Milner Leads Eagles To 1-0 Victory Over Lowell

Parker Milner Made 39 saves in the win

As every coach/player/fan of this sport will always say..."you can win any game when you get great goaltending". Tonight could not have been example of that statement as Parker Milner made 38 saves for the nation's #1 team as he just completely shut down any chances Lowell had all game long. Despite having to go on the man down four times and not getting a single power play, the BC penalty kill (led by Milner) was fantastic once again as they didn't allow a usually potent Lowell power play to get any goals on the night. While Lowell's first line did a very good job of keeping the BC's big line off the scoreboard for almost 3/4's of the game, they couldn't keep the big three from getting the decisive tally three and a half minutes into the third period. BC was able to gain a four on two in the neutral zone which led to a perfect pass from Johnny G to Steve Whitney who used his fantastic shot to get one past Doug Carr. Other than the one BC goal, both goalies were very sharp tonight but Milner's 38 save effort certainly stole the show. Overall, you could probably say Lowell outplayed BC as they outshoot the Defending Champs by a 38-20 margin but unlike BC, they couldn't get anything past the red hot Milner. Even though we only had 20 shots on goal, I thought BC was able to create some "grade A" chances on the night, the best coming in the first when Whitney made a fantastic pass to Kevin Hayes (who came right out of the box) and went in for the breakaway, only to be denied by Carr.

Did the Eagles get badly out played at points ? Sure, but what's one of the corner marks of BC Hockey ? They always find ways to get a victory, no matter what ways they have to go to attain it. Last Friday, the team battled relentlessly, Saturday, the Eagles dominated NU, and tonight, BC got fantastic goaltending from the best goalie in the country in order to win. While the third and fourth line have yet to record a point so far this season, I would say they both played pretty well tonight on both ends. I think the fourth line probably had it's best game of the season as they actually created some great chances in the game. Brooks Dyroff (it may have been Teddy Doherty)  had a goal taken away early in the first when the officials decided they didn't want to call it a goal for some reason. The second line was not as good as they were last weekend but I would say they definitely made an impact out there and created some good scoring chances. Bill Arnold and Kevin Hayes are really playing good hockey right now which is huge in order for this team to win.

Another positive that should be noted is that the freshman defenseman continue to improve. In fact, the defense as a whole is starting to really look good. Yes, Milner saved them a few times but when you hold a team like Lowell to nothing on the scoreboard, you've got to give your defenseman some credit. I thought the pairing of Alber and Matheson was fantastic for BC tonight as it seemed like they played almost the whole third period. Matheson is definitely logging a lot of minutes right now which is very impressive as a freshman. Wey was good tonight as you can clearly see he is the leader on the defense. The other three were not fantastic but they continue to play better hockey night in and night out.

All in all, it's great to see the Eagles beat a top ten team on the road. Any game in this league is tough but when it's on the road, it makes it extremely difficult to get a few points. Mix that in with the fact that the officiating in this game was absolutely horrendous, you've got to give a lot of credit to this team and the staff on getting a real solid victory.

Why the Eagles Won- 

1. Parker Milner was fantastic. Definitely his second best game in a BC uniform. (Last years BC Invitational tops it).

2. The PK. Even though the officials made it out to screw BC all night, the Eagles' PK was really solid as they held Lowell to 0/4 on the man advantage.

Problems- 

1. Getting outshot by almost a 2-1 margin is never good but I guess Lowell has the tendency to do that a lot versus BC. They did it last year in two games when they outshot BC 2-1 in two of the three games. BC still won those as well.

Player of the Game- Parker Miner

Next Up- Sunday @ 4:00 versus Lowell.

Picks for the weekend

Friday Night- 

Vermont @ Merrimack- Tough call in this series but i'll go with a tie in game one. 

UMass @ BU- Really think this BU team is going to struggle. UMass 2-1 

Northeastern @ UNH- Wildcats look real good. NU looked bad last week on the road. UNH 4-1

Maine @ Providence- Maine is really reeling. PC 3-0 

Boston College @ UMass Lowell- BC 3-2.


Saturday Night 

Vermont @ Merrimack- UVM takes three points on the weekend. UVM 2-0 

BU @ UMass- Tough call, but I'll go with a tie.

UNH @ Northeastern- Should be a really good game but I like NU to salvage a split. 3-2 OT 

Maine @ Providence- Just don't see Maine doing anything this year. PC 4-2

Sunday-

UMass Lowell @ Boston College- We never lose at home. BC 5-2

Previewing the UMass Lowell River Hawks

This weekend the first place and #1 team in the country, Boston College, will head north to face Lowell at the Tsongas Center tomorrow night and will then host Lowell on Sunday @ Kelly Rink. So far this year, Lowell is 1-1-1 with a win @ Colorado College, a loss @ Denver, and a tie versus Vermont which is their only league point. Thus far, UML is fifth in the league and is currently three points back of first place BC. Last week was a tale of two very different games for the River Hawks as they got trounced by Denver in a game in which they allowed three goals in less than three minutes during the third period. On Saturday, Lowell defeated Colorado College 3-2 and tallied their first win of the year. Unlike the past where they have always been underdogs in the league, many Hockey East writers and followers picked Lowell to actually win the league this year. Sure, Lowell had a great year last year and return some good players so maybe they do deserve a preseason top ten selection and the Hockey East #2 ranking. However, so far this season, Lowell has just one player (Josh Holmstrom) that has more than one point.

It's pretty fair to say that this weekend will show a lot about BC and definitely a lot about the opposition .   You learn a lot about your team every week in this league, I mean look at last week, the first two periods on Friday were a complete disaster and suddenly something clicked in the locker room and the team played unbelievable the rest of the weekend. As more games pass, we are seeing guys start to improve and that is a huge step in the right direction, especially for guys like Sullivan, Doherty, and Matheson. We saw a second line, that has the opportunity to be great, really shine and dominate when they were on the ice last weekend and when they are rolling, this team is hard to beat. We have seen very good goaltending out of Parker Milner in all three games this far, especially last Saturday when he shutout a pretty high powered Northeastern squad. In order to win two this weekend, all three of these things must continue to take place for BC.

In terms of scouting Lowell, well, they are led up front by forwards Riley Wetmore, David Arnold, and Scott Wilson. For Lowell to be able to compete with BC this weekend, they will need these guys to step up for them. Another key guy in Lowell's arsenal is goalie Doug Carr. Last year, Carr was second  in pretty much every major statistical categories behind Parker Milner. If Carr can play like he did in the third BC UML game last year in which he made 23 saves in the winning effort, Lowell has a chance. It should be a great weekend and it will certainly tell us which of these teams is ready to make a run and which one is not.

Keys For The Eagles 

1. Starting out well on the road. It didn't happen @ NU and it didn't happen @ UMass. Scoring the first goal tomorrow would be huge.

2. Staying out of the box. Lowell's power play hasn't been great so far so if BC can stay out of the box, limit Lowell's PP chances and capitalize on the man up, BC could have a nice weekend.

3. Sustaining Pressure. In the third period @ UMass and the game on Saturday, BC did a really good job of keeping the puck in the opponents end and limiting their chances and odd man rushes on Parker Milner.

Opposing Players To Watch-

1. Riley Wetmore (F)

2. Scott Wilson (F)

3. Doug Carr (G)

Top Line- Wilson-Wetmore-Arnold

Predictions- BC sweep.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Midweek Column

Johnny G and the Eagles are flying high before a date with Lowell

After a weekend of fantastic hockey from the defending National Champs, BC will look to keep it's position atop Hockey East as they approach a weekend date with the Lowell River Hawks. Unlike previous years, Lowell was predicted by some to finish in first place by years end and were also a USCHO preseason top ten selection. After a cinderella type finish to last year when they made it all the way to the NCAA second round, second year coach Norm Bazin is looking to get his Hawks back to the tournament and maybe even further. However, it has been a little bit of  rocky start to the season for Lowell as they have tied a lowly Vermont squad and got trounced by a talented Denver team last Friday. On the other hand, Lowell does have a nice road win on their resume as they defeated Colorado College in Colorado Springs on Saturday. This weekend is going to tell us a whole lot not just about BC but probably more about the competition in this league. We have seen a UMass team that played so well for 3/4 of the game on Friday but had a complete letdown late in the third that propelled BC to a must needed first win. Two weeks ago we saw a Northeastern team, led by their insane home crowd, dominate BC from start to finish en route to a 3-1 victory. Then this Saturday we saw NU come down to Earth and play like they normally do outside of Matthews Arena. Anyways, like every weekend in this league, this one is important but mainly because this will really show us how two teams that are supposed to be pretty high up in the national and league standings match up against each other.

As for BC, wow, what a different feel this week has than last. A week ago tonight I was writing about how concerned I was about this team and the ability to put the puck in the net. Of course the team goes out and scores eight goals in two games. With the first line playing as well as any line in college hockey right now and guys like Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold turning up their games, the Eagles really look like they could be a good club this year. The freshman defenseman look better, especially Teddy Doherty who I thought was one of BC's top defenseman last weekend. I think as time goes on we will see Sullivan and Jeke (if and when he plays) become adjusted to the speed and style of play but for now, they just need to keep improving and playing hard.

As for the offense of which I alluded to earlier, I think that the first line has the potential to be absolutely outstanding. One thing I have not addressed either this year or over the summer are my thoughts on Johnny G's Hobey Baker chances. Many BC fans believe he is the perennial favorite, even making shirts that say "Gaudreaubybaker" on the front. To be honest, I don't like making Hobey predictions nor think about it very much but I will say this...if BC keeps getting a bunch of power plays and continues to play him (and the #1 line) a lot of minutes, then he could amass A LOT of points. Anyways, it's a big weekend for the Eagles starting with a game @ Lowell on Friday. Hopefully the play from last week continues and BC is able to get four crucial points.

Lowell preview coming tomorrow.

GO EAGLES !

Hitting The Links-

Johnny G captured Hockey East player of the week last week (of course)

BC #1 for a second time in the USCHO Polls

The Guys at BCI have their hockey stuff up for this week

Special Teams Leads BC To Commanding Win Over Northeastern

Well, that was just what the doctor ordered this weekend for the Eagles. An amazing effort last night in Amherst carried over to Banner Night at home vs a Northeastern team that beat BC just seven days ago. Tonight however was a totally different story as BC used a quick start and punctuated on NU penalties to beat the upset minded Huskies. In just a few days, you can see this team growing up as everyone has really improved their games since last Friday's debacle at Matthews Arena. The crowd obviously got to a young Huskie team that took to bad penalties early on giving BC a lengthy five on three, a chance that BC was able to score on when Kevin Hayes one timed a Teddy Doherty pass past Chris Rawlings. Just four minutes later, Pat Mullane made a great effort to block an NU shot and then passed it to Johnny G who, in typical Johnny G fashion, beat Rawlings to make it 2-0. Building off last nights third period, BC clearly was the better team in the first twenty minutes tonight. Northeastern came out flat and could not generate any real good chances on net. When the Huskies did indeed get some good chances, Parker Milner was there for the stop.

In the second, NU started to come back but were not able to sustain any real pressure in the BC end thanks to some real good defensive zone play from BC. Once the Eagles started to take a few too many penalties, the PK, led by Mullane,Whitney, Linell, and Johnny G, were able to keep from NU from not just scoring but preventing them from getting any really good "grade A chances" on Milner. Just by watching you could see that Northeastern was just desperately trying to keep it at a two goal game going into the third but that thought evaporated when they gave BC another lengthy 5 on 3. On that two man advantage, Steven Whitney bombed a slapper past Rawlings to pretty much put the game on ice. Not enough can be said about the special teams this weekend, especially tonight, for Boston College. Even though two for six on the PP is not fantastic, the Eagles, led by the first unit, were able to maintain great puck possession and force Rawlings to make some pretty good saves to prevent another BC tally.

In the end, another great performance by a team that is really starting to take flight. Whether it's the young defenseman, the bottom six guys, or the special teams, everyone is improving for the Eagles. It is crystal clear that this team has a boatload of confidence right now and as we all know, a BC Hockey team with confidence can be pretty dangerous. Great weekend.

Why BC Won- 

1. The PK and PP were both very good. Capitalizing on other teams' mistakes is always critical and tonight BC did that when they needed to. You can't give a team like BC multiple 5 on 3's. The PK was once again phenomenal as Northeastern came up empty on the man advantage.

2. Parker Milner made some key stops. While NU didn't create a whole bunch of grade A chances, when they did, Milner was there to prevent a score. Really looks like he could have a big year.

3. The first line just dominates. They are the best line in the country and if they keep this up, they could have a record setting year.

Problems- 

All around solid game. The third and fourth line both played well even though they didn't score.

Player of the game- Johnny G

Next Up- Friday @ Lowell, Sunday vs Lowell (4 PM)

Previewing the Northeastern Huskies

We have finally arrived at a night that all Eagle fans have been awaiting for quite some time. In what is becoming an anual event on Chestnut Hill, BC will raise their 5th National Championship banner tonight before they faceoff vs Northeastern. All festivities aside, this is a big game for BC as they fell to Northeastern last week at Matthews Arena. The Huskies are currently in first place in the league with wins over BC and Merrimack. Last week, Northeastern dominated BC from start to finish and defeated Boston College, ending the Eagles' five game winning streak vs the Huntington Hounds. However, if I were the Huskies, I would be a little bit nervous about tonights prospects. First of all, when it comes to any Hockey East team (besides The Other School), BC does not lose at Kelly Rink and has not lost at home to Northeastern since the 2008 season. Just go back to the past two banner nights, BC defeated a solid Merrimack in 2011 and a very good Wisconsin team in 2009. When Conte Forum is full as it will be tonight, it is among the hardest places to play in the country (look at the stats if you don't believe me).

For BC, they have to just do what they did last night vs UMass-Amherst. That is getting the Hayes-Arnold-Straight line generating quality offensive chances and generating odd man rushes by way of quality play in their own zone. Last night, BC probably had double the number of odd man rushes than they did vs the Huskies last week. NU's got some strong forwards, they may even have the best top nine forwards in the league, but they are very young and inexpirenced at defense. If BC can use their speed and attack these young Huskie defenders, they can score at will tonight. It's a big one and you know the Eagles are really confident after last nights amazing comeback but a bigger and tougher challenge lies ahead in a tough Huskie team.

Keys for the Eagles- 

1. Same as always..need to get the second line going and putting the puck in the net. I'm sure the staff would like to see the fourth line also step up and start creating a little more offense.

2. Converting on power plays. With the crazy crowd and stakes surrounding this game, I really like BC's experienced seniors vs a Northeastern team that has yet to play a game away from Matthews Arena so look for the Huskies to take some penalties early.

3. Quality chances on Rawlings.

Best Opposing Line- Karlsson-Sapronari-Vermeersch

Numbers- 

1. BC leads the all time series 155-47-14

2. BC is 5-0-1 in it's last six games @ Kelly Rink vs NU.

3. BC has never lost in their gold uniforms which will be worn tonight.

Prediction- BC 4 NU 2

Magic Men

Pat Mullane had two goals and an assist

Here we go again I thought. It was another dull forty minutes of hockey from the Eagles, evident by the 3-0 defect facing this team going into the third period. The "overrated" chants were already booming from the UMass faithful and all appeared lost. But no, not tonight. Thanks to a third period effort that for me, is one of the best periods I have ever seen out a BC Hockey team, the Eagles were able to steal a 5-4 overtime victory in the Mullins Center on Friday night over UMass. I don't know what to say, the effort put forth by these players in the second half of this game was absolutely outstanding. After a great individual effort from Kevin Hayes led to Bill Arnold's goal a minute into the third, Hayes again made a fantastic play on the boards to get Destry Straight his first tally of the year. This was the difference for this BC team compared to last week, the second line was superb. Kevin Hayes, in my opinion, played one his better games in a BC uniform last night and Destry Straight and Bill Arnold also had very good games. After BC got it within a goal, UMass was quick to respond with a goal that i'm pretty sure Milner would like to have back. Ten minutes. That was the time between the fourth UMass goal and the end of the game. 

I don't know if UMass got tired, or what, but in those final ten minutes BC, led by the first line of Johnny G- Mullane- Whitney, completely dominated the play and were rewarded with two Mullane goals (both made possible because of great plays from Patch Alber and Johnny G). After BC had some great opportunities to end the game in the final minute, the ice at the Mullins really began to deteriorate. Because of the bad ice, an injury to one of UMass' best players, and the fact that BC was dominating, you just knew who was going to win. At first, it was UMass that generated a few chances in OT but then they learned a lesson that so many other teams have learned in the past. When you give that first line time and space, you are going to pay a hefty price. After Pat Wey made a nice pass to Mullane who fired it on net, Johnny G tipped the puck by UMass goalie Steve Mastalerz and the Eagles stunned the crowd of 7,678 at the Mullins and walked away with their first win and first roadkill of the year. 

This is what we like to call a real character win. Down 3-0 after forty minutes and then down two goals with just ten minutes left, the team could have just given up. Not last night, instead they battled to the very end and came away with two league points. I think that after two periods, the team, for the first time all year, was really "mad" about what was going on and that was the moment when they began to realize that the party from last year was over. In order to win a game like last night, you have to believe you can win and this team certainly believed that even down three goals, they could still win. All in all, a fantastic way to get the first win of the year but tonight is an even bigger game. Raising the banner will be cool but there is a game to play vs a team that we lost to a week ago. It is certainly fair to say that a win such as last nights is as big a confidence booster as you can have and hopefully we see that same kind of effort tonight. 

Why BC Won-

1. The first two lines were great. When the second line plays like that, BC is a hard team to beat. 

2. The first line took over the game in the final five minutes and OT. I'm really interested to see how many points this line accumulates this year (if they stay together). They are really playing good hockey. 

Problems-

1. The power play had some really good chances but were never able to convert. BC was given a five minute PP right off the bat in the first but were never able to get anything going. The first unit was solid but the second unit is having some struggles getting it together early in the season.

2. Starting games. Make that two games now where the opposition has been able to get some big momentum thanks to great first periods. Being at home tonight with the banner raising ceremony, I think BC will be really fired up and ready to go.

Player(s) of the game- Pat Mullane and Kevin Hayes

Next Up- Banner Night tonight vs Northeastern. 

Preview of NU coming up later. 

Until next time, 

GO EAGLES !

UMass Preview

For the first time this year, the Boston College Eagles will play two games on a weekend, the first leg coming against a UMass team that beat us twice a season ago. This year, things are a little bit different in Amherst (to say the least) as John Micheletto takes over for Don Cahoon and the Minutemen also lost their two best players from a season ago in Hobbs and Syner.This season, UMass is led up front by speedy forwards Connor Sheary, Steven Guzzo, and Braden Gracel who all had productive years last season and are off to a good start. Compared to BC, I think UMass might have a little bit less up front but on the blue line, it's advantage Minutemen. UMass returns Conor Allen, Joel Hanley, and Colin Shea from last years team. In the crease is where UMass is going to need it's best effort as goalie sophomore Kevin Boyle will most likely start in between the pipes. Last season, Boyle was 1-3 vs BC but did have a win in UMass' 4-2 victory over the Champs in November.

I don't know what to expect tomorrow...I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit worried. Here’s what we know we're probably going to get: We know that Milner will probably be pretty solid because he was real good last week vs NU besides that one mistake in the third. The other thing we're sure of is that the Johnny G line is going to bring a lot of the offense for BC. Say BC scores three goals tomorrow, I would bet a lot of money that all three came from either that line or the power play. That's what this team is lacking...Guys like Sit, Linell, Hayes, Arnold, and Straight need to start generating some offense and putting the puck in the net. On paper, BC is a better team than UMass and if the Eagles play the way they're capable of, then they will get their first league victory. If some guys sit around and watch UMass skate all over them (like the NU game) then BC will lose. It's all about the bottom six or seven forwards and the freshman defenseman getting adjusted in a short amount of time..hopefully tomorrow is the first of many good games for this team.

Keys for the Eagles-

Someone not named Johnny G, Mullane, or Whitney is going to need to have a good game tomorrow. Second line needs to start to become an offensive force.

The power play- UMass took eight penalties last week vs UConn so look for the Eagles to try to capitalize on the man advantage in order to start putting the puck in the net.

Breaking the puck out- Like I said yesterday, good breakouts lead to a smoother offensive transition more often than not.


Numbers-

BC is 52-12-3 all time vs UMass including a 22-6-1 record in Amherst

BC is 8-2 in the last ten games vs UMass including a 3-2 win in the Hockey East playoffs last March.

Eight of ten UMass sellouts (tomorrow will be one) have come versus BC.


Best Opposing Line- Sheary-Power-Pereira

Prediction- BC 2 UMass 1

Midweek Column- Getting Ready For A Big Weekend

This is a big weekend for the Eagles. I don't care that it's only the second week of the season. This team needs to win and they need to do it this weekend. Last weekends performance versus a good Northeastern team was not very good and hopefully now that they have one game under the belt, the guys will play better hockey vs a solid UMass team. Last season, playing the Minutemen in Amherst was a tough task for the Champs but with a good week of a work and some adjustments here and there, this team can have a good game on Friday. After the game on Saturday, I walked out of that rink a little bit worried about not just the young defense, but more so, the lack of offense that the team was able to produce vs a pretty young Northeastern squad (Other then the Johnny G line). Again, I think a lot of the unproductive offense and mistakes in the BC end were due to first game jitters and some of the butterflies that the players may have had with that crazy crowd. Let's take a look at what needs to improve the most-

Break the puck out better-

When you don't break the puck out properly, it is going to lead to big problems and that is exactly what happend to us on Saturday night. I can tell you first hand from watching practice this week that they have worked hard at getting better at it.

The Turnovers-

Two of the NU goals were made possible because they either outworked the Eagles or they capitalized on a lousy BC turnover. It's not just the defenseman that need to be better in their ends but it's the forwards, especially the wings, that need to do a better job of helping out their defenseman on the walls.

I have a good feeling about this weekend because I think the players know that they may not have played great last week but that was just game one. One of the side effects about playing hockey at BC compared to any other school in Hockey East, is that you're going to get everybodys best effort every single night because teams will want to beat BC that much more. It's a big weekend early in the season that will show a lot about this team but in the end, I feel that they will be ready to go.

Preview on UMass coming tomorrow.

GO EAGLES !

Huskies Thump Eagles On Opening Night

Thanks to a fantastic effort from the home team and a lousy 60 minutes of hockey from one team, the Northeastern Huskies were able to upset the #1 Boston College Eagles 3-1 Saturday night. First of all, let's give the credit where it is deserved. Northeastern came in ready and came out hot with two goals early on in the first period. BC on the other hand looked slow for most of the period until they picked it up at the end and were rewarded with a nice PP goal to go down just 1-0 after a period of play. With timely saves from Chris Rawlings and a fluke third period goal, Northeastern was able to hold off a BC team that clearly has some work to do on both ends.

Ok, I know it's the first game and NU already had one game under their belts but what I saw last night was not the #1 team in the country, rather it was a team comprised of just 3 or 4 guys that really looked solid for the whole game. I thought on the offensive end it was just one line that had every scoring chance for BC. The first line was great all night but the second and third line didn't seem to generate any offense at all and spent the majority of their shifts running around in their own zones. I don't know but if I had to guess, I would think there would be some serious lineup changes this week because obviously, the three best offensive players are all on one line. The third line battled hard but they just don't generate any scoring chances, I thought all three of them played with a great effort all night but very rarely did they have any "grade A" chances on Chris Rawings (who was outstanding).

On the defensive end, I thought the three best defenseman were Wey, Matheson, and Doherty. I thought Matheson was outstanding once again and Wey also was also very solid. Out of the other four guys, Doherty was OK, but Macleod, Sullivan, and Alber all had tough nights for the Eagles. Like I said in my preview, in order for BC to be good, they need to be able to generate offense by breaking out the puck well and getting odd man rushes. That did not happen often tonight as the defense and the forwards were caught running around in their own end on too many occasions last night. Just really frustrating.

To be honest, I thought Parker Milner was really good last night and the third goal from outside the blue line was just a bad deflection off of Wey's stick. Milner definitley kept BC in it.

It's the first game and I hate to be all mad and everything but last night was just not good hockey from the boys in maroon and gold. Hopefully, they have a good week of practice and are ready to go for a big tilt @ UMass on Friday.

Why BC Lost- 

1. NU looked faster all night. NU won a lot of those "little battles" in the corner that allowed them to generate multiple scoring chances. Kudos to them on a great effort.

2. The defense struggled  There is no explanation. Maybe it was first game jitters but the defense flat out struggled all night.

3. The depth @ forward is a problem. The first line was good, the second line was ok at times, the third line played hard but didn't get anything going, and the fourth line had a hard night. Bottom 8-9 guys need to step it up for BC.


Positives- 

1. Special Teams. Power play was very good as they scored on their only chance and the PK really did a good job of shutting down NU's potent offense.

2. Milner was solid.

Next Up- Friday @ UMass.

Previewing the Northeastern Huskies

The 2012-13 edition of the Boston College Eagles hockey team will start it's run at another National Title on Saturday night when it travels to historic Matthews Arena and pays a visit to Northeastern. The Eagles won all four games vs Northeastern last year and currently hold a 8-1-1 record vs NU over the past ten games. Unlike BC, the Huskies have already kicked off their campaign as they defeated Merrimack Wednesday night at Matthews Arena by a score of 4-2. Despite losing their best forward (Steve Quailer) and best defenseman (Anthony Bitetto) from last years team, NU returns a strong group of forwards led by senior Vinny Sapronari and sophomore Ludwig Karlsson. Northeastern also landed prized recruit Kevin Roy, who had the game winning goal vs Merrimack, over the course of the summer to boost it's forward unit. In terms of forwards, i'd say Northeastern is as deep and as talented as BC or any team in the league for that matter.

On the defensive side of the puck, Northeastern lost the previously mentioned Bitetto and Luke Eilbler (transfer) from last seasons squad. With these two gone, NU, not unlike BC, will need to break in some new freshman who will need to be on the top of their games vs a fast Eagles squad.  In their first game vs Merrimack, Northeastern was led by their big line of Karlsson, Sapronari, and senior Garrett Vermeersch as that line seemed to dominate the play when they were out there. If the Eagles are to win this game, they have to find a way to try and stop these guys. Merrimack couldn't but there is a big difference between BC and Merrimack...BC is fast and the Warriors are not. I think BC's speed will be able to surprise these guys in the early going but BC can only use that speed if they get the puck into the open ice and make plays. One area where BC has a big advantage over NU is in net. Goalie Chris Rawlings has struggled vs Boston College in the past and is also known the give up some real soft goals.

As for the Eagles, it's a new team and it's a young team. BC just has to do what they usually do best in order to win this game...Like I said, speed is always the key for BC, if guys can find some open ice and make plays, I think BC should win this game. Tomorrow, more so than maybe any other game because of Rawlings, BC just has to put the puck on net. Rawlings can be very good at times (like last seasons game @ BC) but when he is bad, he gives up a lot of bad rebounds. Just take a look at some highlights from last years BC Invitational first round game.

Look, tomorrow, is going to be a good game. That rink will be going nuts from start to finish so the Eagles are going to need to get it going early and often which can be tough in the first game.

Players to Watch- 

Kevin Roy- A real solid freshman forward for the Huskies. Can make a lot happen with the puck on his stick...need to keep an eye on him

Vinny Sapronari- Recorded 24 points last year. Had two assists in Wednesday's opener.

Ludwig Karlsson- Was first on the team a season ago with 26 points.

Best Line- Karlsson-Vermeersch-Sapronari

Keys for the Eagles- 

1. Have to get it going early and often...need a good frist period.

2. Winning the battle of the special teams. Hopefully, BC stays away from taking a couple of bad penalties and converts when given the chances on the PP.

3. Get puck to Rawlings. Always a key when facing Northeastern...any puck on net tomorrow is a good puck on net...

Numbers- 

1. BC leads the all time series vs Northeastern 155-46-14

2. BC is 47-16-5 under Coach York vs Northeastern

3. BC has won 5 in a row vs Northeastern

Prediction- BC 3 Northeastern 2

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

BC Blanks New Brunswick 6-0

Pat Brown had a goal and an assist for BC

The defending National Champions got the season started on a nice note with a commanding 6-0 win over the visiting New Brunswick Varsity Reds in an exhibition game Friday game. The Eagles had goals from Johnny G, Destry Straight, Bill Arnold, Brooks Dyroff, Pat Brown, and Danny Linell on the night, meaning all four lines had at least one point for BC. After starting out a little bit sluggish, Johnny G was able to knock in a rebound off a Steven Whitney wrist shot, about midway through the first period. After hanging on to maintain the one goal advantage after twenty minutes, the Eagles blitzed a Varsity Reds team that looked tired and worn out in the second stanza as they surrendered  four second period goals to BC. In the third, BC continued to dominate the play but missed out on some chances before Danny Linell put home a nice dish from linemate Quinn Smith to close out the scoring.

Overall, I thought the team played some pretty solid hockey tonight. After a rough first period, I thought freshman defenseman Colin Sullivan and Teddy Doherty looked stronger in both zones for BC. One guy that was a pleasant  surprise was Travis Jeke who in my opinion, was the best of the freshman defenseman (besides Matheson) as he seemed to do a really good job in his own zone all night long. Matheson on the other hand was awesome. He has that great mixture of playmaking ability and toughness in his own zone that could really prove to be crucial in helping out the team this year. I thought Wey, Alber, and Macleod were all pretty solid tonight as they all helped in holding a New Brunswick team that defeated the Portland Pirates earlier this week, to just 18 shots on goal. All in all, a pretty solid night for a defensive unit that will need to be great next week @ Northeastern.

On the offensive side of things, it was nice to see some secondary scoring from guys like Pat Brown and Brooks Dyroff. Will the fourth line be scoring two goals every game for this team on a nightly basis ? No, but this game could be a nice boost for their confidence going into next weeks regular season opener. The first two lines were both very good tonight as they created a bunch of offensive chances throughout the night for the Eagles. Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold both looked very good as they combined for three points on the night along with a power play goal for linemate, Destry Straight. Steven Whitney was the best player on the ice for the first line as those three all hooked up for the first goal of the contest. The power play wasn't bad but it will need to do better than just one goal in seven attempts as the season grows older.

All in all, the staff has got to be pretty happy with the way the team played tonight as a whole. Hopefully, it carries over to next weeks giant game @ Northeastern.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Lineup For New Brunswick

Here is the lineup for BC's first game vs New Brunswick tonight at 7 PM.

Forwards- 

Johnny G- Mullane- Whitney

Hayes- Arnold- Straight

Smith- Sit- Linell

Spiro- Brown- Dyroff *

* Brendan Silk would normally be here but he is out tonight with an injury.

Defenseman- 

Wey- Doherty

Matheson- Alber

Macleod- Sullivan

Jeke will also play.

Out
Brendan Silk
Peter McMullen (most likely but could dress).

I'll have a full recap post game tonight. No preview.

Hockey East Predictions Part Two

#1- Boston College Eagles

Top Returnees- Johnny G, Steve Whitney, Pat Mullane, and Parker Milner.

Key Losses- Chris Kreider, Brian Dumoulin, and Barry Almeida.

 Last time I checked, we return three of our five best forwards from a year ago, the best goalie in the league, and add a first round pick on defense. O yea, and Coach York is still behind the bench. Season preview coming up later this week.


#2- Lowell River Hawks

Top Returnees- Scott Wilson, David Carr, and Chad Ruwhedel

Key Losses- David Vallonari and Michael Budd.

Coming off a fantastic 2011-12 campaign,  second year coach Norm Bazin and his River Hawks will look to build off a second place finish in Hockey East a season ago and a NCAA's second round exit. Wilson, Wetmore, and Ruwhedel are all very good players that will produce so I wouldn't be surprised if the Hawks' gave the Eagles a run for their money during the regular season.


#3- New Hampshire Wildcats 

Top Returnees- Nick Sorkin, Kevin Goumas, and Casey DeSmith

Key Losses- Steve Moses and Damon Kipp.

After a horrible year last season, UNH is looking to make it back to the Garden and to the NCAA's. With a strong core of forwards and a solid defensive group, I believe we will see the Cats' back in the Garden and competing for a spot in the NCAA's. There could be some problems early on with Moses gone but they will improve as the season goes on.

#4- Providence College Friars 

Key Returnees- Tim Schaller, Ross Mauermann, and Drew Brown

Key Losses- Alex Beaudry, Danny New, and Mark Bergland

With a top recruiting class coming in this fall, Nate Lehman has his Friars primed to make a run back to the top of the Hockey East standings. If freshman Jon Gilles (goalie) and forward Mark Jankowski step up, the Friars could definitely be a team vying for home ice. However, if Gilles does not live up to his name in net , it could be another lost year in Friartown.


#5- Boston University Terriers 

Top Returnees- Matt Nieto and Wade Megan

Key Losses- Alex Chiasson, Adam Clendening, Chris Connolly, and Kieran Milan

Honestly, who knows where these guys will end up. Sure, Nieto is a great player and Megan had a hot finish last year season for the Terriers but freshman will need to step up all across the board for Jack Parker and his staff. If the freshman goalies don't get adjusted to the college game quickly, it could be another long season for these guys.

Hockey East Predictions Part 1. Teams 6-10

6. Northeastern Huskies 

Top Returnees- Vinny Saponari, Garrett Vermeersch, and Ludwig Karlsson 

Key Losses- Steve Quailer, Anthony Bitetto,  and Justin Daniels. 

 In his second year behind the bench, Northeastern coach Jim Madigan brings back a wealth of solid forwards, a group that some would argue is as deep as any team in the league. Last year, the Huskies had some great wins over teams like Michigan, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and Boston University but were not able to play well down the stretch and ended up missing the Hockey East playoffs. With 5 star recruit Kevin Roy headed to NU this season, I think he will add even more skill and talent to an already deep front twelve. However, bad goaltending and inexperienced D could and probably will cost NU a chance at home ice and the NCAA tournament. 

7. Massachusetts Minutemen 

Top Returnees- Conor Sheary, Mike Pereira, and Joel Hanley 

Key Losses- TJ Syner and Danny Hobbs 

 New coach John Micheletto will learn a lot about his team in a very short amount of time as UMass opens the season with games vs BC, BU, and UNH  in the first four weeks of the year. Losing their two best offensive players from a year ago will hurt and the goaltending is still up in the air but if guys like Carzo, Power, and Kiely can step up and score goals, UMass should be headed back to the Hockey East playoffs. I don't see them going much further than that because it's not easy to adjust to a new coach and a new system in this league. 

8. Maine Black Bears 

Top Returnees- Joey Diamond, Kyle Beattie, and Adam Shemansky. 

Key Losses- Spencer Abbott, Matt Flynn, Will O'Neil, and Matt Mangene. 

After making it back to the NCAA's a season ago, things are looking bleak this season up in Orono after the Black Bears lost four of their top five scorers (two being defenseman). Joey Diamond was a scoring machine last year but I don't think he will be able to carry this team alone without the help of Abbott and Flynn, both of whom graduated last spring. On defense, Nick Pryor and Mark Nemec will lead an experienced group but up front, freshman Will Merchant and Devin Shore are going to need to step up and score goals immediately in order for this team to have any success.

9. Merrimack College Warriors 

Top Returnees- Mike Collins, Jordan Heywood, and Kyle Bigos 

Key Losses- Ryan Flanigan, Joe Cannata, and Jesse Todd 

No team loses three of their top four scorers, a Hobey Baker type goalie, and doesn't go through a rough patch (unless of course you're BC). The Warriors will struggle to put pucks in the net this season as no one emerges as a "go to guy" that can score on a consistant basis for this team. An experienced defense could help fill the hole left void by Joe Cannata in net but I don't expect the scoring and goaltending to be good enough for the Warriors to make it back to the playoffs. 

10. Vermont Catamounts 

Top Returnees- Connor Brickley, Kyle Reynolds, and Nick Bruneteau. 

Key Losses- Sebastian Stalberg, Drew MacKenzie, and Rob Madore. 

Last season was a terrible one to say the least for Kevin Sneddon and his staff. Things were looking a little bit better this season with a strong recruiting class coming in but once Zemgus Girgensons decided against going to UVM, things once again look grim in Catamount Country. If the freshman can step up and guys like Reynolds and Brickley put together stellar seasons, I could see this team making the playoffs but I wouldn't count on it. 

Stay tuned for part two tomorrow night. 

Hitting the Links- 

For a record setting fifth time, Boston College was picked first in the USCHO preseason poll. 

Here is a NEHJ article on Ryan Fitzgerald (13 recruit) 

Until next time, 

GO EAGLES !

Ryan Fitzgerald Captures MVP At All American Prospect Game

2013 recruit Ryan Fitzgerald captured the Most Valuable Player award last night in the All American Prospects game in Buffalo, NY. Fitzgerald recorded three assist for team McClanahan, who won the game 5-2 over team Housley. Adding to his three assist, Fitzgerald also had a solid night at the faceoff dot, winning 10 of the 14 draws he was apart of. This season, Fitzgerald will play for the Valley Jr Warriors of the EJHL. He is a senior at Malden Catholic and will come to Boston College next fall.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Frank Vatrano Out at BC

Multiple websites have confirmed our report that BC freshman forward Frank Vatrano would in fact be withdrawing from the school. While I have no details to reveal, Coach York was asked about the situation today by The Heights sports writer Greg Joyce and he replied " Vatrano has withdrawn from the university, per policy at BC, we're not allowed to discuss". Obviously, this is a tough situation for all partires involved but in the end, it is my hope that Vatrano gets everything straightened out and is back on the ice again whether it be in college hockey or some other league.

Anyway, with Vatrano gone, let's take a look at what the lineup is shaking up to be like.

Johnny G- Mullane- Whitney

Hayes- Arnold- Straight

Smith- Sit-Linell

Spiro- Brown- Silk

Here were the power play units-

First Unit- 

Johnny G- Mullane- Linell

Whitney-Matheson

Second Unit-

Hayes- Arnold-Straight

Wey- Doherty/Jeke

Yes, Vatrano leaves a little bit of a hole up front but the first two lines will be fine even if the staff decides to drop Steven Whitney down to the second line and move Linell up to first line and drop Straight with Smith and Sit. It's confusing but it's really not that different of a lineup, I kind if like the Smith-Sit-Linell combination because of the speed and the ability that all three guys have in their own end. If there are anymore changes in the next few days, I will be sure to update you as soon as I can.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Frank Vatrano

I was surprised not to see freshman Frank Vatrano today at practice. I was told it was not an injury related issue. I am not going to speculate on rumors but I can tell you that my sense is there is more to this story. Stay tuned, I will be working on this story tomorrow after school.

Until tomorrow,

GO EAGLES !

Catching Up

We are just under two weeks until hockey season and there is some news to report about the Eagles. First of all, Destry Straight missed practice today because of an injury but he should be good to go for the start of the season. As I watch more and more practices, I can see that some guys have really improved their games since last season. Two guys that I think are skating pretty well right now are forwards Danny Linell and Mike Sit. Both guys are going to need to play at a high level for this team this upcoming year and I believe they are both very close to turning it up to that next level. With their speed, both guys have the ability to create some space and make plays so hopefully we see that out of them as the season goes on. Johnny G, Pat Mullane, Steve Whitney, and Bill Arnold have all been skating at that high level they have been at ever since they came to BC so I wouldn't be too worried about them in the early going. In terms of the freshman forwards, I believe that Brendan Silk and Frank Vatrano both still hold spots in the opening night lineup but we will see if anything changes between now and next Friday when New Brunswick comes to town.

On the defensive end, I am becoming more and more confident about this group. I don't make these predictions very often but I have to say, I think Mike Matheson will be the best defenseman in the league by the end of this year. This kid can do it all, he can skate, he can defend (although this needs the most work), he can make plays, and he can fire the puck. Very similar to some Dumoulin guy I remember from a year ago. While some people will have BC's defense as the teams biggest question mark, I wouldn't be surprised to see this unit develop into a very solid one by the end of October.

To be honest, I like this squad. I love the fact that we have four of the top seven forwards returning from last years team and have some great leaders like Mullane and Wey to help with the younger guys. This team isn't as deep as last years or the 2011 squad, but it has seven or eight guys that will be able to play night in and night out and make a big impact. The one big lineup question as of now is who will start at right wing on the first line, once that is decided on by the staff, things will be all set. October 6th can't come soon enough.

BC was selected as the #1 team in the USA Today preseason poll. 

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Boston College Picked First by Hockey East Media

The Hockey East media came out with their preseason poll and all league team tonight. Here were the predictions.

1. Boston College

2. Lowell

3. Boston University

4. New Hampshire

5. Providence

6. Maine

7. Merrimack

8. Northeastern

9. UMass

10. Vermont

All League Team- 

F- Johnny G

F- Joey Diamond (Maine)

F- Matt Nieto (BU)

D- Chad Ruwhedel (UML)

D- Garrett Noonan (BU)

G- Parker Milner

Coach Brown Elevated to Associate Head Coach

Coach York announced today that assistant coach Greg Brown would be elevated to Associate Head Coach along with current Associate Head Coach, Mike Cavanaugh. This is certainly a well deserved title for a coach that has played a big role in the program's success over the past eight seasons.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

A Couple of Preseason Thoughts

I have been able to watch a couple of practices and at this point, the opening night lineup is becoming more and more clear. Destry Straight practiced for the first time today after suffering from back spasms last week. Interestingly, Straight was not put at left wing where he was a season ago. Right now, the staff has Straight lined up at center with freshman Brendan Silk and Frank Vatrano. While he may not be at 100 % right now, I think Straight will be all set to go for the season opener vs New Brunswick in two and a half weeks. I have a couple of observations from the first couple of practices...

1. The Johnny G - Mullane- Linell line is going to be a force in Hockey East this season. Even in practice, you could see that these three were really coming together as a line. It may take a few games for Linell to get used to playing with these guys but when he does, this could be one of the best lines in the league.

2. Forward Brendan Silk appears to have an edge in cracking the starting lineup. In the past few practices, he has been skating at right wing with Destry Straight and Frank Vatrano. This was a little bit of a surprise as I didn't think Silk would earn a top 9 spot but he looks good so far in practice. Hopefully he keeps it up.

3. The defense is not as big a problem as people say it will be. Yes, I see why people will say "BC will be weak on  D" but as it appears to me, this team could have six pretty solid defenseman for the season. I think the starting three with Wey, Matheson, and Alber are among the  top three in the league. Trust me, Matheson will win Rookie of the Year (unless of course the league screws another BC guy). Macleod and Doherty will be fine and I honestly think Travis Jeke has looked pretty solid so far. I am definitely not as worried as I was going into the first practices.

4. This team has a really good nucleus of experienced/skilled players. Skill is something that every team wants and most in Hockey East have. But combine skill and experience and you have one heck of a hockey team. This Eagle squad has some really skilled guys like Mullane, Whitney , and Wey that will help the freshman progress as the season grows older.

Here were the lines- 

Johnny G- Mullane- Linell

Hayes- Arnold- Whitney

Vatrano- Straight- Silk

Spiro- Brown/Sit- Smith

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

Full Lineup Preview

Most of you probably don't remember the lineup predictions I posted about a month ago (I myself don't remember them) so It thought it would be good to once again look at some line combinations we could see on October 6th vs New Brunswick. Here we go.

Johnny G- Pat Mullane- Danny Linell 

A real power line. Johnny G is the favorite to be Hockey East preseason player of the year and could very well be a Honey Baker candidate come years end. Mix that in with Pat Mullane who has had a solid three years during his career at BC and Danny Linell, someone who will need to step up but has the potential to be a first line guy. The one concern I would have is Linell on the wing but playing with guys like Johnny G and Mullane will certainly boost his numbers and production.


Destry Straight - Bill Arnold- Steven Whitney 

Another line the has the chance to really do some damage on the offensive end for the Eagles. I think Straight will need to adjust a little bit from last season because Chris Kreider isn't coming out of the tunnel this season and he clearly had an impact on Straight's game. Bill Arnold will continue to be the best faceoff man and defensive forward on the team while Whitney will continue to use his heavy offensive arsenal this season. I wouldn't be surprised if he leads the team in goals. This could be a fantastic combination.


Quinn Smith- Kevin Hayes- Frank Vatrano 

This line carries two players in Vatrano and Hayes that have very similar playing styles. Both are not particularly fast but have great strength and NHL caliber shots. Just by watching Vatrano for 45 minutes today, I could see that his physical strength is very evident on the ice. The reason I like Smith on this line over Destry Straight is because Quinn adds that speed dimension that Hayes and Vatrano kind of lack. I don't expect Quinn Smith and Frank Vatrano to light it up all year long but to be honest, I really look for Kevin Hayes to be a top three scorer on this team. If he can do that, this line will be real solid.

Cam Spiro- Mike Sit- Patrick Brown 

I think Brown and Sit are pretty set in stone to play this season but the left wing on this line is a big question mark. I've always thought that if one were needed at any point last season, Cam Spiro would have been the guy to go in. Hopefully, he gets his shot this year. No, this line is not going to score every game or all that often to be honest but it will comprise of guys that work hard in both ends night in and night out. Peter McMullen will also compete for a spot on this line.

Defense-

Patrick Wey- Teddy Doherty- Keep the veteran with a new, inexperienced freshman.

Patch Alber- Mike Matheson- The best defensive defenseman (Alber) with the highly skilled Matheson.

Isaac Macleod- Travis Jeke- There will be a battle between Jeke and Sullivan for this 6th and final spot. Sullivan, who is injured (but not badly), may be the odd man out.

Power Play Unit One 

Forwards- Johnny G, Mullane, Linell

Defenseman- Whitney and Matheson


Power Play Unit Two 

Forwards- Straight, Hayes, Arnold

Defenseman- Wey and Alber (Don't know about this last defenseman spot. I could see a guy like Vatrano up there)


Goalie- Milner will start with Billett being the backup.

The Saga Continues

First it was Andrew Glass getting thrown out of school, then the Saponaris, then Charlie Coyle, then Corey Trivino, followed by Max Nicastro and finally this. Boston University hockey continues it's gigantic fall from the championship heights  it achieved just a couple of seasons ago. No, this is not Vermont we are talking about here, we are talking about one of the best programs in this sports history, and one of the great coaches in this sport, going somewhere no one could have ever have imagined. Let's get one thing perfectly clear...no one dislikes BU hockey more than I do and I don't feel sympathetic for that team or that coach very often but come on. Is it really fair for a paper like the Boston Globe to call for Parker's resignation ? Some would say yes but this is not a Joe Paterno type issue here. First of all, the Globe won't even name it's sources in the BU story which landed on their front cover just this week. As a college hockey fan AND as a Boston College hockey fan,  I don't like seeing a legend of our sport getting hammered in the news like this. Do I like Parker ? No, I don't, but do I respect what he has done for college hockey ? Of course. With regards to the party and all of that madness, I don't blame Parker for the actual event because it was just typical BU stupidity out of those players. Did Jack Parker actually know that the party took place and openly lie about it ? I highly doubt it. I don't know Parker but if there is one thing Jack Parker is, it is that he is an honest man who I don't think would tell a lie like that at this point in his career.

Now, would this happen to a Jerry York run program ? Absolutely not. Say what you want about how this can happen anywhere and all that but let's be honest, the kids that come to Boston College to play hockey are not just great players but honest and responsible individuals. I am not saying that the type of players that Parker recruits are not good people but I am saying that he may need to factor in the responsibility part in looking at a future player. Come on Eagle fans ? What would a BC BU rivalry be like without Jack Parker ?

The Eagles will hit the ice for their first (I believe) practice tomorrow. I will have a report on who I think looks good and some of the line combos that will be out there so stay tuned.

Conte Forum Getting Air Conditioning

Finally. Whether it was vs archrival Boston University in 2006, North Dakota in 2007,  or even at times this season in the game vs Denver, the ice conditions at Conte Forum have had an effect on the outcome of a game. However, tonight it was announced that Boston College will input air conditioning in Conte during the summer of 2013. This will undoubtedly improve the ice conditions during hockey season, especially during the early months of the season when hockey gets underway. Yes, there are still some things that must be done to improve the conditions at Conte but none was bigger than what was announced today. Obviously, the games vs North Dakota and BU were not just disappointing as fans but also embarrassing that an event like that would happen at a school like this. Thankfully, the athletic department has stepped up and decided to input this solution that will help the ice conditions and the hockey program for a long time.

Players have arrived on campus and team meetings are underway as we are a month away from puck drop vs New Brunswick.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

Taking a Tour of the 2012-13 Hockey East season

As the students arrive back at school, it is time to start the season previews here on the blog. I'll start with some quick, simple predictions for the season and will take BC out of the equations until the end where I make predictions for the postseason.

Best Opponent- Lowell. About 99 out of 100 times, the answer for this question would be a team other than Lowell  but this year the Riverhawks return most of their star power up front and on defense. With reigning Hockey East Rookie of the Year (I know it's laughable) Scott Wilson and captain Riley Wetmore both returning for the Hawks along with star defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, the Riverhawks are primed to make a run for a Hockey East title and a second consecutive NCAA appearance.

Best Player- Joey Diamond (Maine). Diamond is the lone returning piece of Maine's "big three" from a season ago but can no doubt be as dominant as Spencer Abbott and Brian Flynn evident by his team leading 25 goals from a season ago. Yes, many question whether Diamond can get it done without Flynn and Abbott but if some guys can step up around him, he should be a contender for Hockey East player of the year.

Best Returning Defenseman- Chad Ruhwedel (Lowell). With Tommy Cross, Brian Dumoulin, and Adam Clendening all gone from last season, Chad Ruhwedel is primed to become the top defenseman in Hockey East. Last season, Ruhwedel recorded a team high (for defenseman) 25 points and was also an anchor on defense for the Hawks. Look for Ruhwedel to have a big year for Norm Bazin's team.

Most Improved Team- Providence. With new coach Nate Lehman at the helm, the Friars hockey program seems to be back on the upswing as they bring in a top notch recruiting class this season along with returning some key players like Schaller and Brown. I look for the Friars to be competing for home ice, if not a regular season title, this season.

Team That Will Drop the Most- Boston University. Before last season the Terriers were predicted by some to be the best team in college hockey..well, look where they ended up. This year, BU loses a ton of star power in Chiasson, Clendening, and Connolly along with having to replace goalie Kieran Milan. While they have two good forwards in Megan and Nieto returning, they will need a lot of freshman to step up and be stars..doesn't work too often in this league.

Team that will be a tough out this year- Northeastern. Yes, the Huskies do lose a lot of good forwards and defenseman but they also return a good nucleus of players along with a solid recruiting class headed by Kevin Roy. The Eagles have to play two games at Matthews this season (including the season opener) and that is never an easy W.

Team that will struggle the most this season- Vermont. You have to feel for Kevin Sneddon and his staff. First, Sebastian Stalberg bolts Burlington, then highly touted recruit Zemgus Girgensons, and finally senior Matt Marshall bolts to Northeastern. Also, Sneddon lost his whole staff. Not shaping up to be a good year up in Burlington.

Team that Will Hold the Lamorilleo Trophy when it's all said and done- People will try to tell you why they won't win it and crap like that but let's face it...BC owns this league.

Hockey East teams that will make the NCAA's- BC, Lowell, and UNH.

Reports-Another Terrier on the Way Out

Photo by Matt Dresens 

BU Senior forward Justin Courtnall is leaving school according to reports. Courtnall, one of the biggest goons in Hockey East, will sign an entry level agrement with the Boston Bruins. With Courtnall on the way out, the Terriers have now lost seven players from last seasons team, including starting forwards Alex Chiasson, Chirs Connolly, and Courtnall.

BC Hockey-The Essentials

As some of you may have noticed, I made a few changes on the blog over the past week but you can be sure to see more as we get closer to the start of the season. Don't be afraid to email me on any comments or concerns you have over the new look..I appreciate all the advice. As for tonight, I saw a blog post from one of my favorite Hockey East blogs, Fear The Triangle last week on the essentials of the UMass hockey program and did a little more research on some other essentials from other teams such as the Bruins. So let's take a look at the "essentials" of the Boston College Hockey program.

Player: Brian Gionta 

Never before has there been a more talented nor skilled forward in the history of Hockey East than former Eagle Brian Gionta. In his four years at BC, he never had less than 54 points (that includes 62 in his freshman year) and also was the leading scorer in the nation during his senior season. I think it is pretty save to say that no one will ever again step foot on that ice with the speed, skill, and raw talent that one Brian Gionta had. 

Team: 2000-2001 

After numerous years of heartbreak in the Frozen Four to teams like Maine, Michigan, and North Dakota, the 2001 Eagles were finally able to break down the barriers that kept this program from winning a second National Championship. Led by Gionta, Krys Kolanos, Chuck Kobasew, and goalie Scott Clemmensen, the Eagles were able to win the Beanpot, Hockey East championship, and National Championship all in one season for the first time ever (but certainly not the last). While there have been some great teams as of late, no BC team has yet (and may never)  match up to the 2001 squad. 

Goal: 2001 National Championship OT Winner 

Chris Kolanos' goal in the 2001 National Championship game to give BC it's first championship in  52 years will go down as the greatest moment in BC athletics history (Sorry football fans). I mean you never know..what would have happend if the Sioux had won that game ? Would BC Hockey be where it is right now ? I am not going to say no but in reality, if that puck does not go in, we may not be here saying the Eagles have won 3 National Championships in the past 5 years. 

Game: BC 5 BU 0- 2006 NCAA Regionals 

I know, the 2001 National Championship game (and other championships) is #1 but I want to go with something totally unrelated to the 2001 team because everything I have so far circles around that club. There are certainly a bunch of games to choose from but in my opinion, none come close to this one. I mean come on, beating Jack Parker and his Terriers in the NCAA's by 5 GOALS ??? Does it get any better than that ? One word-No. 

Coach: Jerry York 

Ya, this was a real tough one...real tough. Not so much. Snooks and Lenny Ceglarski were both outstanding coaches and coached some great teams here at BC but neither had nearly the success that Coach York has had. Four National Championships, 6 Beanpots, 9 Hockey East titles, and the list goes on and on. Not a lot of coaches can come to a school and take them from the bottom of the league and bring them to the Frozen Four in a matter of four years.. Coach York did and for that, he will remembered not just as the best coach in BC Hockey history, but in the history of college hockey. 

Program Nemesis: Jack Parker 

For so long, Jack Parker and BU dominated BC in every big game and made BC basically irrelevant in Hockey East. His BU teams have always been BC's biggest obstacle in obtaining glory whether it be in the Beanpot, Hockey East tournament or the NCAA's. In the late 80's and all throughout the 90's BU dominated the Eagles but soon some guy named York came to the rescue. And every since he came back to The Heights, the Eagles have been able to turn the tide in this heated rivalry back towards the good end of Comm Ave. 

Most Feared Opposing Player: Peter MacArthur (BU)

When I talk about an opposing player that I most feared, none will ever top Peter MacArthur. Every time this guy stepped on the ice, he seemed to score a goal or at least generated an opportunity for the Terriers against the Eagles. None will top the winning goal in the 06 Beanpot but who cares, we still won the NCAA game. 

Conte Forum Tradition- Alma Mater

I don't think there is any other team in Hockey East that stays on the ice post game whether it's a win or a loss to listin to the schools Alma Mater. I've always thought the whole thing was pretty cool and it makes Conte a little bit unique when compared to opposing arenas. Hopefully, the crowds at hockey games can get even better as the years go on and the team does better. 

Until next time, 

GO EAGLES !

Joey Dudek Commits to Boston College

Tonight, it was announced that Kimball Union forward Joe Dudek would commit to Boston College for the 2014 or 15 season. Dudek, who will transfer to KUA this year, spent last season at the Pinkerton School (NH) and recorded a team high 21 goals and 34 assist. Dudek is slated to be a 2014 recruit but could always decided to play a year in the USHL or something like that.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Previewing the Incoming Forwards and Hitting the Links

Last night I wrote some comments on what to expect for each incoming freshman defenseman. Today, I will do the forwards that we will see on campus this fall. Unlike on defense, the Eagles still have some major artillery up front with the likes of Johnny G, Pat Mullane, Steve Whitney, and Bill Arnold all returning from a fantastic championship season. Even though BC loses Kreider, Carey, and Alemdia, the team is still pretty deep up front considering that five freshman started in the National Championship game last season and all played a major role in the teams success. Like last season, the Eagles are going to need guys to step up and put their feet in bigger shoes to help the team win hockey games. Let's take a look at the incoming forwards.

Frank Vatrano- Many consider the 5'10 forward out of Springfield, MA to be the best forward in this class. Vatrano recorded thirty five points for the US National Development program team last season including an assist in the teams 3-3 tie at Boston University. Vatrano played first line left wing for the team most of last year and is noted for having an NHL type shot and is also tough to knock off the puck. This season, Vatrano will need to get a little bit faster to get accustomed to the guys that he will be playing with/against in Hockey East. If he can do that, he will easily be a top three line guy for the Eagles.

Peter McMullen- The 6'2 forward who played last season for the Vernon Vipers recorded just three goals and four assist last season for the Vipers. McMullen played wing at the start of his high school hockey career for the Delbarton School (NJ) but became a center last year for the Vipers. The problem last year with McMullen is that he only played 22 games for the Vipers (Due to injury I think). While at Delbarton two seasons ago, McMullen recorded a team high forty six points including the game winning OT goal to give his school the state championship. Like Vatrano, McMullen does not have a ton of speed but he can use his body to fight off defenders and can use his big shot to put the puck in the net. I am not sure if I think McMullen will start on opening night or not for the Eagles. I could see him going back to right wing and playing with Mike Sit and maybe a Pat Brown on the fourth line but we will see once hockey starts.

Brendan Silk- The 6'2 forward out of Wakefield, MA is coming off a year for the USNDT in which he played first line right wing (along with Vatrano). Silk didn't have a boatload of points last year but he did have a goal in the teams loss to Maine in November among other ones. Like Peter McMullen, I am not sure if Silk will start when the year kicks off. He, McMullen, or even both guys could be a part of the fourth line next year if they continue to improve their skating and get adjusted to the college game but only time will tell if they do indeed start for the Eagles.

Hitting the Links-

Merrimack and Vermont appear to be losing recruits.

BC is the only team not to have "officially" released their Hockey East schedule even though the league released the composite schedule a few weeks ago.

I don't have much on the AD search. In fact, I don't have anything at all..for that, turn to BC Interruption 

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Preview Season...The Incoming Freshman Defenseman

With hockey season knocking on the door, it is time that we start our preview season here on the blog. I will begin my Hockey East previews sometime next week but for now, I thought it would be good to look at the incoming freshman. Next years freshman class will not be your prototypical BC freshman class as some guys will be expected to fill some big shoes in a very short amount of time..something that is never easy for freshman playing at a school like BC (Unless your Johnny G or Gionta). The biggest holes that will need to be filled will be on defense as the team loses Brian Dumoulin, Tommy Cross, and Edwin Shea. Now, I don't think it's fair to expect a guy like Mike Matheson to come in here and be the next Brian Dumoulin or Peter Harrold because thats a real high bar. However, I do think that it is fair to expect guys will come in and become adjusted to the speed of the college game as the season goes on. Let's take a look at the incoming defenseman.

Mike Matheson- The 6'1 defenseman out of Point-Clare, Quebec, is one of the more highly touted defensive recruits in recent memory as he was drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers. While playing for the Dubuque Fighting Saints last season, Matheson recorded eleven goals and 16 assist for the Saints which was tops for defenseman on the team. Matheson's strengths are that he is a highly skilled "offensive" defenseman with great speed and nifty puck moving ability in the offensive zone. I think Matheson could really help out on the power play with offensive skill and smart play making. One aspect of his game that must improve this season is his play in his own end. With a small frame at 6'1, Matheson must get stronger as the year goes on to get ready for the big, powerful, forwards that he will face this season.

Colin Sullivan- A former Yale commit, Sullivan is a 6'2 defenseman out of Milford, CT. Last season, Sullivan recorded 17 points for the Avon Old Farms school and was also named to the NESPAC all league team by his fellow coaches. Like Matheson, Sullivan is a strong skater with good balance and is also is good physical condtion according to reports. When he gets to The Heights and starts his career here at BC, he must get quickly adjusted to the speed of the forwards that he will face. It takes a while for every freshman to get adjusted to the speed of the college game but if Sullivan can do it quickly, he could be a good player during his time at BC.

Teddy Doherty- A 5'11 defenseman out of the Dubuque Saints and hockey power Shattuck St Marys (MN), Doherty is another guy that will probably start on opening night for the Eagles. Doherty recorded  16 points last season for the Fighting Saints but had nine of those points on the power play. I think that it will take Doherty a little bit longer to adjust to the college game but with more playing time and some coaching, he could turn out to be a solid defenseman. At 5'11, he is a little undersized so I would expect that he needs some polishing in his own end.

Travis Jeke- A 6'4 defenseman out of the Northwood School (NY), Jeke is a towering walk-on defenseman that may not start at the beginning of the season for the Eagles, but has a chance to crack the lineup as the year goes on. Jeke recorded 27 points (including 16 goals) for the Detroit Little Caesars two season before attending the Northwood School where he had 31 points for the Huskies. If he can improve in a few areas as the season goes on, I think he could play a few games for the Eagles this season.

I'll post the forwards later tonight.

DeFilippo Out As Athletic Director

As you probably all know by now, Gene DeFilippo has stepped down as director of athletics at Boston College. DeFilippo was the head of athletics for 15 years at The Heights and whether you want to believe it or not, he led BC to it's greatest achievements in school history. When we look back at DeFilippo's career, we certainly cannot forget all of the accomplishments that the school had under his leadership. In his 15 years, he oversaw an athletic department that has gone to places unheard of before his arrival and was the key man in making one of the biggest decisions in school history when BC made the move to the ACC. Under GDF's lead, BC was able to upgrade it's athletic facilites, become more competitive in each and every sport, and have had one of the highest graduation rankings in the country. Let's be honest, being an AD at a major sports school like BC is not easy, I mean this isn't BU where you have one sport that people care about. Here at BC, you have a bunch of teams that have very high expectations from the students, fans, alumni, facility etc to succeed year in and year out. A key stat that we must look at when we look at DeFilippo's tenure is that BC is one of just three BCS schools that have neve committed a major NCAA violation. That's pretty good.

On the other hand however, there are some aspects of the DeFilippo era that people were not satisfied about. The firings of Jeff Jagodzinski and Al Skinner did not go well with most of the BC community as both were very successful coaches while at BC and most would say their firings were unjustified. Another problem as of late is that most teams were just not performing up to BC's standards. Football was  a joke last season and basketball is losing to teams like UMass and BU. Unfortunately, the blame  for the bad performances is put on DeFilippo and he eventually paid the price with his job.

When it's all said and done, Gene DeFilippo should be thanked by the Boston College community for his hard work and dedication over these past 15 years. Was everything that GDF did endorsed by the BC community ? No, but we most thank him for all the good he did and the dedication he had to making Boston College a place for unique and talented individuals.

Until next time,

GO EAGLES !

Eagles to Participate in Pittsburgh College Hockey Classic in 2013

With the season fast approaching, now is not the time to be talking about something that will happen over a year and a half from now but BC will participate in the second annual (first will be this year) Pittsburgh College Hockey Classic. The other three teams in the tournament will be Penn State, Bowling Green, and Robert Morris. The games will be played the CONSOL Energy Center (Home of the Penguins).

Until next time,

GO EAGLES

More Lineup Scenarios

A couple of days ago, I posted some line combinations that we could see this upcoming season. Since then, I think I have developed a couple of more combos that we could see on opening night.

Johnny G- Pat Mullane-Steven Whitney. If this line were created, it could very easily be up there with the Whitney-Gibby-Atkinson line in terms of best line in the past couple of years. I mean, you have one of the most talented players we have seen in recent memory in Johnny G, a really solid centerman in Pat Mullane and a player like Steve Whitney who has performed at a high level in each of his three years at BC. I wouldn't count on this line being created however because there wouldn't be as much depth at the forward postion as opposed to if these guys were spread out. If it wasn't a 5 on 5 line, I would definitely think that all three guys would be on the first PP unit (Whitney on D though like he always is)

Destry Straight-Bill Arnold-Danny Linell. To be honest, I kind of like this line for a couple of reasons. First of all, Destry Straight and Danny Linell are going to be key to the teams success this season. If they can perform like they did in the second half of last season, I think this would be a great line. Billy Arnold is probably the best defensive forward on the squad this year but he can also be very productive in the offensive end. I actually wouldn't be surprised if we saw this combination sometime this season.

Quinn Smith-Kevin Hayes-Frank Vatrano. We could switch Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold because the staff may like the idea of keeping Hayes with Straight because they had success playing on the same line with Chris Kreider last year. The reason I like Smith here is because he is a little quicker than Straight and would add some speed to this line. Like I said in an earlier post, Kevin Hayes is the key player on the team this season. If he can get a little bit quicker and can put the puck in the net like he did at the end of last year, he could be primed for a big year.

Cam Spiro-Mike Sit-Pat Brown. Same as last time except I have Cam Spiro in for Brooks Dyroff. I kind of blanked on Spiro last time but after thinking about it, I think he would be a little bit better of a fit than Dyroff. Mike Sit was pretty solid last season as he became an everyday guy about a quater of the way into the campaign so hopefully he picks up where he left off. As for Pat Brown, I hope he gets his chance to play everyday this season. It must have stunk for him to see three freshman take over his spot on the fourth line last season so hopefully he had a good offseason and becomes a night in and night out guy for the Eagles.

Defense- (Minimal changes)

Wey-Matheson

Alber-Sullivan

Dorethy-Macleod

Goalie- Who do you think ?

Kerfoot Commits to Harvard

In what was a long awaited decision, forward Alex Kerfoot has committed to Harvard University over BC and Yale. Kerfoot will arrive in Cambridge in the fall of 2013.

Some lineup scenarios

With news coming out today that forward Evan Richardson would be held back a year and come to BC in 2013, I thought it would be a good idea to once again take a look at a couple of possibilities for next years opening night lineup. Let's start with the forwards-

Johnny G- Pat Mullane- Danny Linell. I really like this first line combination as I think that Johnny G and Pat Mullane could be two of the top scorers in the league next year. Both were absolutely outstanding in the second half of last year so hopefully we see those two light it up again. As for who will replace Paul Carey's spot at right wing, I think Danny Linell would be a good fit. He is quick, a real solid defensive forward, and could see his point production go way up while playing with these two.

Quinn Smith-Bill Arnold- Steve Whitney. Like Mullane and Johnny G, both Billy Arnold and Steve Whitney had phenomenal seasons last year. I would think that the staff would keep Arnold and Whitney together because of the chemistry they developed playing alongside Barry Almeida last season. I couldn't really decide on who to put at left wing but I choose Quinn Smith because like Linell, he is a solid defensive forward and has some real speed that could benefit his linemates.

Destry Straight-Kevin Hayes-Frank Vatrano. The more I think about it, this third line is going to be essential to the club next season. Look at last year, when the third line (Straight-Hayes-Kreider) was playing well, BC was impossible to beat. The problem however is that #19 is not coming through the tunnel this season, which means that all three of these guys need to be playing good hockey. You know  Johnny G, Mullane, Whitney, and Arnold are going to show up on a nightly basis but if these guys can be a solid line, BC could be really tough to beat next year.

Brooks Dyroff- Mike Sit- Pat Brown.  I originally had Evan Richardson in place of Dyroff but now that he is not coming next year, Dyroff gets plugged in. Honestly, I could be 100 % wrong on this line. Maybe Pat Brown will play center and Mike Sit will go to wing (where he played a little last year). Who knows... maybe Dyroff will not play at all and Peter McMullen or Brendan Silk takes the spot.

Defense- 

Pat Wey- Isaac Macleod

Mike Matheson- Patch Alber

Colin Sullivan- Teddy Doherty

Goalie- Parker Milner

I'll try to post some other scenarios as we get closer to the season.

Richardson Staying Back a Year

Powell River Kings forward Evan Richardson will not attend BC next year and will stay back one year. Instead of next fall, Richardson will come to The Heights in 2013.

Kevin Roy Commits to Northeastern

As expected, Kevin Roy and his brother Derrick have committed to Northeastern for this upcoming fall. More to follow tonight.