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BC has three players competing in China. Forwards Marc McLaughlin (18 goals and six assists) and Jack McBain (13-11—24) are the Eagles’ top scorers. Defenseman Drew Helleson joins McLaughlin on Team USA, while McBain will skate for Canada.
Two of Harvard’s top scorers are on loan to Team USA: Forwards Nick Abruzzese (5-16—21) and Sean Farrell (8-11—19). Northeastern and BU will be without their top goalies. Devon Levi, who will represent Canada, has nine shutouts in 24 starts for the Huskies, going 16-7-1 with a .948 save percentage and a 1.55 goals-against average. BU’s Drew Commesso (.915, 2.48) is 12-8-3 and is suiting up for Team USA.
While none of the teams will have its full complement of players, there will be plenty of talent on the ice for Monday’s first round.
BU (14-10-3) and Harvard (12-7-2) will play the early game (5 p.m.), and both enter with plenty of momentum. The Terriers are 10-1-1 in their last 12 games, and have recorded at least 1 point in their last 13 Hockey East contests. Sophomore goalie Vinny Duplessis had 27 saves in Friday night’s 4-0 win over Maine, and coach Albie O’Connell said he’ll get the nod against Harvard.
Robert Mastrosimone leads BU in goals (11) and points (21). Wilmer Skoog (nine goals, 11 assists) and Domenick Fensore (four goals, team-high 16 assists) are tied for second in points.
The Crimson take a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) into the matchup, including a shootout win at Cornell and a 6-3 win at BC last Tuesday, in which Harvard rallied from a 3-0 deficit for its first win at Conte Forum since 2018. Junior defenseman Henry Thrun has a goal and six assists in his last four games and four goals and 17 assists on the season. Freshman Matt Coronato, the 13th pick of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames, has scored in three straight, and nine goals with eight assists on the season.
Alex Laferriere is the leading goal scorer with 11. Junior Mitchell Gibson will be in net for Harvard. In 17 starts, he’s 10-6-1 (.911, 2.09).
Northeastern (17-8-1) and BC (10-13-4) will face off in the nightcap (8 p.m.). The teams have met once this season, with the Eagles skating to a 5-3 win at home Oct. 15.
The Huskies, winners of just four of the first 65 tournaments before winning the last three, lost four of five before defeating Vermont, 5-4, Friday. NU will turn to freshman T.J. Semptimphelter for his third start in net. In Levi’s absence, he’s 1-1, stopping 59 of 65 shots.
The defense is anchored by senior captain Jordan Harris. The Haverhill native scored the double-overtime winner in the 2020 championship game against BU and has five goals and 11 assists this year. Aidan McDonough, a junior out of Milton, leads the Huskies in scoring with 17 goals and seven assists.
BC ended 2021 with a six-game unbeaten streak, but is winless in nine games since. The Eagles appeared to be on the verge of snapping that skid Friday against first-place UMass Lowell. They led, 2-1, in the third period before the River Hawks scored a shorthanded goal, then struck again with less than two minutes remaining for a 3-2 win.
Bowling Green graduate transfer Eric Dop (7-10-4) will get the start in net. With Helleson away, Jack St. Ivany and Marshall Warren will be counted on to anchor the defense. With 20 points in 25 games, St. Ivany is second among Hockey East defensemen in points per game. Patrick Giles has 10 goals on the season. He has scored twice in three career Beanpot games, both coming in the opening round on BC’s first goal.
Follow Andrew Mahoney on Twitter @GlobeMahoney.
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