Men’s Hockey: Terriers Prepare For Season’s First Battle of Comm Ave

By Ethan Pott

Boston University Men’s Hockey (12-12-1, 8-9-0 HEA) is set to face its age-old rival, the Boston College Eagles (13-8-1, 9-5-0 HEA), at Agganis Arena on Friday night in the 299th edition of the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue.

BU has not seen its Green Line foe since the 2025 Beanpot Final, when the Terriers defeated the Eagles 4-1 to claim their first Beanpot title since 2022 and their first victory over BC in the championship game since 2007.

Now, in its final matchup before the 2026 Beanpot Semifinal, BU will look to head into the tournament strong with a win against its greatest rival.

“We need a bit of a jolt as a group,” BU Head Coach Jay Pandolfo said. “This rivalry can certainly help you, if you end up on the right side of it.”

The Eagles are ranked No. 13 nationally and sit second in the Hockey East standings. BU has fallen out of the USCHO poll and stands unranked for the first time since April 11, 2022 — 92 weeks ago — ending the longest ranked streak in USCHO history.

If BU wants to right the ship, it will have to fight through the bad blood with a blue blood.

The Terriers enter Friday on a two-game losing streak, having dropped back-to-back contests to Providence last weekend. BU struggled defensively and in net, allowing four goals in each game. The Terriers were shut out in the second half of the weekend set.

Sophomore goaltender Mikhail Yegorov allowed seven goals across the two games against the Friars.

Despite the sweep, sophomore forward Cole Eiserman netted two goals last Friday, with sophomore forward Brandon Svoboda assisting on both.

The Terriers will look to Eiserman and sophomore defenseman Cole Hutson to spark the offense against the Eagles.

Freshman forward Tynan Lawrence, BU’s newest addition, scored his first goal of the season in that same game. Lawrence, a highly touted NHL draft prospect, joined the Terriers over the winter break.

“It’s pretty discouraging when you get swept,” Pandolfo said. “But I think our guys have responded well in practice, the mood feels good. They’re looking forward to this weekend.”

BC enters the matchup following a two-game sweep of New Hampshire in which it outscored the Wildcats 8-2, including a 3-0 shutout on Jan. 24.

Sophomore forwards Dean Letourneau and James Hagens — both Boston Bruins prospects — lead the Eagles with 23 points apiece. Letourneau has scored 13 goals to Hagens’ 11.

Letourneau tallied a two-goal, three-point performance on Jan. 23 against New Hampshire. The following night, junior forward Will Vote recorded a hat trick in BC’s 3-0 victory.

Sophomore forward Teddy Stiga, who skated alongside Hagens at the 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, has notched four goals and 10 assists this season.

“They have a lot of skill, a lot of depth, an experienced defensive core,” Pandolfo said.

That defensive unit includes junior defensemen Nolan Joyce and Aram Minnetian, who lead BC with 27 and 23 blocked shots, respectively. Offensively, junior defenseman Drew Fortescue and senior defenseman Lukas Gustafsson pace the BC blue line with 11 points each.

In net, freshman goaltender Louka Cloutier has started 19 of BC’s 22 games and holds a 12-6-1 record with three shutouts. Cloutier sports a 2.22 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.

“They’re just a good, solid hockey team,” Pandolfo said. “They’re always going to present problems because of the rivalry — everything’s amped up.”

The Terriers and Eagles are expected to play in front of a packed house, with tickets already sold out.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday. Streaming will be available on NESN and ESPN+.