Hockey East Online

	CCM / RBK Players of the Week BC's Nathan Gerbe and UNH's Mike Radja

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- No. 5 New Hampshire swept Maine in the season series for the first time in school history with a pair of wins at Alfond Arena, while No. 11 Providence and Vermont split a two-game match up at Schneider Arena. Boston College, Boston University and Northeastern all head into the final night of play in the Beanpot on a winning note, after victories on Friday night.

The Wildcats also swept the two-game set at Alfond Arena for the first time in the program’s history. Senior forward Mike Radja (Yorkville, Ill.) was one of three Hockey East players to record their 100th collegiate point. He notched his second career hat trick on Friday in the 3-2 win and then followed that up with another three-point (1g,2a) effort on Saturday in the 4-1 victory. Senior netminder Kevin Regan (South Boston, Mass.) had 60 saves on the weekend for the Wildcats.

Vermont took the first game of the series on the road with a 2-1 win on Friday night at Schneider Arena, then Jon Rheault (Deering, N.H.) scored with 14 seconds left in the overtime session to give the Friars the 4-3 edge Saturday night. Rheault also scored his 100th collegiate point on Saturday vs. the Catamounts, becoming the sixth active league player to accomplish that feat. Senior goalie Joe Fallon (Bemidji, Minn.) had a solid weekend for Vermont, totaling 75 saves in the two contests, including a 36-save effort on Friday and 39 stops on Saturday in the losing cause for the Catamounts.

No. 9 Boston College advanced to the Beanpot final with 4-3 overtime win on Monday, courtesy of senior forward Nathan Gerbe (Oxford, Mich.) who posted two goals, including the game-winning goal in the extra frame. Gerbe totaled six points on the week, which also included a four-point effort at Massachusetts in Friday’s victory. The Eagles also got strong goaltending from freshman John Muse (East Falmouth, Mass.), who made 23 saves on Monday and 26 stops against the Minutemen on Friday. Junior Benn Ferriero (Essex, Mass.) also amassed his 100th collegiate point of Monday vs. archrival BU. The Eagles will meet Harvard in the Beanpot final on Monday (8pm)in a televises game live on NESN. Earlier in the year, the Eagles defeated the Crimson, 7-2, at the Bright Center on December 12. Gerbe and Ferriero notched a career-high five points in that game.

Boston University got back on the winning track on Friday with a convincing 6-2 win at UMass Lowell. The Terriers got a four-point (1g,3a) effort from Brandon Yip (Maple Ridge, B.C.), while freshman blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk (New Rochelle, N.Y.) had a solid week with four points, including a three assist performance on Friday vs. the River Hawks.

No. 14 ranked Northeastern also was victorious on Friday with a 4-2 win at Merrimack College. Sophomore goalie Brad Thiessen (Aldergrove, B.C.) made 30+ saves in each game. The Huskies and Terriers will meet in the Beanpot Consolation Game on Monday (5pm).

John Cavanagh, PC (So., F, Warwick, R.I.) Had two assists in the win over Vermont on Saturday and had one assist on Friday.

Jack Downing, UVM (Fr., F, New Canaan, Conn.) scored two goals, had seven shots and a registered a plus-2 rating in a pair of games at Providence.

Joe Fallon, UVM (Sr., G, Bemidji, Minn.) Turned away 75 shots, including 32 in the third period, in a pair of games at No. 11 Providence.

Brian Gibbons, BC (Fr., F, Braintree, Mass.) Tallied three points (1g,2a) in wins over Boston University and UMass.

Ryan Ginand, NU (Jr., F, Milford, Mass.) Scored the game-winning goal in NU’s 4-2 win vs. Merrimack and scored NU’s lone goal in the loss to Harvard on Monday.

Ben Holmstrom, UML (So., F, Colorado Springs, Colo.) Extended his point streak to four games with a power play goal Friday night against Boston University.

Matt Jones, MC (So.,F, Kentwood, Mich.) Scored his team-leading 13th goal of the season and added an assist, both on the power play against Northeastern Friday.

Wade MacLeod, NU (Fr., F, Coquitlam, B.C.) Had a goal and two assists in the Huskies’ 4-2 win over Merrimack on Friday night.

John Muse, BC (Fr., G, East Falmouth, Mass.) Registered a 1.89 goals against average and a .925 save percentage in victories over Boston U. and at No. 18 UMass.

Jon Rheault, PC (Sr., F, Deering, N.H.) Scored two goals, including the OT game-winner, and added one assist on Saturday. He also had one goal on Friday.

Andrew Sweetland, ME (Fr., F, Bonavista, Nfld.) Finished the week tied for the team-lead in points with two (1g,1a).

Colin Wilson, BU (Fr., F, Winnipeg, Man.) Tallied a goal and two assists in the Terriers’ 6-2 win against UMass Lowell.

Brandon Yip, BU (Jr., F, Maple Ridge, B.C.) Recorded a career-high four points (1g,3a) in the Terriers’ 6-2 victory at UMass Lowell.

Boston College: BC and BU have now met 19 times over the past four seasons with the Eagles holding a 10-8-1 advantage. In 12 career games against Boston University, junior Nathan Gerbe has registered 14 points and classmate Benn Ferriero has recorded 13 points...Sophomore center Ben Smith (Avon, Conn.) registered three points in two BC victories, which marked Smith’s 10th multiple-point performance of the season. He has tallied 31 points (15g,16a) in 27 games and is five points shy of doubling his 42-game freshman total of 18…Gerbe has tallied 108 career points (58g, 50a) in 106 games and is tied with former Eagle and long-time BC head coach Len Cegarski (1948-51) for 55th on BC’s all-time scoring list…With 43 points in 26 games this season, Nathan Gerbe currently leads the nation in points per game (1.65) and he ranks second among all collegiate players in goals per game (0.85). Gerbe has 12 multiple-point performances, including one five-point effort and three four-point outings, this season…Freshman forward Joe Whitney (Reading, Mass.) is tied for first in the nation in assists per game (1.00) and ranks second among rookies in points per game (1.26).

Boston University: The Terriers boast three of the top five scorers in Hockey East play, including league leader Bryan Ewing (Plymouth, Mass.), who has 27 points. Senior Pete MacArthur (Clifton Park, N.Y.) is tied for second with 26 points, while freshman Colin Wilson (Winnipeg, Man.) is fifth with 23...Amongst freshman defensemen, Kevin Shattenkirk leads the nation in both points (17) and assists (13)... Following Friday’s 6-2 win at UMass Lowell, the Terriers are now 20-2-1 in their last 23 games that have taken place in between the Beanpot... BU and Northeastern will be playing three times in the next two weeks, beginning with Monday’s match-up in the Beanpot consolation game. The Terriers have won their last 12 Beanpot meetings with the Huskies.

Maine: Maine regained the services of Keenan Hopson (Prince George, B.C.) and Chris Hahn (Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask.), who both returned to the Black Bear lineup this weekend after missing significant time due to injuries...Maine defenseman Bret Tyler (Maynard, Mass.) has been named a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award...Black Bears goalie Ben Bishop (Des Peres, Mo.) played in his 90th career game in goal on Saturday night against New Hampshire...He ranks fourth all-time in games played by a goalie at Maine trailing just Scott King (110), Blair Allison (103) and Alfie Michaud (98)...Simon Danis-Pepin (Vaudreuil- Dorion, Que.) has scored a point in three straight games and has points in five of his last six games.

Massachusetts: UMass had over 7,000 fans in attendance at the Mullins Center for the third time this season on Friday against Boston College. The 7,485 fans in attendance was the second highest for a home game this year…Massachusetts fell to 0-8-4 this season when unable to score three or more goals…The Minutemen are 1-7-1 in 2008…UMass is 5-for-45 on power play opportunities in 2008, while opponents are 5-for-30.

UMass-Lowell: The River Hawks power play went 2-for-5 against Boston University Friday and is 3-for-9 in the last two games after going 0-for-21 over the previous three games…Ben Holmstrom (Colorado Springs, Colo.) has a four-game points streak (2g, 4a) and has points in six of the last seven. Holmstrom leads the team with 21 points and 17 assists. His 17 helpers are tied for eighth in the league…Barry Goers (Ivyland, Pa.) has three assists, all on the power play, in the last two games. The sophomore defenseman leads the team with 10 power play points (all assists)…The River Hawks have lost four of their last five games, scoring two goals or less in each of the four losses. UML is 0-7-3 when scoring two goals or less…UML concludes its season series against Boston College with a home-and-home this weekend.

Merrimack: Merrimack’s new-look five-forward power-play scored twice in 55 seconds in the third period Friday cutting Northeastern’s 3-0 lead to 3-2…The Warriors outscored the Huskies 5-1 in the third period in three meetings this season, with the lone goal allowed an empty netter…Matt Jones notched his fourth multi-point game of the season and his first since November 24th…J.C. Robitaille (Des Ruisseaux, Que.) posted his ninth goal, but his team, which was 6-0 when the sophomore scored this season, lost for the first time this year when he finds the net…Andrew Braithwaite (Kingston, Ont.) became the second Warrior goaltender to receive a weekly honor by Hockey East this season. Pat Watson (Waltham, Mass.) was named the CCM/RBK Player of the Week on Oct. 15th…Merrimack fired 20 shots-on-goal in the third period against Northeastern, marking the first time this season they had 20 shots in a period…Joe Cucci (Melrose Park, Ill.) won 12 of 16 faceoffs against the Huskies.

New Hampshire: UNH continues to be Hockey East’s hottest team as it has now won nine-straight against league foes...The first-place Wildcats became the first team in Hockey East to clinch a berth in the HE tournament... UNH earned its first sweep of Maine in Hockey East play and its first since the 1982-83 season.. Kevin Regan, who tied Mike Ayers for games played in net at UNH (101), has been in net for all nine Hockey East wins. He has two shutouts, no more than three goals allowed in a since game, a .950 save percentage and a 1.56 GAA in those contests...Senior forward Mike Radja’s first goal of the game gave him his 100th career point, his second goal gave him his 50th career goal, while his last goal gave him his second career hat trick.

Northeastern: With a 4-2 win over Merrimack on Friday night, Northeastern has 13 overall wins and 10 Hockey East wins. The Huskies equaled their win total from last season (13) and surpassed its Hockey East win total from last year (nine). Northeastern won the season series with Merrimack, 2-1...Through 25 games this season, Northeastern has 66 goals for and 66 goals against, the exact same totals NU had through 25 games last season. However, the team has four more overall wins and four more Hockey East wins...After a 3-1 loss to Harvard in the Beanpot semifinals, NU will be playing in its 44th consolation game in the 56 years of the tournament. It will be the Huskies’ seventh consolation game against Boston University. Northeastern is 1-1-2 against BU since the beginning of 2007.

Providence College: Jon Rheault, who has a career best 17 goals this season, has also scored both of PC’s overtime goals this season…The win on Saturday marked PC’s first victory over Vermont at Schneider Arena since October 29, 1993…The Friars had not yielded a power-play goal in three consecutive games prior to Saturday’s contest against Vermont…PC is tied for the national lead with nine short-handed goals this season…Of the five season series against league foes that have been completed, the Friars have won four and tied the other.

Vermont: The Catamounts are 4-2-2 in their last eight games with each contest coming against a ranked opponent…Sophomore Viktor Stålberg (Gothenburg, Sweden) has recorded at least one point in seven of those eight games and has nine points in that span (3g, 6a). Stålberg and line mates sophomore Brian Roloff (West Seneca, N.Y.) and freshman Wahsontiio Stacey (Kahnawake, Que.) have combined for nine goals and 22 points in the last eight contests…Vermont is 1-1-7 in overtime this season…All eight of UVM’s game-winning goals have been recorded by a different player…Senior Joe Fallon is averaging 34 saves per game in his last four starts…Freshman Jack Downing leads the team in goals with eight and ranks tied for fourth among rookies in Hockey East in that category…Vermont hosts Merrimack for a pair of games this weekend. The Catamounts are 4-1-2 against the Warriors since joining Hockey East.