Men’s Hockey: Terriers look to snap seven-period goal-less streak vs. No. 12 Harvard

By: Joe Pohoryles

Seven periods. That is how much hockey the Boston University Terriers (4-6-5, 3-4-4 HE) have played since they last scored a goal. Since junior defenseman David Farrance’s team-leading 10th goal in the second period of a 3-3 tie to the University of Vermont Catamounts on Nov. 23, the Terriers have allowed seven goals, leading to a blown lead against the Catamounts, and subsequent shutout losses to the Sacred Heart University Pioneers on Nov. 26 and No. 2 Cornell University Big Red at Madison Square Garden during Red Hot Hockey on Nov. 30.

The Terriers will look to snap that goal-less streak tonight when they host the No. 12 Harvard University Crimson (6-1-0, 6-0-0 ECAC). The Crimson are coming off their first defeat of the season at the hands of the No. 10 Boston College Eagles, the final score 4-2 on Nov. 29. With both teams looking to get back to winning ways, it should be a contentious fight in the Terriers’ first matchup with a Beanpot participant this season.

With no changes to the point totals in the past couple games, Farrance enters this game as the team’s leading scorer with 19 points, with the first line of senior captain Patrick Curry, freshman Trevor Zegras and senior assistant captain Patrick Harper following behind with 15, 13 and 16 points, respectively.

The Crimson come in with just one double-digit scorer in sophomore forward Casey Dornbach, who has 12 points in just seven games, highlighted by a hat trick against the RPI Engineers on Nov. 22. First-year forward Nick Abruzzese, a 2019 fourth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs, has also impressed with nine points in seven games.

Fans at Agganis will see a familiar name on the ice repping Crimson, as sophomore Jack Drury, the nephew of BU legend and 1998 Hobey Baker winner Chris Drury, and son of former Harvard star Ted Drury, will continue to pave his own legacy. The 2018 Carolina Hurricanes second-round pick is currently tied for third in points on the Crimson.

All three players serve as key cogs in the nation’s top scoring offense as the Crimson have totaled 35 goals in their first seven games, However, both netminders in the Crimson goaltending tandem, senior Cameron Gornet and first-year Mitchell Gibson, have been brick walls, boasting a collective goals against average of 2.00 and a .944 save percentage. Individually, Gibson has been especially impressive, as the Washington Capitals prospect tops the ECAC with a .955 save percentage, and has the second-best GAA with 1.49, but either netminder will make it tough for the Terriers to snap their streak.

With plenty of NHL draft picks squaring off from both sides, the intensity and skill will be on full display as these two teams look to snatch a key non-conference victory.