In most cases, being promoted to the top spot in the US College Hockey Online poll is a good thing. This season, however, it may mean a loss is on the horizon.
On Tuesday, Boston University became the fourth team this season to lose or tie immediately after being named No. 1. The Terriers dropped a 3-1 decision at Merrimack in the first game of a home-and-home series that continues Friday at Agganis Arena.
BU joined Denver (twice), Minnesota-Duluth, and Penn State as teams to lose or tie immediately after being named the top team in the land.
What’s more, it was the third such loss in three weeks. Denver started the trend by dropping a Jan. 13 contest against Western Michigan just four days after being named No. 1. The following week Penn State was named No. 1 for the first time in program history. The Nittany Lions responded by tying and losing to Ohio State in back-to-back games. Tuesday was BU’s turn.
“We just didn’t compete,” BU coach David Quinn told the BU Daily Free Press. “We didn’t skate. We were waiting to skate. They set the pace and the tempo and they won every battle. That hasn’t been the case over the last month. But that was the case tonight.”
The good news for BU is that none of the other top-ranked losers have fallen out of the top five. Minnesota-Duluth is 5-2-2 since dropping a Dec. 9 decision to Denver and is back at No. 2. Denver is sitting in third while Penn State dropped to fourth.
Losses are inevitable. It’s how a team responds that shows its makeup.
“I think it’s exactly what we needed,” senior captain Doyle Somerby told the BU Daily Free Press. “You could kind of see us getting a little bit of a false air. It’s better now than the playoffs.”
BU will also play UMass Lowell and UMass Amherst before meeting Boston College in the Beanpot opening round Feb. 6.
Owen was 25.
“Gerry was a special kid,” coach Mike Chartrand said in a statement. “He was tough as nails and lived life on the edge; that’s what I loved about him.
“I had a special bond with Gerry, because we both stepped on the ice for the first time as Hawks five years ago. We were both a little nervous, but excited to become part of the Becker College community. I will miss him every day. Rest in peace my friend.”
Owen, a Chesapeake, Va., native, was able to make a comeback in 2015 and play in every game last season. The forward led the team with 15 assists and scored 7 goals. He wasn’t able to play this season but was voted a team captain.
The Becker team will honor Owen before its game against the University of New England Feb. 9.
The win broke a tie with two-time Olympian Molly Schaus and also moved Burt into 11th place on the NCAA list.
“It’s awesome,” Burt told Boston College Athletics. “It’s not something I was aiming to do, not something I was shooting for. I was lucky enough to have some great teammates who were able to put pucks in the net and I was able to make a few saves here and there.”
The victory was Burt’s 48th against Hockey East opponents, only four the record 52 recorded by New Hampshire’s Melissa Bourdon.
In BC’s first game against Vermont Friday, it was Megan Keller breaking a record. Keller’s goal moved her past ex-teammate Emily Pfalzer on Hockey East’s all-time point list for defensemen. Keller passed Pfalzer’s mark of 59 and now has 64 career points against Hockey East opponents.
Brandan Blom can be reached at Blom.Brandan@globe.com