Top-Ranked Wisconsin Waiting At Frozen Four

2017 NCAA TOURNAMENT | National Semifinals
No. 4 Boston College (28-5-5) vs. No. 1 Wisconsin (32-2-4)
Friday, March 17, 2017 | 6 p.m. ET
Family Arena | St. Charles, Mo.

SEMIFINAL MATCH-UP OVERVIEW

Friday's match features the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament - Wisconsin - against the No. 4 overall seed, Boston College
Both teams advanced to Frozen Four via home shutouts in the NCAA Quarterfinals ... BC earned a 6-0 win over sixth-ranked St. Lawrence at Kelley Rink, while Wisconsin topped CHA automatic qualifier and eighth-ranked Robert Morris, 7-0, at LaBahn Arena
Wisconsin will enter the game ranked No. 1 in the country, while BC is No. 4 in the last USCHO poll (March 6)
This is the third time the teams will meet in the National Semifinals, but the first time since 2012 ... after the team's 2011 semifinal meeting, the Badgers went on to win the national championship ... in 2012, UW fell to Minnesota in the championship game
The teams have not met since the 2012 National Semifinals

WCHA FAMILIAR FROZEN FOUR FOE

The WCHA has been a familiar Frozen Four foe for the Eagles ... BC has met a WCHA team five times in the Frozen Four, going 0-5 in those games
The Eagles are 0-4 in the National Semifinals, and 0-1 in the National Championship game
BC has faced Wisconsin twice in the National Semifinals (2011, 2012), Minnesota twice - 2013 National Semifinals and 2016 National Championship - and Minnesota Duluth once (2007 National Semifinals)
Overall in the NCAA Tournament, BC is 1-6 against the WCHA, with the lone win coming against Minnesota at home in the 2011 Quarterfinals

THREE-STRAIGHT FROZEN FOURS FOR THE SENIORS

The Boston College seniors have now advanced to their third Frozen Four, qualifying as sophomores, juniors and now seniors
This is the fifth class in program history to play in three Frozen Fours: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and now 2017
No class has qualified for four Frozen Fours, but one player has: Alex Carpenter '16 ... she matriculated BC in September 2011 and played two seasons before taking the 2013-14 school year off to play with Team USA at the 2014 Olympics ... upon her return for the 2014-15 season, she was part of the Eagles teams that advanced to the 2015 and 2016 Frozen Fours

TOURNAMENT TESTED

Boston College is playing in its ninth NCAA Tournament overall this year, and its seventh straight event
The Eagles' nine appearances are tied with St. Lawrence for the third-most appearances in NCAA Tournament history ... this year marks Minnesota's 15th appearance (most ever), followed by four teams with 11: Minnesota Duluth, Wisconsin, Harvard and Mercyhurst
BC claimed its first-ever runner-up finish last year, and has five times finished third (most in tournament history)

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

Boston College is 8-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the championship game once (2016) and the national semifinals six other times (2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017)
BC is 7-2 all-time in the Quarterfinal round, and is 6-0 when hosting the first-round game ... the Eagles are 1-5 in the national semifinals and 0-1 in the national championship
BC has failed to advance to the Frozen Four just twice in nine trips to the NCAA Tournament: 2009 and 2014 ... in both seasons, BC did not host the Quarterfinals at Kelley Rink

HISTORY AS THE NO. 4 SEED

This is the fourth time Boston College has been granted the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament: 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2017
BC has a 4-3 record in the tournament as the No. 4 seed ... BC is 4-0 in the Quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed, and 0-3 in the national semifinals
BC is 2-1 as the No. 1 seed, 1-1 as the No. 2 seed and 1-4 when unseeded

THE SEMIFINAL STORY

Boston College has played in six prior NCAA Semifinal matches, going a combined 1-5 in those games
The Eagles dropped their first five National Semifinals before breaking through in 2016, topping Clarkson, 3-2, in overtime after coming back from a two-goal deficit
BC made its first-ever appearance in the Frozen Four in 2007, and then returned in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016
After facing WCHA opponents in their first four trips to the national semifinals, the Eagles have faced ECAC foes in their last two visits

SEARCHING FOR A STAR

Boston College is on the hunt for its first NCAA title in the program's history
Should the Eagles win, it would the first women's team NCAA championship in BC history
A NCAA title would also give Boston College its sixth hockey NCAA championship, as the men's team has five (1949, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2012) which are signified by stars on the back of their jerseys.

HOCKEY EAST'S NCAA FLAG BEARER

The Eagles lead all Hockey East programs in NCAA appearances (9), as well as Frozen Four appearances (7)
BC has advanced to the last seven NCAA Championships, the conference's longest current streak of NCAA appearances and also the league's longest run overall
The Eagles' eight wins in NCAA Championship play are also the most in Hockey East history
No Hockey East team has ever won the NCAA Tournament, with only BC (2016) BU (2011, 2013) advancing to the title game

KATIE CROWLEY MOVES UP COACHING CHARTS

Katie Crowley is making her eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the third-highest total for a coach and tied for sixth among all coaches
Crowley's current run of seven-straight NCAA Tournament appearances is tied for third-longest in event history behind 10 from both Mercyhurst's Michael Sisti (2005-16) and Minnesota's Brad Frost (2008-present) ... Crowley is tied with former Minnesota Duluth head coach Shannon Miller (2005-11)
With her fifth trip to the final weekend now booked, Crowley is tied for fourth in Frozen Four appearances among all coaches

3-FOR-3 THIS TROPHY SEASON ...

Boston College has already claimed its first three trophies of "Trophy Season"
The Eagles won the 2016-17 Hockey East regular-season title outright on Feb. 3 ... it was BC's fourth-straight regular-season crown
On Feb. 7, BC claimed its seventh Beanpot title with a 2-1 win over Northeastern at Matthews Arena
On March 5, BC won its third Hockey East Tournament title - and second in a row - with another 2-1 win over Northeastern at BU's Walter Brown Arena
This is the second straight year - and second time overall - that Boston College has won at least three trophies in a season ... prior to the 2015-16 season, BC had won two trophies twice: 2010-11 (Beanpot, Hockey East Tournament) and 2013-14 (Beanpot, Hockey East regular-season)

... BUT STILL SEARCHING FOR NATTY NO. 1

Boston College has one more trophy on its To-Win List: the National Championship
The "Natty" remains the one trophy BC has yet to claim in its history

SENIORS ARE FOUR-FOR-FOUR IN MAKING THE FINAL EIGHT

The Boston College senior class has been NCAA participants in each of its four seasons at The Heights
The Class of 2017 is the fourth-straight BC class to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of its four seasons
Beginning with the Class of 2014, each of the last four classes has played in the NCAA Tournament all four seasons

RARE MEETING WITH NO. 1

Friday's game will be Boston College's first game against the nation's No. 1 ranked team since facing then-No. 1 Minnesota in the 2013 National Semifinals
Overall in program history, BC is 0-15-0 against No. 1 ranked teams ... included in that mark are Brown (0-1-0), Dartmouth (0-2-0), Harvard (0-6-0), Minnesota (0-1-0), New Hampshire (0-3-0) and Wisconsin (0-2-0)
BC was the nation's No. 1 ranked team for much of 2014-15 and 2015-16, topping the polls for 30 weeks the prior two seasons

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS THIS YEAR

BC has faced just three teams this season, playing five games against Quinnipiac, Northeastern and St. Lawrence
Overall this year, BC is 3-1-1 against ranked teams
Oct. 21-22, No. 6 BC tied No. 3 Quinnipiac, 0-0, at home before winning the next day, 4-1, in Hamden
On Nov. 20, No. 6 BC and No. 10 Northeastern played to a 2-2 tie, before the teams met a week later on Nov. 26 with BC winning, 4-2 ... both games were at Matthews Arena
Last weekend, the Eagles defeated No. 6 St. Lawrence, 6-0, at Kelley Rink

JUNIOR CLASS ECLIPSES CENTURY MARK

The Boston College Class of 2018 - the junior class - won its 102nd game last Saturday in the NCAA Quarterfinals
They are the only class in BC program history to reach 100 wins by the end of its junior season
In the NCAA era (2000-01 to present), the BC junior class is just the sixth class to reach 100 wins before their senior season joining:
- Wisconsin Class of 2009 101 wins
- Minnesota Class of 2014 101 wins
- Minnesota Class of 2015 113 wins
- Minnesota Class of 2016 113 wins
- Minnesota Class of 2017 108 wins
- Boston College Class of 2018 102 wins

CLASS OF 2017 WILL GRADUATE AS WINNINGEST CLASS, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

With last Saturday's win in the NCAA Quarterfinals, the BC senior class passed the Class of 2016 to become winningest class in program history (129 wins)
The Class of 2017 is also the winningest class in terms of winning percentage, compiling a mark of 129-16-10 so far in four seasons (.865) ... the Class of 2016 finished with a career record of 128-18-8 (.857)
Should Boston College fall in the National Semifinals, the Class of 2017's winning percentage would dip no lower than .859

A WIN FOR THIRD PLACE

The Eagles' win on Saturday against St. Lawrence was the team's 28th victory of the season
28 wins is now the third-highest win total in program history, behind 40 in 2015-16 and 34 in 2014-15

THIRD-FEWEST LOSSES IN PROGRAM HISTORY ALSO GUARANTEED

Regardless of the season's outcome in the NCAA Tournament, the 2016-17 season is guaranteed to feature the third-fewest losses in program history
BC has five losses coming into the Frozen Four
The current third-place figure is seven (three times: 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2013-14)
The fewest losses in program history is one (2016-17), while three is the second-fewest (2015-16)

ANASTOS NOW THE EAGLES' MOST TENURED PLAYER

Last Saturday, Andie Anastos set the Boston College games played record when she lined up at center in her 155th career game
She passed Lexi Bender '16, who graduated last year as the program's career leader with 154 career appearances
Anastos has dressed for every game BC has played since her freshman year and not missed any games
One of the Eagles' other seniors - Kristyn Capizzano - is now tied with Bender for second on the Eagles' games played list, and Friday's game will push her into sole possession of second place
Haley McLean, the third member of the senior class, will take the ice in her 150th career game on Friday, becoming just the sixth player in program history to reach 150 appearances

ANASTOS CRACKS MORE BC TOP-10 RECORDS

Andie Anastos will close her BC career as one of the most unheralded scorers in program history
Anastos enters the Frozen Four ranked in the Boston College Top 10 in almost every offensive category, and in most cases, directly behind a quartet of present or past U.S. National Team players: Alex Carpenter '16, Haley Skarupa '16, Kelli Stack '11 and Erin Magee '99
The captain is ranked:
- Points (144) - Fifth
- Goals (58) - Eighth
- Assists (86) - Tied for Fifth
- Game-winning Goals (13) - Tied for Fourth
- Shorthanded Goals (6) - Tied for Fifth
- Plus/Minus (+120) - Sixth

BURT MOVING UP NCAA WINS RECORD; WILL HAVE HEA WINS MARK IN SIGHT NEXT YEAR

Katie Burt is moving up a host of goaltender career wins charts as she enters the Frozen Four with 91 career wins and the BC career wins mark already in hand
Burt is tied for sixth place on the NCAA career wins chart with former Wisconsin goalie Jessie Vetter '09, picking up 91 wins in just 107 games
Burt is now seven wins back of fifth place, which is currently held by Wisconsin goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens and Amanda Leveille (Minnesota '16) with 98 wins
As a junior, Burt is the second-winningest active goaltender in the NCAA, behind Desbiens (98), who is a senior
With 51 career wins in conference play, Burt is also one win back of the Hockey East career wins record (52), held by former UNH goalie Melissa Bourdon '07
Burt claimed the Boston College wins record as her own on Jan. 21 with a 3-0 shutout at Vermont ... it was her 81st career victory and passed Molly Schaus '11, who had 80 wins in her four seasons
Schaus had 20-, 14-, 22- and 24-win seasons at The Heights to set the record at the end of her career in 2010-11 ... in her almost three-year career, Burt has 30- and 35-win seasons and 26 wins so far this year

BURT SHUTTING OUT MORE RECORDS, TOO

Katie Burt's 12-save shutout of Merrimack on Jan. 13 was the 27th shutout of her career overall, and her 19th shutout in Hockey East play ... that passed Melissa Bourdon who had 18 at UNH (2003-07) and held the HEA record
Burt now holds the Hockey East career shutout record (in league games) with 20
Overall, Burt's 31 career shutouts put her in fifth place in NCAA history, one more than Bourdon and Alex Rigsby (Wisconsin '14), who each also had 30 and slid to sixth place after Burt's shutout in the NCAA Quarterfinals
Burt is one shutouts back of fourth place on the NCAA career list, currently held by Amanda Leveille (Minnesota '16)

BURT AMONG THE BEST-EVER, BEFORE HER CAREER IS EVEN COMPLETE

Katie Burt is among the top goaltenders in NCAA history already as she nears the end of her junior year with a full year of eligibility remaining
If her career ended now, Burt would rank in the Top 10 in almost every NCAA career goaltending statistic category:
- Wins: Tied for sixth with 91
- Shutouts: Fifth with 31
- Goals Against Average: Fifth with a 1.30 GAA
- Save Percentage: 10th with a .939 mark
- Winning Percentage: Third with a .883 mark
These figures take into account other active goaltenders in NCAA, including Wisconsin's Ann-Renee Desbiens and Quinnipiac goaltender Sydney Rossman
GAA, save percentage and winning percentage are not calculated for active goaltenders, only computed once their playing careers are completed … however, Burt's current numbers would place her in the Top 10 in all three categories

AGAINST No. 1 SEED WISCONSIN

Overall: 0-5-0
Home: 0-1-0
Away: 0-2-2
Neutral: 0-2-0
NCAA: 0-2-0
Series Notes
Boston College and Wisconsin have met five times, including two times in the National Semifinal ... The Badgers are 5-0-0 all-time against BC
BC is 0-1-0 at Kelley Rink, 0-2-0 in Madison and 0-2-0 on neutral ice
This will be the third-straight meeting between the teams in the National Semifinals, and the third-straight time Wisconsin is ranked No. 1 in the country when the teams meet
No current Eagles have faced the Badgers
Katie Crowley is 0-2-0 against Wisconsin as a head coach

AGAINST No. 2 SEED CLARKSON

Overall: 7-4-3
Home: 4-0-1
Away: 2-2-2
Neutral: 1-2-0
NCAA: 2-1-0
Series Notes
BC leads the all-time series, 7-4-3
The teams have met in the last three NCAA Tournaments ... after the Knights won in Potsdam in the 2014 Quarterfinals, BC claimed the quarterfinal win at Kelley Rink in 2015 ... last year, BC overcame a two-goal deficit to claim an overtime victory in the National Semifinals in Durham, N.H.
Five of the teams' games have gone into overtime
Boston College is 4-0-1 against Clarkson at home at Kelley Rink ... the Eagles are 2-2-2 in Potsdam ... Clarkson leads, 2-1-0, on neutral ice - BC's first win came in last year's Frozen Four
Head coach Katie Crowley has a 5-2-5 career mark against the Golden Knights

AGAINST MINNESOTA

Overall: 1-5-1
Home: 1-1-0
Away: 0-3-1
Neutral: 0-1-0
NCAA: 1-3-0
Series Notes
Minnesota leads the all-time series 1-5-1
Four of the teams' seven meetings have come in the NCAA Tournament ... the last four meetings have been in the NCAAs
BC is 1-1-0 at Kelley Rink, 0-3-1 in Minneapolis and 0-1-0 at a neutral site
The programs met in the 2016 National Championship game - BC's first-ever appearance in the final game of the season - with UM topping BC, 3-1 after scoring 13 seconds into the game to take control
BC earned its only win over the Gophers in the 2011 NCAA Quarterfinals, played at Kelley Rink
Five of the seven meetings have been determined by a single goal or less
Head coach Katie Crowley has a 1-3-0 career mark against the Gophers

Top-Ranked Wisconsin Waiting At Frozen Four

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Andie Anastos

Lexi Bender

Katie Burt

Kristyn Capizzano

Alex Carpenter

Haley McLean

Haley Skarupa

Top-Ranked Wisconsin Waiting At Frozen Four

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Andie Anastos

Lexi Bender

Katie Burt

Kristyn Capizzano

Alex Carpenter

Haley McLean

Haley Skarupa

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