danny O’Regan and Ahti Oksanen on the wings, while Robbie Baillargeon makes his second start since returning from an illness and will skate with senior assistant captains Hohmann and Evan Rodrigues.  Goalie Matt O’Connor comes into the game with the fifth best save percentage in Division-1 Hockey.

Wisconsin’s top scorers are sophomore Grant Besse (8 points) and Morgan Zulnick (7). Senior goalie Joe Rumpel has a 3.17 GAA and a .904 save percentage.

BU Line-up:

Oksanen-Eichel-O’Regan

Rodrigues-Baillargeon-Hohmann

Greer-Lane-Olsson

Phelps-Moran-Roberto

Grzelcyk-MacLeod

Fortunato-Hickey

Somerby- Diffley

O’Connor

►BU is expected to wear the same Jack Garrity/Jack Kelley era throwback jerseys that were introduced last month during the exhibition game against the U.S. Junior National team.

►The teams have met 16 times with BU holding a 10-6-0 edge. The first meeting was in the 1972 NCAA semifinals where John Danby’s hat trick powered the Terriers to a 4-1 win.

● GoTerriers.com preview, Game Notes, GameTracker, Terrier Sports Radio Network Webcast,  Wisconsin Public TV Webcast, BTN2Go Live Stream
● Boston Hockey Blog live in-game blog

● Daily Free Press preview

● USCHO predictions and picks

● HockeyEastOnline weekend preview

● University of Wisconsin preview

● Madison.com preview

● College Hockey News: Hockey East Preview; Tale of the Tape

Looking ahead

Thanks to the blog reader who pointed out that we missed last Saturday’s NTDP U18 game when 2015 recruit Charlie McAvoy scored his third goal of the season in a 7-2 loss to North Dakota.