Denver Preview

Winners of three in a row, the #5 Boston College Eagles are set to travel 2,000 miles west to the Mile High city to take on the #11 Denver Pioneers, who will be hosting their homecoming weekend. It goes without saying that this will undoubtedly be BC's biggest test of the season up to this point but surprisingly, BC is 8-3-1 in 12 trips to Denver, that doesn't include the 2008 National Title which was also won in Broncoville.

For a variety of reasons, I think the Pioneers, who are also 3-1 on the season, present a challenge unlike BC has faced thus far. First off, the Eagles will be missing arguably their best defensive defenseman but I'm actually not as worried about Santini's absence as much as some others are. Don't get me wrong, I think "the sheriff" is one of the top blue liners in college hockey but his injury opens the door for Noah Hanifin to get more playing time and I'm no math guy but Noah+ more playing time should = positive results. Another reason why Denver is going to be firing on all cylinders is because we ended their season in a rather embarrassing form six months ago at the Northeast regional. It wasn't the fact that BC won as much as it was the Eagles flat out dominated to Pios for 60 minutes, mainly because Johnny G lit his former coach's team up like a jack-o-lantern.

So far, sophomore forward Trevor Moore leads the Pios with 5 points but he is only a point ahead of junior Quentin Shore and freshman Danton Heinen. Initially, I had planned to talk about how DU's defense was the backbone of their team but then I noticed that they gave up 6 goals and 48 shots @ Minnesota Duluth last Saturday. They did however hold the Bulldogs to one goal on Friday and allowed just a single mark to a horrible RPI squad on opening weekend. In fact, despite giving up those 6 tallys to UMD, the Pios have given up an average of just 2.00 goals per game, good for 8th in the country. The Denver blue line is led by Joey LaLeggia, a guy that has potted more than 25 points in each of his three seasons at DU and is 5th round pick of the Edmonton Oilers. The other leader on the defensive side of the puck for them is junior defenseman Nolan Zajac who tallied 5 goals and 18 assists for the garnet and gold last season. He is currently tied for fifth on the team with 4 points. In terms of special teams, Denver's power play ranks amongst the nation best with nearly a 29% conversion rate. Interestingly, they're towards the bottom half of college hockey in power play attempts with just 21. Shockingly (sarcastic), BC has been given the 44th most power plays in the country with 16. DU's penalty kill is 39th in the country, with a 78% kill rate.

Obviously, two wins this weekend would be  GIANT steps in the right direction, especially with you know who coming to Kelly Rink on Friday night. I think parts of Denver's game, especially their defense, pose problems for the Eagles but I'm not convinced that DU's offense is on par with that of BC's.  Vs CC, the Calnan-Gilmour-Tuch line was dominant each time they were on the ice so with the return of the much improved Calnan, I expect them to be the Eagles' best line again tomorrow night. BC's three wins this season have had one common theme; all of them featured a goal by one of the Eagles' bottom six forwards, something that is paramount to BC's success this season, especially against good clubs such as Denver. We will see what happens tomorrow night but if those guys can provide energy and scoring right off the bat, this team could have a lot of momentum heading back to Beantown.

Keys for BC- 

1. Not getting caught up in the post whistle theatrics. For the most part, they did a good job of this vs UMass but there was one occasion in which one of our guys reacted to something their guy did and was called for it. DU's crowd will be insane and giving them power play chances isn't going to help anyone.

2. Getting to DU's sophomore, first year starting, goaltender. Sure, his numbers to this point have been pretty solid but he gave up 6 genos last weekend to a "mediocre" UMD squad. Pressure him early and force him to make mistakes, much like they did to UMass' young starter last week.

3. Hopefully Travis Jeke can get somewhat accustomed to the speed early on. I expect that the staff will run five D for the majority of the game, especially in the final two periods but I also think that Jeke's skating ability and offensive awareness could surprise some people, maybe even the staff.


I have a long flight to catch tomorrow AM. That's all. See you in Denver.

Go Eagles !

Eagles Land Premier 99' Recruit

The staff picked up their first 1999 recruit today when forward Jacob Tortota committed to the Eagles for the fall of 2018. The 5'6 is a native of Rochester, New York and recorded 7 points for the black team up at U15  festival early in the summer. Obviously, the kid will grew a couple more inches before he gets to the Heights but all in all, it seems like the staff picked up another small but highly skilled forward, something that we don't have much of in any of the upcoming classes (skill part yes, small part, no).

I have never seen the kid play so I'm not going to pretend I know what I am talking about but according to the guys that have seen him play, it's a substantial get for the staff as they continue the never ending recruiting war vs Boston University.

Here is some reaction-

Over the Boards had him ranked in their top 150-













From Sean Lafortune, the head scout for TheScout.ca and OHL regional scout for McKeen's Hockey.

All in all, it seems like a very nice get for the staff. Now they just have get him to campus......four years from now !

Injury Updates

Weekly injury report.

OUT- 

Steve Santini, surgery on wrist. Hopes to be back by January 1st.


IN- 

Chris Calnan, Missed Saturday's game due to a lower body injury. Was a full participant in practice today with linemates Adam Gilmour and Alex Tuch.


Go Eagles.

Santini Out For First Half

The team's official Twitter account announced today that defenseman Steve Santini would miss the first half of the season along with World Jr Championships due to surgery on his wrist. The staff is hoping to have him back by January 1st.

Obviously, it is a tough break but I have reason to believe that Travis Jeke can come in and play at a high level. I think he's a smooth skater and because they won't play him too many minutes, he won't have to be relied on too much defensively. Listen, if there is someone that always overreacts to things, it's this guy. This isn't the end of the world. We still have the best D core in the nation and as long as our forwards stay healthy, we will be fine.

The biggest question currently surrounding the team is the status of sophomore forward Chris Calnan who was held out of the lineup on Saturday. I will update you when I find anything out.

Go Eagles

Monte Graham Commits to BC

Boston College received their second commitment in two weeks this afternoon when Thayer Academy forward Monte Graham, a 5'11 forward out of Hanover, committed to the Eagles. Last season, Graham recorded 9 goals and 12 assists for a Thayer team that made the Prep school Elite 8. He impressed the staff out @ U16 camp two months ago where he recorded 8 points in 5 games. His USHL rights are held by the Tri City Storm.

Graham is BC's 5th prospect in the 2016 class, their fourth forward. As of now, they have him in that class but it is rare for guys to come to BC right from prep school so I wouldn't count out the 2017 class for him.

Go Eagles

Two's a Fluke, Three's a Streak

Photo from BC Athletics.

For the 499th time, Coach York picked up a win as head coach @ Boston College, this time it was a 4-1 victory over the University of Massachusetts in front of 4,908 fans @ Kelley Rink. First off, solid weekend in every aspect of the game, especially in the defensive zone where this team is supposed to be as good as anyone in the country. I predicted that Noah Hanifin would be the best player on the team by the Beanpot but as of now, I don't think I'm out of line saying Noah is BC's best player through four games. He continues to blow me away with his skating ability and hockey IQ. Some of the little plays he makes at the defensive blue line when an opponent is coming down on a 3-2 or 4-3 are just absurd. The staff continues to play him a large amount of minutes in all three situations which is something they have never done for any freshman, let alone a defenseman (Possibly Matheson).

The first period was a pretty boring twenty minutes of hockey. The teams combined for just 9 shots on goal but amazingly, BC held UMass to three shots on three power plays. The advantage of packing the box and giving the point a little more room is that opponents will have a hard time getting shots through to the net. Although the Minutemen added a power play goal late in the game with BC up 3-0, I thought the PK made some strides in the right direction this weekend. The main reason BC only gave up three goals in two games? Thatcher Demko was the best player on the ice, outside of maybe Hanifin, on both nights. When Thatcher plays like he has been playing, BC has a great chance to win a game on any given night, no matter how good the opposition is.

Early in the second period, the Eagles were forced to kill off a couple more penalties but were also given a few chances on the power play. Right now, BC's best unit is Gilmour's line along with Hanifin and Matheson as they seem to be moving the puck quiet well and generating some quality chances on goal. I'm a bit worried about the second unit, especially the back end of it. Ian McCoshen is one of the premier defenders in the country but he looks uncomfortable with the puck sometimes. His biggest asset on the PP is his blistering slap shot, in fact he scored BC's first power play of the season last week @ RIT on a one timer from the point. He should and hopefully will remain on the power play but his breakouts and entries need to get smoother over time. Halfway through the second stanza, UMass came down on a 4-2 but thanks to another solid save from Demko and a good clearing pass from Mike Matheson, Alex Tuch sent an absolute rocket over the shoulder of UMass goalie Henry Dill, giving the maroon and gold the first lead of the night. As I said after the exhibition game, Tuch may have the best shot of any BC forward in the past 10 years, including Steven Whitney. Towards the end of the period, the power play broke through for the third time this season when Adam Gilmour fired home a one timer while falling down, giving the Eagles a comfortable two goal lead heading into the third.

Let me preface what I am about to say because sometimes I don't want to create another firestorm on Twitter. I don't know a single UMass hockey player, coach, or fan but I'm sure they're all tremendous people who care deeply about their university. I certainly respect their program and the fact that they always play the Eagles tough year in and year out. However, what took place in the third period last night was a disgrace to college hockey. Their players were not out there to play hockey, they were out there to hurt our guys. I need to see a reply of the hit before I dive into a rant about it but it appeared that one of their forwards took a shot to the head of Matty Gaudreau right in front of the BC bench. Again, I will not comment on the hit until I see the tape but it didn't appear to be anything that belongs in the game of hockey. Just a minute after that, another UMass player was sent to the box for high sticking and the Eagles were able to put the nail in the coffin thanks to another Gilmour power play goal, this coming BC's first 5 on 3 mark of the season.

All in all, it's nice to pickup two wins before a tough weekend series @ Denver but it wasn't all good news, unfortunately. Forward Chris Calnan was sidelined with a lower body injury but he was walking around the concourse yesterday without a boot or crutches, he did have a bit of a limp though. According to those who attend the press conference last night, Steve Santini suffered a wrist injury and was scheduled for x-rays on Monday. I did not see him leave the bench or suffer any tangible pain on the ice and he was out there for Gilmour's goal halfway through the third period so maybe it isn't as bad as we think.

I'm excited about where this team is at but Denver on the road is certainly going to be the toughest test of the season. Good start but now it gets really tough.

Why BC Won-

1. Demko was as good as he can be. Like I said, when he plays like that, he is the best goaltender in the country and it isn't even close.

2. Gilmour and Tuch were firing on all cylinders. They didn't seem to miss their left winger one bit.

3. BC put the nail in UMass' coffin when they had the opportunity to. If the Eagles don't score on that 2 minute 5 on 3, the Minutemen could have used that momentum to make it a one goal game and who knows what would have happened after that.

Negatives- 

1. Injuries. Calnan and Santini would be huge losses but I don't think either is severe. I'll have more later.

Player of the game- Thatcher Demko

Next up- @ Denver next weekend.

Go Eagles

Update- Calnan Out

Forward Chris Calnan is a scratch for tonight's game vs UMass-Amherst. It is believed to be because of an injury sustained Friday night when he was slammed hard into the boards.


Matthew Gaudreau will play with Alex Tuch and Adam Gilmour

Previewing the UMass Minutemen

Fresh off two dominant victories over a couple of inferior opponents, the Eagles will play their first home conference game tonight @ 7 PM vs the UMass Minutemen. While UMass had a lopsided loss vs Boston University a couple weeks back, they have won two of their last three games, one @ Michigan State and last night @ Northeastern. The Minutemen, like BC, lost their three top scorers from a season ago but unlike the Eagles, they also lost their two best defensemen. They're expected to start a whopping 7 freshmen, including goaltender Henry Dill, who stood on his last night, stopping 42 of 44 Huskie shots. Many "experts" had the maroon and white either last or second to last in their preseason rankings but at this point, they're sitting comfortably in a tie for first and in the top 30 in the pairwise. Yes, it's very early.

Without a doubt, this is going to be a much stiffer test than last night. Let's face it, while UMass has only beat us once @ Kelly Rink since 2006, they always make it a game. They play a style eerily similar to that of BC's, up tempo, lot of quick skaters, and as a result of that, they sometimes breakdown big time in their own end (they gave up 6 goals in the third period @ home vs BU). The most intriguing story line of the night is former BC commit Frank Vatrano's return to the Heights. After an academic issue early in the 2012-13 season, the staff was forced to cut ties with the Springfield native. Shortly after, Vatrano transferred to UMass although he had to sit out all of last season as well due to transfer rules. So far this season, he doesn't have a point but he does headline their top line along with freshman center Dennis Kravchenko and senior Troy Power. While that line certainly possesses some fire power, I think UMass' two big guns are sophomores Ray Pigozzi and Steve Iacobellis. I remember being impressed with the speed and skill of those guys last season when they came in here and almost beat BC @ Kelly Rink for the second consecutive season.

As you can tell, the biggest thing the Eagles have to watch out for is UMass' speed. They can skate really well and could cause a lot of problems for the Eagles if they catch BC off guard on the forecheck. In terms of where BC can expose these guys? They're very weak on the defensive end, especially in their own end. In the second half of last night's game, the Eagles did a great job of not only getting the puck deep, but they sustained the play in CC's end for large chunks of time, wearing the Tigers down which eventually led to an onslaught. BC's size, superior defensive depth, and the fact that UMass is coming off a physical back and fourth battle 24 hours ago, are all signals pointing to a third straight but I don't there is anyone in that locker room who believes this will be a cake walk such as the past two games have been. Every league point is massive, especially the ones at home. the Minutemen took one of three points BC gave up at home in the regular season last year, the other two went to Notre Dame.



Scouting UMass-

Record- 2-2 (losses vs BU, MSU. Wins vs MSU, NU)

Leading scorers- Zack LaRue (2-2-4), Steven Iacobellis (2-2-4), Ray Pigozzi (1-3-4)

Projected starter- Freshman Henry Dill (2-0, .911 save percentage)

NHL draft picks- 1 (Ben Gallacher, Florida) Has missed their past two games

Goals per game- 2.75 (31st)

Goals allowed per game- 4.50 (52nd)

Power play- 13% (31st)

Penalty kill- 94% (8th)

Penalty minutes per game- 9.00 minutes per game (42nd)

Notes-

Last meeting- Tie last November @ Kelly Rink

All time series- BC leads 55-13-14

Coach York is 2 wins shy of his 500th at the Heights.

Keys for BC-


Contain their speed. Turning the puck over in the neutral zone won't help at all.

They can't take three penalties right off the bat again. Not a formula for success.

Continue to get secondary scoring. They've had it in two of three games so far, those two games have been wins.




Go Eagles

Penalty Kill Leads Eagles By Tigers

Photo from BC Athletics 

Yesterday, we discussed the importance of special teams and how BC's penalty killing unit had to step it up a few notches after rough games vs Lowell and RIT. Not only was the PK improved from the previous games, it was one of the central reasons why the Eagles were able to record their second consecutive victory. Overall, I was quiet pleased at the way BC played. We know this team can't survive with scoring from the senior class and so far, those guys have proven they can deliver goals at necessary junctures. Unheralded Cam Spiro recorded his first two goals in over a year and a half while Quinn Smith hooked up with linemates Danny Linell and Destry Straight for his first tally of the season. 

The only negative for BC was their first period. They didn't create much offense, they gave up multiple grade A chances, and could not keep CC off the power play. Two of the penalties were the results of a poor job keeping the puck down low for a long period of time and forcing CC into mistakes in their own end. In both the RIT game and the second and third periods last night, BC proved that they're most effective offensively when they penetrate with an aggressive forecheck. I didn't think they did a tremendous job of keeping CC on their heels in the first stanza. Anytime you give an opponent three power plays in a 20 minute span and keep them off the board, it's a huge positive. BC did a better job of keeping the puck to outside and not allowing the Tiger's many scoring chances between the dots but when CC did get those occasional tight area chances, Thatcher Demko was there to make the stops. Although he misplayed the puck on CC's goal (perhaps his biggest weakness is puck handling), he played phenomenal all night long. When he is playing at that level, I believe he's the best goalie in college hockey. 

For the second straight outing, BC's best period was the middle stanza. They dictated the play in all three ends and were rewarded with four goals, one of which was on the power play. Perhaps the most recognizable goal of the evening was Noah Hanifin's first collegiate tally in front of 20 NHL scouts, four of which were from Winnipeg. It is quite clear to me after watching three games that he is the best skating defenseman on this team, perhaps in a tie with Matheson. The most nerve racking portion of the period was when Teddy Doherty went down with what appeared to be a hand or wrist injury. Thankfully, he stayed on the bench and played the remaining 30 minutes. BC was given a minute of 5 on 3 time midway through the period and even though they didn't capitalize on the two man advantage, Ryan Fitzgerald dangled his way around a couple defenders in Johnny G style towards the end of the second penalty, giving the Eagles their second PP goal in as many goals. It's fair to say that Fitz has been without a doubt BC's most prolific forward through three games, in fact he has a goal in all three games. For some reason, maybe it's the increased playing time, he looks so much more comfortable with the puck on his stick and is really starting to create some big time plays at critical points. If CC gets out of that 5 on 3 only down a goal, they've got a ton of momentum, thanks to #19, that didn't happen. 

Third period was a tad sloppy and included a couple of bad turnovers but all in all, not a bad effort from the maroon and gold. The three biggest things they need to improve for tonight’s game vs UMass, a team that picked up a big win @ NU last night, is staying out of the box (UMA has a potent power play), avoiding turnovers, as they were lucky not to fall victim to a couple of really bad defensive lapses, and lastly, I'd like to see them move the puck better on the power play. Sure, they had a goal last night but that was a result of some great individual play. There was too much passing at the blue line and not enough of getting the puck deep and the zone and creating good chances from the "inside out". 

Anyways, solid win but two huge league points are on the line tonight. Preview later. 

Why BC won- 

1. Penalty kill was terrific. CC was 0 for 5 on the man up, much better execution from the Eagles. 

2. Sanford, Tuch, and Hanifin seem to be improving each and every game. Noah looks like a pro out there sometimes while Tuch and Sanford are clearly two of the best forwards on this team at the moment. They combined for 4 points.

3. Spiro was sensational. I don't know how this kid didn't get any playing time in his first three seasons but he has argaubly been BC's best forward besides Fitzgerald. 

4. Demko was fantastic. 

Negatives- 

1. Penalties. Five power plays is too many. 

2. BC turned it over a lot more than they did vs RIT. Teams like CC don't always capitalize on chances, other opponents down the road certainly will. 

Player of the game- Cam Spiro 

Next up- UMass tonight 

Go Eagles

Previewing the Colorado College Tigers

The last time I wrote the five words you see above, BC Hockey world was filled with optimism as many inside the program felt the 2011 version of the Eagles was the best of the Coach York era. While they may have been true, the walls came tumbling down on March 26th, 2011 as #4 Colorado College ended #1 BC's season, 8-4 in the semifinals of the NCAA West regional in St. Louis. Obviously, a lot has changed since that dreadful day but it will no doubt stay in the minds of coaches, players, and fans for a very long time.

Anyways, tomorrow presents a fantastic opportunity for this Eagle club. They open up at home against a "weak" Tiger squad, fresh off a perfect performance vs RIT. Colorado College is in it's first season under head coach Mike Haviland, who took over after Scott Owens ran the program for 15 years and engineered that historic upset of BC four years ago. I think it's quiet fair to say that CC is in a bit of a rebuilding year but they have a large senior class (six guys) and six NHL draft picks to their credit. So far this season, the Tigers are 2-2, with both wins coming at home vs Alabama-Huntsville and both losses coming at home vs the University of North Dakota. In fact, UND demolished their NCHC rivals by a cumulative score of 10-3 last weekend. While CC did pick up two wins vs UAH, those weren't the usual power conference team vs UAH blowouts, the scores were 3-2 and 4-3.

Leading the way for the black and gold is their top returning scorer and Carolina draft pick, defenseman Jaccob Slavin who posted 5 goals and 25 assists as a freshman. Unfortunately for CC, he was the only blue liner to record more than 9 points a season ago. Slavin is joined by talented freshman Teemu Kivihalme, who is currently second on the team is scoring. It appears that while CC may have a hard time putting the puck in the net (33rd in goals scored so far), they have some young, talented defenseman that have a good mixture of size and speed. Jr forward Peter Maric currently leads their club in points with three, already 3/4 of the amount he recorded a season ago.

Let's make this very clear. BC should win this game. I'm not going to try and sugarcoat it for you, a loss tomorrow night would be three or four steps in the wrong direction. Not only should the Eagles win this game, they should run these guys out of the building. If they play within their system, break the puck out smoothly, forecheck aggressively, avoid dumb penalties and stupid turnovers, they should be able to take home the win. The two biggest areas they need to improve in are the power play (only one goal in six tries), and the penalty kill (42nd in the country, 75%). I'd like to see them switch up the penalty killing pairs. While I think Straight could possibly get some time on the kill, I don't understand why he is above Smith, Sit, Linell, Spiro (who they don't put out there much), and Cangelosi. In fact, Straight has been out there for both PP goals BC has given up this season. Odds are, BC is going to take a couple of penalties. They're going to be amped up to play in front of a home crowd for the first time this season, so they may come out with a little "too much" intensity from the start. Let's hope the PK is ready to go.

Scouting CC-

Leading scorers- Pete Maric (3 points), Cody Bradley (2 points), Garrett Cecere (2 points)

Record- 2-2 (Wins vs UAH, losses vs UND)

Projected starter- Tyler Marble (.892 save percentage)

Through four games, CC is the most penalized team in college hockey. 16.5 penalty minutes per game. They have given up 2 power play goals per game. 11 for 19 on the kill.

Notes- 

Last meeting- Next.

All time series- 12-5-1 BC leads

BC is 12-7-1 in home openers under Coach York. 5-1-1 since 2008

Keys for BC- (Same as always) 

1. No stupid penalties.

2. No turnovers in the defensive or neutral zone that will lead to odd man rushes.

3. Convert on the power play!! This team will be able to produce offensively if they can develop a potent power play.

No injuries.

It's been 1,309 days.

Go Eagles.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

As a die hard BC Hockey fan, I've had the unbelievable chance to experience some wins that I will always remember for the rest of my life, particularly the 2006 NCAA Northeast regional final and the 2012 Beanpot championship. While I haven't lived through the hard years such as many fans did all throughout the 90's, there are certainly two games that automatically jump out to me as the worst days in BC Hockey history. One was the 2007 NCAA championship vs Michigan State, a game in which we were certainly the better team but they just found a way to put the puck in the net. The other took place on March 25th, 2011 in St Louis, Missouri vs Colorado College.  Just minutes after the NCAA tournament brackets came out, I had ten people call me and ask about how good Michigan was because they were the #2 seed in the West regional and they assumed we would just blow by CC. Admittedly, I thought it was going to be a cake walk as well.

Since there were so many questions as to where BC would play, I was not able to catch a flight out to the Gateway to the West but I sat (ok, stood), in front of my grandfather's TV for an hour before the game started, just chomping away at my finger nails. The whole time, my grandfather just sat there and said "Mike, don't worry, we're going to kill them", "They have nobody". I kind of laughed at it nervously but since I didn't know much about any teams out West, particularly a four seed, I was very confident in BC's ability to advance.

Just 19 seconds into the game, Jimmy Hayes potted home his 21st goal of the season and we went crazy, high giving each other, pumping fist, screaming in joy, and already doing our research on Michigan.

And then it happened.

CC ended the period with 4 goals in a 15 minute span, with the fourth tally coming in the final two minutes of the period, while BC was on the power play. I refused to lose hope but deep down, I knew the run was over. A regular season title, a Beanpot, a Hockey East tournament trophy, a four game sweep of BU, the best line in BC history, I thought to myself, how in the world is this possible? Think about this. That team's fourth line was Paul Carey (plays in NHL)- Pat Brown (plays in NHL)- Kevin Hayes (Plays in NHL). I am not sure that will ever be replicated here, maybe the 2015-16 team has a chance to be as deep but they won't have the top end speed that the 2011 team had in Whitney (x2), Atkinson, Gibbons, Kreider, and Almeida.

A win on Friday won't heal any sort of "wounds" from that game but it would certainly put a smile on each coach, player, fan, and blogger that had to go though that horrible game. Colorado College may not be a very highly ranked squad with a number of future NHL players, but as my grandfather and I learned four years ago, never say never.

Go Eagles.

Recruiting Update

While the Eagles were out in Rochester, a couple future birds made their first trip to the Jack Parker Rink. The USNTDP lost to BU 6-4, but Jeremy Bracco recorded a goal and two assists while Casey Fitzgerald registered a +2 rating. Top target, Auston Matthews, centered Bracco's line and recorded two goals and one assist. Needless to say, he is the staff's top target for next season but the opposition is strong as BU, Denver, and Michigan, plus the WHL are all in on the Arizona native. Obviously, I have no clue what the kid is going to do but if he does commit to BC, they might have to think about handing the Eagles the 2016 National Title already. Think about this. Matthews would be the best forward of a group that includes Colin White, Jeremy Bracco (hopefully), and Miles Wood. On top of all that, Calnan, Gilmour, Fitzgerald, Cangelosi, and hopefully Tuch will all be back. LOADED !

Yesterday, defenseman Jacob Bryson of Loomis and Chaffee committed to Providence College. While the Eagles were one of several Hockey East teams in on the Neponset River Rats Dman, they offered less money than the Friars did. Right now, the staff only has one defenseman (Fitzgerald) slated to come in next season which means one of two things. First, they expect everyone except Matheson to return or second, they have some other names in mind. While they have some targets such as Dante Fabbro and Chad Krys, both those guys are 1998 birthdays and would certainly be too young to come next season. I expect them to pick up at least one more guy before Christmas. One guy to look for is NTDP defenseman Caleb Jones, brother Seth Jones (Nashville). He isn't the physical specimen that his brother is but he would certainly come in and play some minutes as a freshman and sophomore.

Anyways, that's all I got for now.

Go Eagles

Win #1

In what was a dominating defensive performance, the Boston College Eagles picked up their victory of the season last night, defeating RIT 6-2 in front of 10,556 rowdy Tiger fans @ Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. First of all, I thought the atmosphere was absolutely tremendous, credit RIT for going out and scheduling games like that for their homecoming. Rochester is certainly a hockey hotbed where Coach York has had a lot of success on the recruiting trail (two Giontas, Reasoner) so hopefully that game last night can help enhance not only RIT's hockey program, but hockey in Rochester as a whole. As for the game, I thought BC was as good as they could be in their own end for large portions of the contest, particularly in the first period in which it seemed like the Tigers couldn't get a shot on goal to save their lives. They came out and tried to set the tone early with a lot of big hits but BC countered with a super aggressive forecheck that had the opponent running around their own end like chickens with their heads cut off. The breakouts, the forecheck, the turnovers, and the execution was leaps and bounds better than it was @ Lowell.

We said at the beginning of the year that BC had no shot to a win a National Title if they didn't get production from their stellar group of defensemen. Well, last night they combined from six points and had four goals from Matheson, Doherty, Santini, and McCoshen. Not only were they contributing to the offense in a big way, they started to look somewhat comfortable in their own end. Last weekend, they moved the puck like it was a hot potato and it led to countless turnovers and eventually a couple of River Hawks goals. That wasn't the case last night. For all the talk about Matheson, Hanifin, and McCoshen, it's the undrafted, 5'9 Teddy Doherty who leads all blue liners in points thus far. It doesn't hurt when his partner, Ian McCoshen, plays about 15 times better than he did vs Lowell. It's tough for Ian because he's such a big, physical guy and the tight rules of college hockey really affect him and the team sometimes. Overall, that's the exact type of game the staff wants the defense to play like, no turnovers, no stupid penalties (iffy call on Hanifin in first), and joining the rush when they can. Perfect night. 

Up front, it was Zach Sanford and Ryan Fitzgerald who led the way. The other prediction I had at the beginning of the year along with the one stated in the second paragraph is that BC couldn't survive without points from Sanford and Alex Tuch, the two highly touted freshmen forwards. Maybe it was the first game jitters or the effectiveness of Lowell's forecheck but whatever the case, Sanford, Cangelosi, and Fitzgerald generated a lot more scoring chances in game two than they did in game one. Quietly, Brendan Silk, Cam Spiro, and Mike Sit combined for four points and the bottom six forwards combined for six shots. They had just one a week ago. From my point of view, Chris Calnan has been the most improved forward through two games. He didn't have any points but he did have  three shots on goal and barely missed out on scoring in back to back games on multiple occasions. He doesn't really need to be a multiple point per game guy like Fitzgerald, Gilmour, and Tuch need to be but he does need to be one of, if not the best, forecheck on this team. He certainly was last night. 

Overall, I'm really excited about the way the team played as a whole. My only two concerns are the power play and penalty kill, both of which seem a little out of synch. The departures of G, Arnold, and Hayes hurt this team on the power play more than anywhere else because last year's second unit, this year's first unit, really hasn't gelled yet. They always figure special teams out at one point or another. I'm not too concerned. 

Why BC Won- 

1. Defense leads to offense. When the guys on the blue line are playing like that, beating BC is going to be very, very tough. Not only are they skilled on their feet when controlling the puck, they've got a little bit of a nasty side to them. Super skilled but also tough to play against. 

2. Sanford and Fitzgerald were on fire. They combined for five points. 

3. They turnovers were cut substantially. Small amount of turnovers=win. 

Negatives- 

1. Power play and penalty kill are a tad off. McCoshen had a nice bomb from the point with under two minutes to play, giving BC their first PP goal of the year.

Player of the game- Teddy Doherty 

Next Up- Colorado College on Friday. UMass on Saturday. Both at home. 

Go Eagles. 

RIT Preview

After an extremely disappointing start to the season last weekend @ Lowell, the Eagles will look to right the ship as they face off vs the RIT Tigers. Interestingly, RIT is coached by Wayne Wilson who was a member of Coach York's 1984 NCAA Championship team @ Bowling Green. Associate head coach Brian Hills also played for Coach @ Bowling Green. Obviously, this is a huge game but for a lot of varying reasons. First of all, the first win is always one of the toughest to get, especially in front of what is sure to be a raucous crowd of 10,000 screaming Tiger fans. Secondly, BC has got to show their ability to play solid in their own end because that is supposed be the strength of this team. Some of the breakdowns vs Lowell were atrocious. A loss is a loss but last weekend wasn't just a loss, it was a game in which the Eagles looked totally out of sorts for forty minutes. Hopefully a good week of practice and a full squad will help enhance both the defensive zone breakouts and offensive productivity.

RIT is 1-1 on the season with a win over St.Lawrence and a loss vs Clarkson under their belts. This will be their fifth straight season hosting the "Brick City Homecoming", last year they faced off vs Michigan and almost beat a Wolverine squad that was fresh off a victory vs BC. There are certain games you just have to find a way to win, no matter how good the opponents plays or how tough the environment is, you just have to find a way. Tomorrow is one of those games. Five of the last eight seasons, BC has lost their opening game, in fact they've done that the past three years. Lost @ NU in 2013, @ Michigan in 2014, and @ Lowell last weekend. One of the reason Coach York and the staff decided to schedule this game and so many other non-conference road games is because a win on the road is added points to the pairwise standings. The Eagles are currently 46th....it's early.

There are a lot of things that need to get better and I'm not expecting a perfect game tomorrow but if dumb penalties and turnovers are prevalent, it isn't going to be pretty. This team is simply not explosive enough to make up for three or four really bad give aways in their own end. Towards the end of the second and certainly in the third period vs UML, the Eagles were able to generate a lot more pressure but unfortunately, it was all from the first two lines. BC's bottom six forwards combined for just one shot and freshman defenseman Noah Hanifin led the team with four shots on goal. I love Noah but a freshman defenseman isn't supposed to be the best player on the ice with a team full of future NHLers in his first game, even it's Noah Hanifin. 

When it's all said and done, we're going to learn a lot about this team's ability to rebound from adversity. Once the crowd got going after UML's first goal last week, BC couldn't do anything about it. Even if RIT scores the first goal or two tomorrow, the Eagles can't just pack it in like they did last weekend. It's a 60 minute game! We played about fifteen minutes at a high level a week ago. 

Keys for BC- 

1. Can't turn the puck over. Hockey isn't too different from football in the sense that whichever team turns the puck/ball over more, usually loses the game. BC has got to find a way to clean up in their own end.

2. Special teams. Neither the power play nor penalty kill was very effective last week. They still don't have a set top power play unit, they just do it by lines. Tuch, Gilmour, Fitzgerald, Matheson, and Hanifin would be a potent first unit. Also, they could possibly move Savage into the second unit. 

3. Scoring from the bottom two lines. Believe it or not, the return of Brendan Silk should help substantially. He was without a doubt the most improved forward from 2013 to 2014. Spiro, Sit, Linell, and Smith need to find a way to muster more than one shot on goal. 

Go Eagles. 

Couple Updates

First off, I want to say thank you for all the messages of support I got this week. It is certainly a tough situation for me but hopefully all wounds heal over time. I'm looking forward to writing about some actual hockey over the next couple of days.

The Eagles will make the trip out to Rochester tomorrow and take on RIT Saturday night @ a sold out Blue Cross Arena. Here is the projected lineup.

Calnan-Gilmour-Tuch

Sanford-Fitzgerald-Cangelosi

Spiro-Sit-Silk (First game)

Smith-Straight-Linell

Matheson-Savage

Santini-Hanifin

McCoshen-Doherty

Out- Matty G, Peter McMullen, Travis Jeke

The USNTDP U18 team played @ Providence tonight and they will take on the Terriers tomorrow @ the Jack Parker Rink. BC recruit Jeremy Bracco notched NTDP's third goal this evening in a game they ended up tying 3-3. Casey Fitzgerald recorded their second goal. The big uncommitted name on this year's roster is forward Auston Matthews, an Arizona native. According to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal, Matthews is 50-50 on whether he will go college or WHL. The schools he is considering are BC, Denver, Michigan, and BU. 

I will have an RIT preview up wither later tonight or on Friday. 

Go Eagles. 

A Message to My Readers

For those of you that follow this blog both on the website itself and on Twitter, you are well aware of my inexplicable actions over the course of the past couple of weeks, perhaps even months. Ever since Spring of last year, there have been many "deletions", personal Twitter posts, and tweets that reflect poorly on both myself and more importantly, Boston College Hockey. Yesterday's tweet about a Boston University player was totally inappropriate, untrue and although I didn't write it, I am 100% responsible for what goes on both on this blog and on it's Twitter page. There is no excuse, no one else to blame, and no reason for it other than my own personal stupidity.

While some may think otherwise, I have a ton of respect for BU Hockey, especially when it comes to David Quinn and his staff. I do not tweet stuff unless I know it is 100% true, on every level. While there were some tweets two weeks ago that caused up some stir, those were ones that I had confirmed but certainly should have kept to myself. As I said, what took place yesterday should have no repercussions for anyone else involved or associated with Boston College, other than me. It was a 100% a lie.

I have embarrassed the school and the program that I love more than anything else and for that, I am terribly sorry. I do not know what the future holds, but I promise that I will do my best to get back to just reporting on Boston College Hockey. After all, that's all that matters to me.

Sorry. Go Eagles.

Back On Track

With all the momentum arch rival Boston University has built up over the past months on the recruiting trail, the staff was in desperate need of a big get. Well, they got that today. 2000 birthdate TJ Walsh committed to BC. In the Massachusetts hockey world, two 2000's were considered to be the "next big things" one of them, Jake Wise, committed to BU over BC last weekend. This weekend, the good guys picked up a victory.

Walsh will play for Shattuck St Mary's Tier 1 Bantam team this season. Coach Ayers was out watching him yesterday, he committed today.

Obviously, Walsh's enrollment is a long ways away and anything can happen between now and then but it's just nice to see the staff get back on track.

Go Eagles.

Rough Start

For the third straight season, the Eagles dropped their opening game, this time it was a league contest in front of a packed crowd @Tsongas Center vs Lowell. First off, give Lowell and their fans a tremendous amount of credit. The crowd was loud, energetic, and certainly had a big part in their club's victory. The Eagles started off well with a goal from Chris Calnan but three straight defensive lapses allowed the River Hawks to garner the victory. I thought the first couple shifts were real good, filled with pressure but all the sudden BC dumped the puck into the zone, Lowell takes it out going the other way and two BC forwards collide at center ice, giving the River Hawks a 4 on 2, and an easy goal. If you look at it, Lowell has numbers but one of BC's defensemen just let's their forward go right around him without an effort, that results in a mini 2-1 and an eventual goal. Nothing Demko could do. The second goal featured the same defensive pairing as Lowell swung the puck around the net, BC lost a battle on the half wall which could have led to a clear, next you thing you know the puck ends up in the back of the net. BC looked totally lost in their own zone for large portions of this game. The strength of this team is supposed to be their ability to keep opponents off the scoreboard with their aggressive defense and consistent goaltending. Neither of those were present last night, especially the defense. On the third goal, we actually had the puck deep in their end but after a lousy pass, they take it up the ice with numbers and instead of staying with the winger that was breaking down the ice, one of our defenseman shifts over to the guy with the puck which forces the back checker (Smith) to somehow pick up the guy that's already five feet in front of him. Everyone is going to think it was Smith's fault but it's not because he didn't try. He was the one that turned the puck over initially but for some reason, both of our defensemen decided to converge on the puck carrier.

After a rough first period and a half, I thought Ryan Fitzgerald's line really picked it up, evident by Fitzs' goal with under two minutes to play in the second stanza but BC just never got in a rhythm offensively or defensively. Winning a road game in Hockey East is impossible if you take stupid penalties and turn the puck over. BC turned it over more last night than they did in any game last season. I was totally wrong about Lowell's forecheck, they were aggressive all night with two guys in hard on the puck and a third waiting on the wall to pick off a pass. Once BC transitioned up the neutral zone, they generated some quality chances, especially early in the third when McCoshen and Spiro barely missed out on goals, but the defensive zone play was painful to watch for a long time.

The first five minutes of the third was all BC but a bad icing led to a face-off with tired guys on the ice which led to another horrible turnover on the wall which resulted in the game ending goal. Frustrating. Really frustrating.

Early in the third I noticed that Zach Sanford and Michael Sit were out. I can tell you that Sanford suffered an upper body injury and Coach York said he was experiencing some "dizziness" after the second stanza. No word on Sit. The Eagles have the next six days off before making the trek up to Rochester to play RIT.

Obviously, not the way we wanted to start the season but the mistakes are ones that can certainly be fixed. Less turnovers, less penalties, capitalization on the power play, and more experience for the younger guys should led to positive results in the near future. It will be interesting to see what the staff does as far as line changes go for next week.

Why BC Lost- 

1. Turnovers.

2. Breakdowns.

3. Penalties.

Next up- @ RIT next Saturday

Lowell Preview

For the 92nd time in the history of the school, Boston College will field a men's ice hockey team starting tomorrow night when the #2/3 Eagles travel up to Tsongas Center and take on the #18 Lowell River Hawks. For the fifth straight season, BC will start it's conquest on the road. Their last opening game at home was in 2009, a banner night win over the Wisconsin Badgers. Obviously, a new season brings a great deal of excitement for the players, staff, fans, and blogger. For the first time in a long time, we are flying a bit under the radar not only nationally, but in Hockey East. Personally, I love how everyone is talking about Providence being the next 1993 Maine team and how Jack Eichel could beat out Sidney Crosby for the NHL MVP right now. Sure, we're still #3 in the rankings but there are a lot of guys on this club that have a chance to prove a lot of people, including myself, wrong.

Of course, Lowell is going to be out for revenge after we ended their season last year in the NCAA Northeast regional final which was certainly one of the best games I have witnessed in a long time. Norm Bazin has done a tremendous job rebuilding what was a defunct program but now his club is full off "his guys". No team, perhaps maybe UMass or UNH, loses more than Lowell does from a season ago. Top scorers Joe Pendenza, Josh Holmstrom, and Derek Arnold graduated while forward Scott Wilson, defenseman Christian Folin, and All American goaltender Connor Hellebuyck all bolted for the pros. That's a lot of players. To deal with the massive exodus, Bazin and his staff brought in a whopping 14 man freshmen class, plus former UMass goalie, Kevin Boyle who transferred. This is what I love about this game. Their guys get thrown right into the fire vs the #1 program in the country, at home, in front of sold out crowd, with a lot on the line. As inexperienced as we are at some positions, we look like a group of veterans compared to these guys (not counting age, of course).

With all the losses, I expect Lowell to amp up their defensive style. In last weekends exhibition against St.Thomas, a game which they won 7-3, four of their goals were scored on the man advantage .  When it comes to five on five, especially the first two lines, BC has a big advantage but if Lowell gets 6 power play chances like they did vs St.Thomas, odds are they're going to find a way to score. I don't expect BC to blow anyone out of the water this year, especially a Lowell team that rarely gives up a large amount of goals, but if they can ware these guys down early with a strong forecheck, zero penalties, and minimal defensive lapses, it could be a good night. Today's practice was all breakouts, something that having a star-studded defense can't hurt in the least bit. The tough part isn't going to be breaking the puck out of the defensive zone because the River Hawks rarely send a forechecker in, it's going to be in the neutral zone. BC is going to have a hard time making plays in between the blue lines so the best option might just be to get the puck deep, send two guys in hard with a high forechecker, and force a turnover or hope for a penalty.

So, who's going to score the goals? The two most impressive guys in the exhibition and at practice were Adam Gilmour and Alex Tuch. They will be joined by Chris Calnan on the left wing. All I'm going to say is this, find a way to get Tuch the puck because the kid can shoot it better than anyone forward I've ever seen around here, including Steven Whitney. Calnan can do the work down low, Gilmour is a good facilitator of the biscuit, and Tuch can flat out finish. I have high expectations for that line. Another guy I really like tomorrow is Cam Spiro. For some reason, the staff didn't play him much, if at all, a season ago but he brings a unique combination of speed and skill that no bottom six forward possesses. Look for him to be a pleasant surprise.

Sure, there are lots of questions and very few will be answered tomorrow night but for me, tomorrow is better than Christmas morning. Other programs may do it differently but around here, the expectations never change. 1. Always beat BU. 2. Win a National Championship.  This team has the talent and leadership to win a lot of hockey games but tomorrow night is chance to show the college hockey world that this is still our conference. Big game.


Scouting Lowell- 

Leading returning scorer- Adam Chapie (12-11-23) He didn't play last weekend so not sure what the deal is.

Best returning defenseman- Zach Kamrass (4-16-20)

Leading returning goaltender- All new guys

NHL Draft picks- One (Evan Campbell, 5th round Edmonton)

Projected top line- AJ White- Evan Campbell- Terence Wallin

# of Freshmen- 14, plus one transfer

# of departures from last year- 9

Keys for BC- 

1. Avoid turnovers in the neutral zone

2. Stay out of the box. Like always.

3. Move the puck on the power play. Get it to Tuch on the half wall. they play him in front of net, I don't like him there. What do I know.

Injury Report- Brendan Silk is OUT. Upper body injury.

7:15 start. Go Eagles.

New Brunswick Observations

We all got our first look at the 2014-15 version of the Eagles last night as they opened the season on a high, defeating a strong New Brunswick team 6-4. Like I said yesterday, there really isn't much you can take away from these games but there were certainly some bright spots along with a lot of areas for improvement. Here are the the top five things I took away.

1. Cam Spiro might be a diamond in the rough. There are a lot of people out there on Twitter that have always been messaging me about why the staff doesn't give him more playing time but I think that is going to change this year. He was BC's best bottom six forward last night but his line mates, Danny Linell and Matty Gaudreau, weren't too bad either. Not many teams in Hockey East have a fourth line that consist of three high quality skaters so hopefully they can build off this performance.

2. Tuch was sensational. He isn't one of those guys that's going to jump out at you right off the bat but he just seems like he's a solid all around player with a lot of size and skill. He scored his first goal by setting himself in front of the net on a power play before taking a nice feed from Adam Gilmour, which he was able to bang home after a nice move. His second goal was an absolute rocket of a shot, one of his many intangibles. He can play down low and up high (because of shot) on the power play which is something the staff could experiment with in the near future.

3. Penalty kill wasn't great. I'm not really a huge fan of giving opposing team's defensemen all day to look around and make a play with the puck while on the man advantage. I've always felt that if they're constantly being bugged, then the chances of a turnover are much higher. It seems like BC wants to pack it in between the dots. Obviously we lost our two best killers last season in Pat Brown and Billy Arnold but guys like Linell, Smith, Sit, Spiro, Fitzgerald, and Cangelosi should be able to compliment the defense.

4. Defense had a couple of sloppy mistakes. New Brunswick's first goal, a power play tally, was a total defensive breakdown as no one covered the guy flying in from the far side. Their second goal was a breakaway late in the middle stanza during a BC power play. That should never happen. BC looked a bit out of sorts for a large portion of the game and a lot of that has to do with the fact that they haven't practiced much and some guys are adjusting to new positions. The backbone of this team is going to have to be their defense and their goaltending. The goaltending was fine last night, the defense at times, was not.

5. They didn't play Hanifin much. After the second UNB goal, for which Noah was out there for (not sure it was totally his fault, would have to see tape) it seems the staff played Travis Jeke a lot more than Noah. Make no mistake, #7 is going to be on the ice Friday night vs Lowell but I'm thinking that the staff is going to ride the hot guys this season, especially on defense. When your deep on the blue line, such as BC is, you have the ability to play some guys a lot more and some guys a lot less.


Top four BC players- Spiro, Matheson, Tuch, Barone, Gilmour

Go Eagles

New Brunswick Preview

Hockey baby. Actual hockey! Tonight, the 2014-15 edition of the Boston College Eagles will hit the ice to face Canadian foe, the University of New Brunswick in an exhibition game that does not count towards any part of the record or the standings. I can tell you this, BC knows this is a good hockey club as they're one of the favorites to win the Canadian college championship. Their current record is 3-0 but all of those wins have also been exhibitions vs Canadian teams. After playing @ Kelly Rink, they will head up to Orono to take on the Black Bears Sunday afternoon.

Obviously I'm not going to give a big preview because I don't know much about this team. However, I am told they have a 27 year old former AHL player on their club. Hey, what better way to prepare for Lowell than playing another team of grown men.

Anyways, here are the top five things to look out for.

1. The freshmen. We all know Hanifin is going to come in and play at a high level right away, if I'm wrong about that I would be shocked. We can survive with Noah having a bad game here and there because we're deep on the back end, we can't survive if Tuch and Sanford are nowhere to be found early in the season. There is no reason this team shouldn't be 4-0 before heading out to the Mile High city for a big series vs Denver. Tuch and Sanford need to find a way to get acclimated sooner rather than later.

2. Just how much different the style of play is. Yes, it is just an exhibition but I want to see BC keep their opponents shots on goal number low. This is the best D core we have ever had and there is no reason why we shouldn't have the lowest GAA in Hockey East this season. Tight gaps, fluent breakouts, no bad turnovers, solid goaltending.

3.  The bottom two lines. The only way this team is going to win a National Title is if Danny Linell, Mike Sit, and Quinn Smith start scoring, even if it's just a little bit. We didn't really need them to score much last year because of the big three but this season is different, hopefully they can get off to a good start tonight .

4. The power play units. These teams from up north usually take a lot of penalties so look for the Eagles to get a good amount of power plays. I would think the first unit will be Gilmour, Fitzgerald, Cangelosi, Matheson, and Hanifin while the second unit will be Sanford, Tuch, Calnan, Savage, and McCoshen or Doherty. It's been a while since we've had two potent power play units and it's a huge reason why we lost to Union. Having a high powered man advantage can only enhance BC's ability to score goals.

5. Look, I don't take much out of these exhibition games. I walked out of the one last season thinking we wouldn't lose a game all season and we lost less than a week later @ Michigan. There are two important factors. 1, win. 2, don't suffer any injuries.

Go Eagles.

Terriers Win Another, Lineup, First Injury Update

It seems like it has been a long time since we have had some positive news on the recruiting trail. This afternoon, top 2000 (amazing how young) Jake Wise committed to Boston University. The Central Catholic freshman is a high end offensive talent that the staff would have really liked to pick up but that isn't going to happen. 

Obviously, David Quinn and Steve Greely have come in and really changed the recruiting game. I don't care about how college hockey is better when BC and BU are great, I want to win every game by 1000 goals vs them. They got Greer, obviously Wise, they got Keller (for now), and they got Greenway. We got Bracco (for now), and Wood. The bottom line is we are losing more than we are winning. There are still a couple of huge names left on the USNTDP U18 and U17 teams (Kohodorenko, Krys, Matthews) landing a commitment from any of those three, particularly Matthews, would change the game completely. 

Anyways, here is what you should expect the lineup to look like Saturday night vs New Brunswick. 

Tuch-Gilmour-Calnan

Sanford-Fitzgerald-Cangelosi 

Spiro-Gaudreau-Linell

Smith-Sit-Straight 

Matheson-Savage

McCoshen-Doherty

Hanifin-Santini

Demko 

You'll notice Brendan Silk's name wasn't on there. Staff doesn't expect him to play Saturday but if all goes well, he will play Friday @ Lowell when it really counts. 

Go Eagles. 

Recruiting Stuff

It's hard to believe that the Eagles will be back on the ice Saturday night for the first time after a devastating loss to Union in Frozen Four. I think it's going to be another year filled with excitement, wins, and at times, moments where the team is going to have to fight through some difficult adversity. Anyways, I stated last week that I'm trying to really promote the recruiting aspect of the blog so my goal is to write at least one, hopefully two, recruiting articles a week. Most of the time, such as tonight, they will be updates about how guys are performing. The season is young but both the USHL teams and the USNTDP have kicked off their season.

Class of 2015

Jeremy Bracco- Leads the U18 team with 4 goals and 8 assists through 7 games, also added three points at the All-American prospect game last Thursday up in Buffalo. Still very much up in the air as to if he will ever end up at BC but if he does, he will be an absolute stud.

Colin White- Fifth on the U18 team with 4 goals and 4 assists through 7 games. Like Bracco, he also played in the AA prospect game last week. Certainly the best all around player in the pipeline. Plays a style very similar to Patrice Bergeron.

Casey Fitzgerald- Has only played four games for the U18 team, has recorded 2 points so far. Played in All American prospect game as well.

Joey Dudek- His Dubuque Fighting Saints have only played one game thus far, so nothing to report.

Chris Brown- Same as Dudek, just one game played for the Green Bay Gamblers.

Miles Wood- Nobles doesn't start until Thanksgiving time but I can tell you he recorded 8 points vs a team that I coach last weekend. He beat us 10-2. Yup.

Chris Shero- Playing for Scott Harlow and his South Shore Kings,0  points in 7 games.


Class of 2016-

Graham McPhee- Fourth on the U17 team with 1 point though two games.

Zachary Walker- Also on the U17 team but suffered a bad lower body injury. Assume he is out for some time.

Luke McInnis- Don't have stats in front of me but playing for a loaded Cape Cod Whalers squad coached by former Eagle Andrew Orpik. They won their first tournament two weeks ago.

David Cotton- I got nothing

Connor Moore- Playing 1st D pair with recruiting target Jacob Bryson on the #1 ranked team in the country, the U18 Neponset Valley River Rats. They won the Labor Day Tournament final vs the Whalers.

That's all I got.

Go Eagles.