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The reigning national champions look to bounce back from a shocking loss in the season opener, as No. 3 Boston College faces another regional foe in UMass, while No. 17 Harvard begins its season with an exhibition game.
The Eagles were caught off guard in the first game of their attempted title defense, losing 3-1 to an unheralded Northeastern team -- the third time in five years the Huskies have beaten Boston College while the Eagles have been ranked No. 1 in the country.
Although the team lost its first game, BC is still ranked No. 3 and is a favorite to win the Hockey East conference for the fourth time in as many seasons. BC will get a chance for a rematch Saturday night, but can begin bouncing back Friday night against UMass. The Minutemen looked good in their season opener, dropping UConn 4-1, but they will obviously face a stiffer opponent in their conference opener. UMass finished third to last in Hockey East last year, so BC will be the expected winner. The game is at 7:00 p.m. at the Mullins Center in Amherst.
Meanwhile, Harvard starts its season a bit later than most other teams, beginning Friday night with an exhibition game against a Canadian squad in the McGill Redmen. The Crimson are expected to be one of the better teams in the ECAC and have hopes of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. The game will be at the Bright Hockey Center in Cambridge at 7 p.m.