Recruiting Update

Future Eagles Colin White, Noah Hanifin, and Casey Fitzgerald are all in Nova Scotia for the Under 17 World Challenge. The United States pounced Germany this afternoon by a score of 14-1 (hello) and defeated Russia by a 5-1 count last night.

Here is how the future BC guys have performed

Colin White- 

One goal vs Russia, two goals vs Germany.


Noah Hanifin- 

One goal and one assist vs Russia, two assist vs Germany.


Casey Fitzgerald- 

Zero points vs Russia, one assist vs Germany.


Keep an eye on forward Luke Kirwan from the U17 team. He recorded two goals and four assist vs Germany and one assist vs Russia. The Dewitt, New York native has not committed anywhere yet but he is the #3 overall uncommitted prospect according to the Over the Boards recruiting data base.

Go Eagles.

Trophy #1

Photo from Dave Arnold. Look at Cango's smile.

Last night, it was the big three that led BC to the Three Rivers Classic final as each recorded multiple points. If you were to tell me BC was going to score eight goals vs a Penn State team I was somewhat impressed with last night, I would have bet you six of those goals would have come from either Johnny G, Kevin Hayes, or Billy Arnold. Not the case. Destry Straight recorded the first hatrick in the history of Three Rivers Classic, Ryan Fitzgerald recorded his freshmen leading seventh goal of the season, and the defensive pairing of Isaac Macleod and Danny Linell made sure every BC defenseman recorded at least one point the weekend. Yea, it was a scoring frenzy.

Although the final forty two minutes were pretty much domination, the opening eighteen was the type of hockey we saw vs Holy Cross and at times vs UNH. Actually, Penn State was dominating the play in the early going and were rewarded with a goal just five minutes into the game. The tally was a result of a brutal turnover in the defensive end. To be honest, it should have been a two or three goal lead for the Nittany Lions at the ten minute mark of the first period. They were all over BC, especially the first line which was out there for the opening goal. The Eagles  did what they do best at the end of the period, they scored in bunches. Shockingly, BC was rewarded a power play with just under three minutes to play in the period. It was Ryan Fitzgerald who gave BC their first power play goal since November 14th when Kevin Hayes had one @ UMass. Just 33 seconds after Fitzgerald's tally, Hayes slammed home a nifty pass from classmate Billy Arnold. 

The second period was BC's best of the weekend. It didn't seem like the puck ever entered the BC zone unless it was an ice or a dump in. BC had to kill of a lousy Travis Jeke cross checking call early in the stanza but thanks to some timely saves from Brian Billett, they were able to do it. Statistically, the penalty kill continued to be tremendous as PSU was 0 for 3 on the night but they generated way too many "grade A" chances. I didn't think BC was as aggressive as they were last night or vs UNH on the penalty kill. Straight recorded two of his goals in the second, both of which were assisted by Fitzgerald (Macleod added a nice assist on the second Straight goal). The fifth BC goal should be investigated for criminal activity. G just absolutely embarrassed Penn State's goaltender on a breakaway thanks to a nice outlet pass from Kevin Hayes. 

The third period was garbage time but it was great to see Mike Sit record his fifth goal of the season. Don't look now but he has scored five goals this season after zero in his first two years at the Heights. Now that he has proven he can put the puck in the net and continue his solid play in the defensive end, I think the staff will continue to play him more often. On the defensive end, I think they're really pleased with the way everybody played this weekend. Scotty Savage was -2 tonight and had a couple of bad turnovers but other than that, things were rolling. Mike Matheson continued to shine as did Isaac Macleod. 

If you have ben around the man at all, you would know the one thing Coach York preaches to his players each and everyday is the importance of winning trophies. Whether you're playing in the Frys.com Open or the Masters, the main goal is to always bring back a trophy. A trophy is an indicator of a significant accomplishment. Sure, it was a lowly field and BC might have been expected to crush everything in sight but the bottom line is we're getting on a plane tomorrow morning with a good looking trophy in hand. 

Why BC won- 

1. It was men against boys. Don't get me wrong, three years from now, that is going to be a really good hockey program. Give them time. They will be there. I still don't understand why we agreed to play them in Happy Valley a month from now but anyways. 

2. Secondary scoring. Three goals from Straight and points from Smith, Brown, and Jeke. All huge positives. 

3. Billett made some big saves early on. If it wasn't for him, BC would have been down three or four goals at the end of the first period. 

4. Special teams. The power play looks awesome. Ya...I said it. Penalty kill now ranked second in the country. 

Negatives- 

1. First five minutes were brutal. Other than that, solid all around game. 

Tournament MVP- Who do you think ? G !

Next Up- Notre Dame next Saturday @ Fenway. Big tilt. 

Previewing the Penn State Nittany Lions

For the first time in program history, the Boston College Eagles will faceoff against the newest hockey program in country, Penn State. The Nittany Lions defeated the Robert Morris Colonials last night in game two of the Three Rivers Classic thanks to a goal with under two minutes to play by forward Eric Scheid. So far this season, Penn State is 4-9-1, with an 0-2 mark in their first season in the newly formed Big Ten hockey conference. The only common opponents between BC and PSU are Wisconsin (PSU lost twice) and Army, whom the Lions defeated 4-1 in the first game ever at Pegula Ice Center.

I stuck around and watched the entirety of the PSU vs Robert Morris game last night and a couple things stood out to me. First of all, this Penn State team has some pretty nifty skaters than can get up and down the ice quickly. I was especially impressed with forwards such as Kenny Brooks and Tommy Olczyk. They've also got some pretty prolific defenseman such as Luke Juha and Patrick Koudys. They may not have a great record so far this season but they certainly jumped out to me with their speed and offensive zone play. When the final horn sounded, the Lions recorded 62 (!) shots on Robert Morris goalie Terry Shafer. 

Unlike Bowling Green, Penn State is a team that is going to try and skate up to BC's level. The Falcons tried to pack it in behind their own blue line but BC's speed was too much for them. On the other hand, I expect Penn State to try and create a lot of chances coming through the neutral zone. Like I said earlier, they've got a couple of forwards that have a certain amount of speed and skill that can pose a threat to BC. In order to create a lot of chances in the offensive end, Penn State is going to have to spread to puck around all night so hopefully BC will turn those passes into turnovers and capitalize in the offensive end. I expect that this game will be one with over thirty five shots per side. If Billett and the defense come to play, BC should be able to come out with a victory. 

One of the things I've seen from this BC club that has been a bit of a problem in years past is their ability to play well when holding a lead. None of the four losses this season have been a result of collapsing in the third period with a lead. To be honest, with all the young guys we have this year, I didn't expect that but as of now, this team has a solid system in place when they go up by two or three goals. It's a skill that is extremely invaluable come playoff time so hopefully they can build on it tonight. 

The hallmark of this program has always been about brining home trophies and tonight is a chance to get one. It's not the National Championship or the Beanpot but it's a great opportunity to bring some hardware back to Chestnut Hill. 

Scouting Penn State- 

Pairwise rank- 49th 

Record- 4-9-1 

Leading Scorers- Eric Scheid (8-4-12), Luke Juha (4-5-9), Ricky DeRosa (3-5-8) 

Team Offense- 2.50 goals per game (41st) 

Team Defense- 3.64 goals per game (54th) 

Power Play- 22.81 % (9th) 

Penalty Kill- 81.3 % (30th) 

Penalties Taken- 16.14 penalty minutes per game. 9th most in NCAA. 

Keys- 

1. No stupid penalties. They've got a tremendous power play. 

2. Forcing them to turn the puck over. I'd like to see BC be a bit more aggressive in the first period. Force these guys to turn the puck over in their end and the neutral zone. 

3. Secondary scoring. This will be a key for every game until the end of the season. 

Notes- 

1. 7:35 start. No TV so be sure to follow on Twitter for live updates. 

Go EAGLES !!

Eagles Advance To Three Rivers Classic Final

G scores BC's first goal. Photo from Dave Arnold. 

Thanks to seven combined points from the big line of Johnny G, Kevin Hayes, and Bill Arnold, the Eagles advanced to the Three Rivers Classic championship by way of a 5-0 victory over the team Coach York led to the 1984 National Championship, Bowling Green. Considering the fact it was BC's first game in over two weeks, guys had to fly in from all over the continent to get here, and we were missing two of our best defensemen, I thought BC played real well. The first line was obviously spectacular. I'm sitting in the elevator going back up to press box after Coach York's post game presser and two guys next to me were comparing Hayes and G to Malkin and Crosby. Let's not get carried away here but still, both of them, along with Billy Arnold, were really good. That line has now consisted of 40 % of BC's goals, 38 % of assist, and 38 % of points. Yup, they're pretty good.

With the exception of perhaps Ian McCoshen, none of BC's defensemen have been that involved in the offense so far this season. That changed in a big way tonight as Travis Jeke scored his first goal of the season (in his first game, in his hometown), Teddy Doherty scored his second goal in three games, and Scotty Savage recorded his third goal of the season. That ties him with McCoshen for the team lead amongst defensemen. Defensively, Coach York was extremely pleased with the way Isaac Macleod played in his own end as he was +2 for the game, making him +5 over the course of the last three games. If BC is going to continue to win games, they need Mike Matheson to contribute to the offense. He is probably the best skating defenseman we've had around here in a long time and the move he made on the Bowling Green defenseman in the third period shows just how much potential he really has. The one downside about today was he took another penalty, catapulting him into second on the team with 29 penalty minutes on the season.

Perhaps the biggest bright spot tonight was the penalty kill. They killed off all three Bowling Green power plays, making the season total for the year 74/82 (90%). The Eagles have killed off twenty straight penalties. The last power play goal a team scored vs BC was Harvard's lone tally on November 20th, a 5-1 BC win. It was a bit of a work in progress at the start of the season but I think the guys are beginning to pick up on Coach Ayers' system. It's a bit different from the one Coach Cav had when he was here but right now, we're seeing the same results.

All in all, extremely pleased with the victory. Say what you want about the tournament and the field but tomorrow night is a chance to win a trophy. It's our first "major" of the year. Probably not the Masters (that's the National Championship) but certainly a British Open or Players Championship (I know, it's not technically a major). We shall see how this young team performs under the pressure of winning a tournament championship tomorrow night versus either Robert Morris or Penn State.

Why BC Won- 

1. First line. I mean, we had a couple Penguins media guys comparing Hayes and G to Malkin and Crosby. What else do you want me to say ?

2. Penalty Kill. Really solid. I think BC blocked something like 15 shots tonight including 7 in the first period. Billett also made some timely saves when the Falcons were pushing in the second.

3. Defensemen stepped up and played a big role in the offense. In order to win a National Championship, you need defensemen that are not afraid to step up and make plays in the offensive end. BC needs guys like Matheson and Doherty to continue to score.

Negatives- 

1. Thought the power play moved it around really well on both opportunities, especially the first one where the puck was in the BGSU end the whole time. Only thing left to do is actually put the puck in the net.


Player of the game- Johnny G.

Next up- Championship tomorrow night vs either Penn State or Robert Morris. Look for my thoughts on the CONSOL Energy Center later tonight in the Road Trip section.

GO EAGLES !

Previewing the Bowling Green Falcons

Tomorrow evening the Eagles will kick off the second half of the season versus Coach York's former team, the Bowling Green Falcons, in the first game of the Three Rivers Classic in Pittsburgh. Penn State and Robert Morris will play the late game. Both contest will be played at the CONSOL Energy Center, home to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boston College will be without two defensemen, Steve Santini and Ian McCoshen along with goaltender Thatcher Demko for both games this weekend because of the World Jr Championships taking place in Sweden. Coach Brown is also in Sweden so he will be absent for both contest as well.

I think this game is going to show us just how much the team learned from the Holy Cross debacle. Sure, the guys played well vs UNH but let's be honest, the largest reason we stole four points was because of Billett and Demko. You can't rely on your goaltenders to make 30 to 40 saves each and every night. The Wildcats were a good team so of course BC was able to get up be ready for what were two extremely important league contest. Bowling Green doesn't have the pedigree that a team like UNH does so the question is, will BC be ready to play for a full 60 minutes? I mean we can all point to the Holy Cross game and talk about how bad a team they're and how it was just a rough game but this Bowling Green team has some talent. They tied Ferris State on the road, tied Union in Schenectady, and beat a Minnesota State team that was ranked in  the top 10 coming into the season on two occasions. They know they need a couple of big wins to boost their non-conference resume so BC has got to be ready for their very best 60 minutes of hockey. I mean look at what we let Holy Cross do, they looked like the Russian National team for a good two thirds of that game. The bottom line is BC has got to play like they did in the third vs HC and the second period of Friday's game vs UNH to win games at this point in the season.

The biggest thing I am looking for tomorrow is how many scoring chances BC can create. For the most part on Saturday night in Durham, the Wildcats completely shut down the #1 offense in the country. Actually, BC's big line of Johnny G, Kevin Hayes, and Bill Arnold, was the only line that made a mark on the scoring charts. I thought the second line of Fitzgerald, Cangelosi, and Straight was pretty good on both nights vs New Hampshire, especially on Friday where they combined for six points. The biggest thing that has to improve for BC in the second half is secondary scoring. I thought Gilmour was tremendous in the first five games, he needs to get back to that. Brown has been his same old, dependable, durable, solid in both ends, self. He isn't going to put up a lot of points but as long as he succeeds in the defensive zone and faceoff dot, he will play a lot of minutes. I'd like to see Quinn Smith start scoring. To be honest, I thought he would have more than one goal at this point. BC needs guys like him and Chris Calnan to score at least seven or eight goals over the course of the next three and a half months.

When all is said and done, I think this is going to be a lot closer game than people think. The Falcons rank 22nd in the country in offense, scoring nearly three goals per game. On the other hand, they allow 2.65 goals per contest. Their power play has struggled for most of the season, ranking 36th in the country (ours is still near the bottom at 45th). Their penalty kill is also in the middle of the pack with a 83 % kill rate, good for 24th in the country. Goaltender Tomas Sholl is seventh in the nation with two shutouts. So you get the point. This is not a bad hockey team. They will give us everything they have and if BC plays like they don't want to be there, I think Bowling Green is going to have a great shot.

With Santini and McCoshen out, expect Pittsburgh native Travis Jeke to make his first appearance of the
season. I would also think that Evan Richardson would play at least one of the two games but I'm not sure on that.

Keys for the Eagles- 

1. Score early and often. Holy Cross was up 5-1 on us through two periods. BC just cannot allow teams that they are so much more talented then to get out to these giant leads because they're not going to be able to make up these huge deficits each game.

2. Score. On. The. Power. Play. When was the last time we had the 45th (!!!!) ranked power play in the country ? Bowling Green takes close to 16 penalty minutes a game which is 10th is the country so look for BC to at least get some chances on the PP.

3. Need a goal or two from either the third or fourth line. BC has not lost a single game when one of Brown, Smith, Sit, Gilmour, or Calnan scores a goal.

I'm leaving for Pittsburgh tomorrow morning. First ever visit to the "Steel City"

Go Eagles !

Eagles Land 97' Defenseman

Boston College has landed a commitment from Connor Moore, 5'10/165 lb defenseman from the Brooks School. He is a high end skater with lots of offensive upside. According to reports, he was being looked at by multiple Hockey East schools including Providence and New Hampshire. Fall of 2016 arrival. Moore is from Atlanta, Georgia.

Recruiting Update

I updated our recruiting page this afternoon. The biggest change I have is that Noah Hanifin will be coming to campus next fall (per sources). I think the staff just thought that why leave him out there for another year where he could decide to go to the Q or go to another school ? Personally, I love the decision because I know that Noah is ready to play at this level. In all honesty, he could be our third defenseman as a 17 year old freshman behind McCoshen and Santini.

That brings me right into my next point. The staff has got to land one more big time defenseman for next season. I'm not going to dive into specific names because I try to stray away from the guys that are being looked at because of a whole host of reasons but the bottom line is we need one more guy that play a lot of minutes on even strength, penalty kills, and power plays.

I'm trying to revamp the recruiting aspect of the website so bear with me for these next few weeks as things might be a bit different.

Go Eagles

Updates From Sweden

Things have been pretty slow around here over the past week but here are two quick notes from the World Jr Championship which will get underway next week.

1. Ian McCoshen appeared to be a bit shaken up after taking a hard hit into the boards. He was favoring his left shoulder but he did return for the next shift. If there is anything update worthy, I'll be sure to let you know.

2. Both McCoshen and Steven Santini were in the United States' lineup for todays exhibition versus Finland. The US won 3-2.

That's all I got. Go Eagles.

Fitzgerald Cut From Junior Team

Freshman Ryan Fitzgerald was cut early this morning from the United States' World Jr Team. Ian McCoshen, Steve Santini, and Thatcher Demko will all travel tonight with the team to Sweden. Obviously, I'm pretty disappointed to see that Ryan was cut. He is a hard working, two way player that I believe will play professional hockey someday. Remember in 2012 when Johnny G got cut and came back to BC, only to torch everything in his way because he wanted to prove those coaches wrong ? I think we could certainly see a similar situation here as Ryan has been playing some exceptional hockey as of late.

I'm sure it will sting over the holidays but I hope he is able to keep his head up and come back ready to go.

Go Eagles

World Jr Camp Underway

As you probably know by now, four Eagles: Ian McCoshen, Steven Santini, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Thatcher Demko, along with Coach Brown, will be representing the United States in Malmo, Sweden later this month is the World Jr Championships. Today, practice got underway @ the University of Minnesota's Mariucci Arena. The head coach of the team is Don Lucia of Minnesota. Honestly, I don't know much about how good of a chance each of these guys has of making it but I'd say each one has a pretty solid chance of at least traveling to Sweden to play in the scrimmages. I'm not a huge fan of people who want these kids to be cut and come home for the Holiday tournament in Pittsburgh or the Frozen Fenway game vs Notre Dame (who also has two guys playing). These kids have a chance to represent this school on a world scale and potentially create even more roads in their hockey careers. I'm not worried about the affects it will have on this particular club. Guys are just going to have to step up. Plain and simple. 

Anyways, good luck Thatcher, Ryan, Ian, Steven, and Coach Brown. Go win a gold medal. 

Go Eagles. 

I recommend following Chris Peters on Twitter. He has all this stuff covered as good as anyone. This is his website- http://unitedstatesofhockey.com/

Notebook

I don't actually know if we're technically halfway through the season yet but honestly, I don't care. I'm calling this the halfway point so we will work from that. First of all, I think the overall outlook heading into a big month vs teams like Providence, Notre Dame, and Boston University has to be a positive one. As long as there are no injuries to anyone going to Sweden for the World Jr's, BC should have a full arsenal ready to go for a stretch that could go a long way in deciding their NCAA faith. Although there were three months of hockey, each game tough in it's own right, I thought the final weekend of the semester was by far and away the two biggest wins BC has picked up so far this season. Listen, no matter what way you want to draw it up, that loss to Holy Cross was embarrassing but for the guys to come back and (barely) escape the weekend with four points over what I think is a really good hockey team, is a huge step in the right direction. Of course, the goal of the regular season is try and put yourself in a position to win a regular season title but I think the two most important things BC has to be concerned with right now is clinching a spot in the NCAA tournament (with a big emphasis on trying to get a #1 seed) and clinching a first round bye in the Hockey East playoffs (top four teams).

Although all signs are pointing in the right direction, this team still has a lot they need to improve on. I know we've got the number one offense in the country but besides the first period on Saturday and the second period on Friday, I don't think the Eagles generated as many scoring chances as they wanted to. Of course, getting a few power plays would certainly help the cause. I like the way all the freshmen have acclimated to the system so far but I still think the staff should give Richardson a chance on the third or fourth line. He will get his chance in Pittsburgh so if he plays well, he could see some more ice time as the season goes on. I'm not a huge fan of putting the big three together but I think it would be good to give them two shifts every period. Keep the opponent guessing as to when they will come out. If BC can get some more scoring out of guys like Smith, Brown, and Gilmour, I think they have a chance to win some trophies. Three guys (G, Hayes, and Arnold) are not going to win the National Title....well maybe they can.

On the defensive end, I think the staff has to be pretty pleased with the progress everyone has made. Of course, you've got pretty much every diehard fan ranting on the message boards about Linell playing over Savage but other than that, I think everyone is happy. To be honest, I really liked the way Savage played in some games this year, particularly the ones vs RPI and BU and I think he should be an everyday guy but I don't think they will sit Linell and play him. I don't see how they can bench Doherty after this weekend but I guess you never really know. Of course, Linell, Savage, and Doherty will all play in Pittsburgh. I would expect Jeke to be the 6th defenseman.

I know we've got two weeks and we'll prepare for it after Christmas but after what happened vs Holy Cross, I don't think there is any possible way BC can walk into a rink and believe they can beat anyone just by showing up. All three of these will play their tails off vs the Eagles in order to gain some national notoriety. Hopefully BC doesn't sleep walk through the first half of the game like they did two weeks ago.

All in all, I think we've all got to be pleased with where this team is right now. I feel like we've got the two best playmakers in college hockey, the best offensive defenseman, the best defensive defenseman, and a pair of goalies that can keep us in any game when they're playing at a high level (like Friday and Saturday). The biggest surprise to me was that Johnny G has been pretty much a non-factor over the course of the last four games. Maine and UNH completely shut him down and he had one nice period vs Holy Cross but still didn't find the back of the net. BC has not lost this year when G has scored a goal. This team will go as far as he, Kevin Hayes, and Bill Arnold, can take them but I don't know if those three combined can do something like Nathan Gerbe did in 2008 when he single-handily won a National Title but I think if the Eagles can get some more support from their bottom six guys, they have a shot. And all you need is a shot.

Eagles Get Huge Sweep

Hayes celebrates his goal. Photo from Dave Arnold.

You ever hear the saying how you always you want your defense to "bend but not break" if you've got a good offense in football ? Well, this weekend there was a heck of a lot of bending from the Eagles, especially over the course of the final forty minutes tonight @ the Whittemore Center but they stood tall and defeated the UNH Wildcats by a 2-1 margin, moving into a tie for first place with the Providence Friars in the process. Sure, there we a lot of rough patches throughout the weekend. I mean, we got outshot by a 29-19 margin tonight but it seemed like UNH had the puck for twice as long as BC did. The bottom line is that no matter what the shots are or how long one team has the puck for, if you get good goaltending and block shots in key situations, you can win any game in this league. With the larger ice surface, you would think that UNH would have had a lot more shooting lanes but I thought BC did a great job, especially on the penalty kill, of getting sticks and bodies in front of white jerseys and forcing the pucks to the boards. When Wildcat shots did get through to the net, Thatcher Demko was there to make the stop as he played arguably his best game of the year tonight, making 28 saves.

When I look at the game, I'm not really sure if I loved the way BC played as they got severely outplayed for a couple of long stretches but as the game went on, they tightened  up their defense in the neutral zone and limited UNH's odd man rushes. With 1:18 left to go in the game, UNH pulled goalie Casey DeSmith but were pretty much unable to garner any real good shots thanks to some great defensive play from Billy Arnold and Austin Cangelosi. After Cango dumped the puck in (and barely missing the empty net) Arnold went in and kept the puck down there for a good fifteen seconds, giving UNH little time to push it up the ice and create a chance. The amount they have improved on their late game situations from the UMass series has been a pretty good turnaround. It's certainly a positive sign going forward.

On the offensive side of things, BC really didn't generate much. Both goals were results of brutal UNH turnovers and some slick skill from BC's top guns. I couldn't believe how UNH was able to completely take Johnny G out of the game. He was a non factor all night, even with the space he was given on the big sheet. Give them credit for that. I thought Billy Arnold played arguably his best game of the season tonight on both ends, especially in the defensive end. Kevin Hayes' goal was very similar to the one he had last night. He led a 2 on 1 rush over the blue line and snipped one low blocker side to give BC the lead with two minutes left in the second period.

Defensively, I think the staff has got to be pretty pleased with what they saw. Other than the goal, which was a total breakdown from all five guys, I thought BC did a good job of limiting UNH to a lot of perimeter shots. The best part of BC's defensive game was undoubtedly their penalty kill as UNH didn't score on four power play chances. BC, of course, had zero power plays once again. When you're killing penalties and spending a lot of time in your own end, you need your goalie to be your best player. There is no question that the best player on the ice tonight was #30 in maroon.

Overall, this was a pretty gigantic win. BC entered the weekend 11th in the pairwise standings but as of now, they sit in the 6th position. As I mentioned earlier, they now stand atop Hockey East with Providence, a team they will meet in early January @ Kelly Rink. Things still have to improve substantially but two wins over a quality hockey team will certainly make Christmas a little merrier in BC Hockey world.

Positives- 

1. Thatcher Demko. He was sensational all night long. The only reason UNH was able to get one by him was because of a horrific defensive collapse.

2. Just enough forwards played well enough. Not everyone was hitting on all cylinders but Arnold, Cangelosi, Fitzgerald, and Hayes all played real well.

3. Macleod and Linell were both +2. All in all, a pretty good weekend for those two.

Negatives- 

1. BC has got to find a way to generate more scoring chances. Maybe getting a few power plays here and there would help.

2. The UNH goal was a really bad sequence. I haven't seen the tape yet but I think BC got caught with pretty much every guy on one side of the ice, leaving a white jersey wide open in front of Demko. Highlights will be up later.

Player of the game- Thatcher Demko

Next Up- Bowling Green on December 27th in the Three Rivers Classic (Pittsburgh)

Go Eagles !

Demko To Play Game Two

Thatcher Demko will start tonight @ UNH. It is his first start @ the Whittemore Center.

A Step In The Right Direction

Photo from Graham Beck of The Heights.

There were no trophies on the line tonight. Technically, it wasn't a must win game for NCAA purposes or for Hockey East home ice proposes. In fact, we're still in the first half of the season so a lot of teams would have treated tonight as just another game. It wasn't. It was a game in which this team was going to show how resilient they were or that the first two months of the season was a fluke. The guys showed what they're made of and came out with a solid 6-2 victory over a UNH team that looked extremely shaky in all three ends. Sure, the first period was a really bad but what was displayed in the second period of tonight's game is the type of hockey that can lead this team to championships. No, it still wasn't a full 60 minute "complete game", but it was better. It's step in the right direction.

As bad as I thought the first two periods were vs Holy Cross, the opening twenty minutes tonight were equally as bad, if not worse. BC just looked flat. They looked slow and out of it. Last weekend, they didn't get the goaltending or the puck luck to avoid digging themselves into yet another deep hole. If it wasn't for some great saves from Brian Billett and a some kind bounces from the rubber tonight, I'm not sure BC comes out on top. UNH was dominating in BC's end for a long period of time when the Eagles attempted to clear it and the puck bounced over a few blue jerseys and popped right onto the stick of Johnny G who easily put it home on a breakaway. BC somehow escaped with a lead through one period.

The second period is what we like to call "Eagle Hockey". BC looked fast, they generated a ton of scoring chances, played a bit better in their own end, and were rewarded with a four goal outburst. The biggest thing I noticed was that the defensemen kept pinching up at the offensive blue line and forced turnover after turnover. When UNH was able to chip the puck out and generate an odd man rush, either BC's forwards did a good job of back checking or Billett made a quality save. I thought BC's newly formed first line of Johnny G, Hayes, and Arnold played well towards the second half of the game. UNH actually did a good job on G and Hayes for the first twenty minutes even though G had a breakaway goal. As BC was able to build up a lead, UNH started leaving lots of space through the neutral zone and the Eagles, led by Austin Cangelosi were able to take advantage. With the exception of perhaps the Wisconsin game, this was Cango's best game of the season. He was all over the ice tonight, evident by his three points and +3 rating.

On the defensive side of things, I couldn't have been more impressed with Steven Santini. He was absolutely amazing tonight. Not only did he score a goal and an assist, he led BC with a +4 rating. He is second on the team with a +15 rating for the year (McCoshen is +18). Another thing I want to address is Teddy Doherty's spot in the lineup. If he is benched tomorrow, I'll throw the fish onto the ice @ the Whit. He was great in both ends all night. Also added a pretty sweet goal. Great to see. I wasn't really surprised they sat Savage as he struggled last Friday but I would expect to see him back in there tomorrow. Not sure who will be the odd guy out.

All in all, it's a nice win but a W tomorrow night would almost completely make up for the debacle last weekend. If this team can go into the break tied with Providence for the league led in points and continue to stay seven or eight points above the Terriers, I think everybody will have a nice holiday.

Positives- 

1. Cangelosi was sensational.

2. Billett saved the game in the first period. If it wasn't for his play in the opening twenty minutes, BC would have been blown out.

3. Santini is a beast. Literally. He almost killed a guy....AND DIDN'T GET CALLED !

Negatives- 

1. Too many penalties. UNH had four power plays. BC had none.

Player(s) of the game- Santini and Cangelosi

Next up- @ UNH tomorrow night. 7 PM. It's on WBIN TV.

Go Eagles.

Billett Playing Game One Vs UNH

Brian Billett will start tonight vs UNH.

Previewing the UNH Wildcats

I'm not going to sit here and write about how this weekend is a big one because of points, pairwise, standings, all that kind of crap. No, this weekend is about a heck of a lot more than all those numbers. This weekend is about coming back from one of the most embarrassing losses in the program's storied history and showing the fans that this is still the team that smoked Wisconsin, tied Minnesota, clobbered BU, and swept Northeastern. It's time to prove to people that the guys in that locker room have heart and are willing to play a full 60 minute hockey game. Everyone seems to think last weekend's collapse will somehow wake the team up and they will play better from here on out. I've never been a believer in those type of statements. In Hockey East and college hockey in general, there should be the same level of effort and pride shown each and every game. Unfortunately with this team, those two intangibles have been pretty down as of late.

Despite all the criticism and bad comments, there will be an even larger sense of optimism surrounding this club if they can take four points from a very good UNH team this weekend. First of all, the biggest thing BC needs to do is actually show up for the first period. Playing from behind in this league vs good teams is extremely tough. Being blown out after two periods vs Holy Cross and Maine certainly is not going to help your chances of winning hockey games and making the NCAA tournament.

UNH is good club, they've got a couple of high end forwards like Goumas, Downing, and Sorkin but they also carry what is arguably the deepest defensive core in Hockey East, led by the big three of Trevor van Riemsdyk, Eric Knodel, and Brett Pesce. The Wildcats play a style not unlike BC. They're fast, they've got some big defensemen that can hit, and they have a pair of goalies that can be real hot and real cold. Look for BC to stack up on the first line with all the big guns together to generate more scoring chances. Yes, Hayes, Johnny, and Billy Arnold will create a lot of good opportunities and they should control the pace while they're out there but whether BC wins or loses depends on how their third and fourth lines play. They need guys like Brown and Gilmour to start putting the puck in the back of the net in order to win these big games. As for who is in net, I am not sure yet. Check twitter for updates throughout the night.

Scouting UNH-

Rank- 16th (9-7-1), second in Hockey East. Two points above BC.

Leading scorer- Kevin Goumas (19 points), Nick Sorkin (19 points), and Trevor Van Riemsdyk (18 points)

Team Offense- 3.35 goals per game (15th in country)

Team Defense- 2.24 goals per game (11thin country)

Power Play- 21.92 percent. (16th in country)

Penalty Kill- 79.3 percent (41st in country)

Penalty minutes- 8.53 per game. (57th lowest in country)


Keys for BC-

1. Need production on the power play. In every game that BC has lost this season, they have not recorded a power play goal.

2. Whoever is in net needs to play better. Billet's performance vs Maine and Demko's vs Holy Cross were both very concerning. I would expect Demko tonight but I'm really not sure.

3. Win the first period. The first period has been killing this team all season. Hopefully they improve tonight.


Go Eagles

Eagles Named To World Jr Team

Four Eagles, Thatcher Demko, Ryan Fitzgerald, Steve Santini, and Ian McCoshen have been named to the United States' World Jr Championship team. The tournament will take place from December 26th to January 5th in Malmo, Sweden. The guys will miss three BC games. Two in Pittsburgh and the Frozen Fenway game vs Notre Dame (unless the US doesn't make it past group play). Coach Brown will assist head coach Don Lucia (Minnesota) so he will be gone as well.

Again, great accomplishments but the last thing guys on this team need to do is go out and celebrate making the World Jr Team. They need to worry about this team and how they can avoid embarrassment at the hands of UNH this weekend. BC won't play for another twenty days after this weekend so four points would make Christmas a whole lot better.

Go Eagles.

Notes

Here are a few notes as the Eagles look to rebound vs UNH this weekend.

1. BC and Colorado College announced a deal to play each other over the next three seasons. They come here next year, we go out there twice the next two seasons after that.

2. Ryan Fitzgerald won Rookie of the Month and Johnny G won Player of the Month but the last thing this team needs right now is individual recognition. Great honors, obviously, but after last Saturday, all individual accolades should be taken and thrown out the window.

3. Mike Matheson did not make the Canada World Jr Championship team. I know that this greatly upsets Mike but it is not an indicator of his talent or skill. We all know how good of a hockey player he is. When he is able to take his game up to that next notch, he will be playing on a team a heck of a lot bigger than that country's junior team.

4. The United States roster comes out tomorrow. There will be some Eagles on it. Stay tunned to see who. Those guys on the team will miss BC's tournament in Pittsburgh and most likely the Frozen Fenway game vs Notre Dame.

5. I haven't been over to watch practice lately but expect some big lineup changes. This ship doesn't have a few cracks, it's gotta couple of giant holes and we have to figure out how to fix it. Soon.