BOSTON — Friday night, as Agganis Arena hosts hockey for the first time in nearly seven months, there’s no doubt the place is going to sparkle.

But chances are tonight’s bout between the No. 18 Boston University men’s ice hockey team and the No. 8 University of New Hampshire is going to be anything but pretty.

After their winless weekend in Alaska, the Terriers (0-1-1) return home to take on the preseason favorites to win the division — a team that has always given BU trouble.

“It’s a little tougher to have to get ready for the number-one preseason favorite in the league but I don’t think it would matter. We’ll be jacked up to play whoever we play,” said BU coach Jack Parker. “The fact is that we’d have to face them sooner or later anyway.”

And sooner may be an advantage for the Terriers, who now have two games under their belts while the Wildcats will be lacing up for their first game of the season after just one exhibition game, a 4-3 loss to the University of New Brunswick last Friday.

Before the Terriers left for Alaska, Parker said the two games out West were vital for the Terriers to get rolling, knowing that UNH would only get the one exhibition tune-up.

What the Wildcats’ one game did show, however, was that UNH could definitely have something special in freshman forward James vanRiemsdyk, who scored two goals in the contest. VanRiemsdyk, who was taken by the Philadelphia Flyers with the second overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, will spend time honing his skill in Durham, N.H. A product of the Under-18 U.S. National Team, vanRiemsdyk spent last season on the same line as Terrier freshman Colin Wilson.

“He’s a very talented player and he’s got a lot of skill — and so does his line mate from last year, [Wilson],” Parker said. “I think they were two points apart last year and our guy couldn’t get drafted, he was too young.”

But tonight, as the two line up on opposite sides, the Terriers will be looking to welcome vanRiemsdyk and the rest of his teammates to Agganis by introducing him to the boards.

“We’re just going to play physical, that’s our game plan for their whole team,” said BU captain Brian McGuirk. “They’ve got a lot of guys that are very skilled and when you’re playing against guys like that you’ve kind of got to bump ‘em and get them off their rhythm a bit.

“That’s our plan, just bumping everyone,” he added. “But especially if he picks up the puck we’re going to be finishing checks all night on him.”

On the offensive side, the home opener will be a chance for the Terriers to improve on the lackluster performances of last season in front of the home fans.

“I think [the fans] better be expecting [more scoring],” Parker said. “I’m expecting it. I’m expecting that we’ll play better at home and we’ll generate more exciting play at home.”

Standing in BU’s way is UNH goalie Kevin Regan, who led the nation in save percentage (.935) while posting a 2.06 goals against average. With many teams in the league losing longtime star goalies this offseason, Regan will finally get his chance to step into the limelight.

“I think he’s the best goalie coming back,” Parker said. “He’s the preseason favorite to be an All-League goalie, preseason favorite to be All-American goalie, it’s a good career he’s had there and the only reason he didn’t get the recognition he deserved the last couple of years is because of Curry and Schneider. They’re both gone now so he probably hopes it’s his turn.”

For the Terriers, the goalie rotation will continue with senior Karson Gillespie getting his second start of the season and his first-ever home opener. Last weekend Gillespie, who has never faced UNH, was solid against Robert Morris University before giving up three goals in a four-minute span in the third period.