Like every young hockey player in New England, Merrimack’s Alex Jefferies has seen plenty of raucous crowds at Hockey East games.
The Lunenburg, Mass., native isn’t new to playing in the league after bursting onto the scene last season as a freshman, but he had long looked forward to Friday night and his first chance to play in an atmosphere that is so unique to college hockey.
“This was our first game with fans, so it was a great experience and great to get a great team win after battling back from behind,” Jefferies said after the Warriors earned Friday’s 3-2 win over then-No. 16 Boston University. “It was awesome. The fans definitely added to the game and fired us up pretty good.”
From rookie year to sophomore, Jefferies certainly has added to Merrimack’s game in a positive way.
The goal against the Terriers marked the first of this season for Jefferies, but he had assisted his two experienced linemates -- junior Ben Brar and Alaska graduate transfer Max Newton -- in each of the previous three games entering the weekend. Newton was last week’s Hockey East Player of the Week after scoring three goals against a Colgate team that was undefeated before the Warriors used a four-goal third period to earn a 5-3, series-ending win.
In fourth-year coach Scott Borek’s eyes, the offense will continue to come for the 6-foot, 190-pound Jefferies, the New York Islanders’ fourth-round draft pick in 2020 who arrived on the Merrimack campus last year immediately following two prep seasons at The Frederick Gunn School. Such a quick jump to the college level can be challenging for any player, but Jefferies has already improved his contributions in other ways besides marking the scoresheet.
“Alex’s biggest steps have been without the puck, and that’s why he hasn’t scored as much yet,” Borek said of the reigning Hockey East All-Rookie Team forward. “He definitely will, but he plays really well without the puck right now. … I think that’s been a real boost to his line. We had him out 5-on-6 (late in the game) because I know he’ll eat a puck. That’s a big step for him.”
Jefferies made a name for himself as the region’s most potent prep scorer in 2019-20, recording 33 goals and 69 points in just 32 games to help his team win the NEPSAC Small School championship. Although he played in only 12 of the Warriors’ 18 games to begin his college career last year, the talented winger still often controlled play with the puck and contributed 10 points to rank third on the team in scoring.
After that performance, he has certainly lost the ability to fly under the radar in the opposing teams’ gameplans.
“Growing up it was all about trying to score goals and put up points. (This season compared to last) has been pretty similar, but the defensive zone was a focus for me,” Jefferies said. “The problems came in situations where I’d look to create offense even if it was going to lead to the other team’s offense, so I’m just making sure to take better care of our zone, stop on pucks and get back quicker.”
All the way to the top
Boston College entered the latter half of the weekend looking to shake off consecutive non-conference losses against Bentley and Colorado College. The Eagles were able to do just that against a fellow top-10 foe in Denver, using three goals in the third period to run away with a 5-1 win.
In wins and losses, though, Jack McBain has been a force centering BC’s top line.
The senior assistant captain leads Hockey East with 11 points in six games, four of which have been multi-point efforts. His second goal of the year was a crucial one during a third-period power play against the Pioneers, following the eventual game-winner by Bruins prospect Trevor Kuntar late in the middle frame.
“His skating has improved considerably even from a year ago to now, and he’s stronger,” BC coach Jerry York said. “He’s always competed well, but he’s just been a man here. It’s fun to watch him. I’m glad he’s on my team.”
It was a marquee win as part of a 3-1-1 night for Hockey East teams in non-conference play, which improved the league’s mark from 14-22-2. Northeastern and UMass Lowell earned victories in shutout fashion on Saturday.
Long road home
Sacred Heart will finally return to its home ice at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., this weekend after starting the season with six straight road games against Hockey East teams.
The Pioneers picked up a win and a tie at Maine, starting the series with a 1-0 triumph and a 24-save effort from Justin Robbins. It was the junior’s first career shutout. Clarkson senior transfer Adam Tisdale, who played in 10 games last season without scoring, netted the only goal of the Friday victory.
SHU enters its first Atlantic Hockey games and first home series of the year against Niagara with a 2-3-1 record, which was, ironically, the same mark it held through six games in 2019-20 before earning its first-ever national ranking later in the season.
Three more stars
Hockey East - Dylan Peterson, Boston University
The sophomore had recorded just one assist through his first five games, but he quickly changed that by recording his first collegiate hat trick during Saturday’s 8-6 win over Merrimack. He was the first Terrier to score three since current junior Jay O’Brien (Hingham, Mass.) did so on Feb. 13 at Vermont, and the effort came in the team’s first eight-goal game since 2018.
Peterson’s hat trick matched Merrimack defenseman Zach Vinnell in the game and came after senior Ty Amonte (Norwell, Mass.) opened the scoring in his first action at Agganis Arena since March 2, 2019. Injuries kept Amonte out of the lineup for all of 2019-20 and all but two games last season.
ECAC - Oliver Chau, Quinnipiac
After helping UMass to a national title in April, it’s no surprise that Chau has jumped right to the top of the lineup during his graduate season for a Quinnipiac team that split a marquee series against North Dakota in Hamden, Conn.
The Ontario native marked the scoresheet for the first time this season, bookending Friday’s 5-2 win with goals while assisting a goal on each night by sophomore Ty Smilanic and senior captain Wyatt Bongiovanni. As a result, the 3-1-1 Bobcats have five multi-goal scorers through five games.
Atlantic - Tyler Ghirardosi, Holy Cross
Ghirardosi’s third goal and fifth point in the last four games helped the Crusaders finish their second Atlantic Hockey series with a 3-2 win over Bentley. Saturday marked the first triumph for first-year head coach Bill Riga, who coached Ghirardosi during his freshman year at Quinnipiac before the pair moved to Worcester.
Thanks to his recent effort, Ghirardosi joined Bentley defenseman Drew Bavaro and Sacred Heart forward Braeden Tuck as the only Atlantic Hockey players from New England programs with three goals so far this season.
This weekend's hat trick
1. Ivies return (for real): With several scrimmages and the annual Ivy Jamboree in the books, Friday marks the long-awaited return of official Ivy League action for all four New England programs for the first time since March 7, 2020. Dartmouth hosts Harvard in Reid Cashman’s Big Green head coaching debut on Friday, while Yale and Brown take center stage the following night in Providence.
2. Full Hockey East slate: This weekend features back-to-back full Hockey East slates for the first time this season, as five games will be played on both Friday and Saturday nights.
3. Non-conference clashes: The only non-conference action involves ECAC teams, headlined by a home-and-home set between Quinnipiac and defending Atlantic champion American International. On Saturday, Harvard and Dartmouth will separate following their head-to-head meeting as the Crimson host Bentley and the Big Green welcome in Hockey East foe UConn.
