By Nate Ewell

One reason Providence goaltender Jon Gillies (S. Portland, Maine/Indiana-USHL/CGY) returned for his junior season with the Friars was to chase championships, and as the season enters its final weeks, his play has them in position to do just that. A regular-season Hockey East title is nearly out of reach entering series vs. Massachusetts and Maine, but having one of the best goaltenders in college hockey will make Providence a postseason threat. Gillies – a second-generation goalie whose father played at UNH – ranks ninth nationally in save percentage (.931) and has allowed two goals or fewer in 20 of his 28 starts.

Must Read/See/Head Material

Detroit News: Players study for life after college hockey
New Haven Register: Quinnipiac’s Agosta Mastering his role
The Gazette: Harstad’s work ethic, records at CC speak louder than his words
The Pipeline Show: RMU’s Derek Schooley, Michigan’s Zach Werenski
13abc.com: Falcon icers continue their rise from the ‘dead’
Hockey This Week: Kyle Hayton debriefed
College Hockey News: Military family
College Hockey News: Colgate’s Borkowski makes ‘remarkable’ recovery

Don’t Miss

This weekend: USA Hockey’s eighth annual Hockey Weekend Across America kicks off Friday and includes a reunion of the 1980 Olympic team in Lake Placid, N.Y., plus NBC Sports’ Hockey Day in America coverage on NBC and NBCSN.
Monday: Delayed due to snow, the Beanpot championship game features No. 2/3 Boston University and Northeastern, which has the nation’s best record in its last 15 games (NESN/TSN1).

Best Record, Last 15 Games
.833 – Northeastern (11-1-3)
.800 – Minnesota State (11-2-2)
.767 – Four teams, including Boston University (10-2-3)

Five More Storylines No One Should be Without

Omaha’s young guns – Nebraska Omaha sits in a three-way tie atop the NCHC despite a young team featuring all freshmen or sophomores among its top six scorers. Avery Peterson (Grand Rapids, Minn./Sioux City-USHL/MIN) is one of those rookies, sitting tied for second on the team with 10 goals after being named Mr. Hockey in Minnesota last season. He is one of four Minnesota natives in the Mavericks’ freshman class who will return to their home state for their next two series – at St. Cloud State and at Minnesota Duluth.
Saturday’s game is on FOX Sports North

Most Goals, Freshmen and Sophomores
70 – Nebraska Omaha
66 – Boston College
64 – UMass Lowell
63 – Massachusetts
60 – Bowling Green

NMU’s offensive defenseman – Students of goaltending often note that it’s the younger sibling who gets put between the pipes. Northern Michigan’s Brock Maschmeyer (Bruederheim, Alta./Nanaimo-BCHL) – the only defenseman in the country to lead his team in goals – had a good target in younger sister Emerance, who recently won the Beanpot MVP award after leading Harvard to an upset of previously unbeaten Boston College. Brock has shined for the Wildcats, particularly in the new year (9 points in 13 GP), as he and Emerance carry on a family tradition of hockey success. Older sister Brittany played at Syracuse while older brother Bronson is currently at St. Francis Xavier in Canada after playing for two WHL teams.

Defensemen leading team in goals: Brock Maschmeyer, NMU
Defensemen leading team in points: Mike Paliotta, Vermont, and Mike Reilly, Minnesota

Baskin adds to Air Force offense – An injury slowed Air Force freshman Erik Baskin (Minnetonka, Minn./Aberdeen-NAHL) early in the season, but he has hit his stride in the second half, entering this weekend with a seven-game point-scoring streak (7g-4a in that time). Baskin’s emergence has given the Falcons some much-needed offensive depth behind their potent, all-senior first line, and they enter the last four games of the season with a shot at a top-five Atlantic Hockey finish and the accompanying first-round playoff bye.

Brown senior finds scoring touch – The 7-17-1 Brown Bears have won a season-high three in a row, most recently a 1-0 decision at Union thanks to a goal from defenseman Joey de Concilys (St. Catherin’s, Ont./Salisbury School). A senior, de Concilys has been a mainstay in the Brown lineup since he arrived at school, but had only two goals in his first 89 games. He has six goals in his last 20 games, showing an ability to get pucks through traffic and on net – he has recorded 1.5 shots on goal per game this season, double the 0.75 rate of his first three seasons.

Rockwood excelling after health scare – Wisconsin won its first conference game of the season Saturday with freshman Adam Rockwood (Coquitlam, B.C./Coquitlam-BCHL) scoring the third-period game-winner and adding an assist. It’s been an eventful first year for Rockwood, who was hospitalized earlier in the season to treat CPT II, a rare genetic condition that can cause muscle pain and fatigue. It can be managed, however, and Rockwood has been back in the lineup since the new year. His last five games include a pair of multiple-point efforts. | Wisconsin State Journal: Rockwood copes with college life and a rare enzyme deficiency
Friday’s game vs. Michigan State is on BTN

NHL Note of the Week

Beanpot finalists Boston University (12) and Northeastern (4) have combined for 16 alumni in the NHL this season, including current Nashville Predator teammates Colin Wilson (BU) and Anthony Bitetto (Northeastern). The Preds are, fortunately, off Monday night. | NCAA in the NHL

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag

Three great rivalries face off this weekend: Yale at Quinnipiac Friday night (SportsNet NY/TSN2), a home-and-home between Colorado College and Denver (Friday on CBSSN), and a home-and-home between Michigan and Ohio State (Sunday on FOX Sports Detroit+) … Cornell hosts its Pink At The Rink event Friday to raise funds and awareness for the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes … Robert Morris’s visit to RIT features the top two scorers in Atlantic Hockey play in Matt Garbowsky and Cody Wydo (Saturday’s game is on TSN2) … Find magic numbers for conference leaders and more in this week’s Stat Pack.