Boston University 3, RPI 2 (OT)
Sophomore Cason Hohmann lit the lamp at 2:56 of overtime as the Terriers came back from a goal down twice to edge the visiting Engineers to open 2013 at Agganis Arena. With its fifth win in seven games, BU improves to 11-6-0 on the season and will face Beanpot foe Harvard on Wednesday night. Freshman Sean McGuire won his fourth straight start and third in a row to begin his home career, posting 27 saves for BU. After the Engineers took a 1-0 lead on a goal from Ryan Haggerty at the midway mark of the first period, senior Ryan Santana netted his first goal of the season to tie the score off an assist from Mike Moran, a Marshfield, Mass. native, who had yet to score a collegiate point. C.J. Lee put the visitors up in the 15th minute of the second, but junior Sahir Gill knotted the score yet again off a feed from Hohmann to set up the winner in extra time. The game marked the 66th meeting between the storied institutions and former ECAC rivals since first meeting on March 14, 1953, but was the first in three games that the Terriers have won in their newest home in the series.
Boston College 3, Yale 3 (OT)
After a slow start, the No. 2 Eagles and No. 17 Bulldogs played to an entertaining final two periods en route to a stalemate in the 55th all-time meeting between the programs at Kelley Rink. The Eagles did not post more than seven shots in a period, while allowing a season-most 48 chances on net to the visitors. Senior netminder Parker Milner made stops on 45 of those shots, establishing a new career-high by topping his mark of 41 set in the Hockey East-title winning victory over Maine to close the 2011-12 season at TD Garden. Despite taking a five-minute major penalty and misconduct at the end of the second period, rookie Michael Matheson posted three assists to pace the offense in the contest. Senior Steven Whitney scored the equalizing goal at 16:33 of the second stanza, weaving a shot through traffic from the high slot. The Eagles return to the ice in Chestnut Hill for a big one next Friday night, hosting the second-place New Hampshire Wildcats in the first NESN league broadcast of the season.
Maine 2, Mercyhurst 1
Freshman Ryan Lomberg continued his hot stretch by scoring the game-winning goal at 13:54 of the third period, lifting the Black Bears to a third consecutive victory on Friday at Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. Junior Martin Ouellette was outstanding, stopping 25 of the 26 shots that he faced in improving to 3-5-2. Mercyhurst, which received a strong 35 saves from junior Jordan Tibbett in the series opener, dropped to 0-5-1 against Maine in the all-time series in their first action since 2007. Lomberg, an Ontario native, started slow much like the team in the early going, but has now posted a goal in each of the last three games. At 9:02 of the opening frame, senior Joey Diamond scored his fourth goal of the campaign.
UMass-Lowell 2, Clarkson 1
Newcomers Christian Folin and Michael Colantone had goals for the River Hawks as they defeated the host Golden Knights at Cheel Arena in Potsdam, N.Y., behind a 25-save effort from Hockey East December Goaltender of the Month Connor Hellebuyck. The win boosted UML over .500 for the first time on the season as it heads into the series finale with a 8-7-1 record. Lowell has now won the last five head-to-head meetings between the teams since 2001, but could not do so until coming back from an early first goal of the season from Andrew Himelson. With a 4-for-4 effort on the penalty kill, the River Hawks have now also staved off 19 consecutive opponent power plays.
Minnesota State 4, Providence 3 (OT)
Despite 31 saves from senior Russ Stein in just his second-career start, the Friars dropped the opener of their weekend series in Mankato's Verizon Wireless Center on an overtime goal from Chase Grant. With the loss, the Friars fall to MSU for the first time in program history and is now 7-7-3 on the season. The Mavericks were able to hold senior Tim Schaller off the scoresheet for the first time in four games as he saw a 2-4=6 streak come to a close, while sophomore Ross Mauermann posted two assists in the first period.
Joshua Kummins is the Hockey East beat writer for SB Nation Boston. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKummins.