Boston College Athletics
BC Hockey Prepares For Frozen Four
March 31, 2000 | Men's Hockey
March 31, 2000
The Eagles (28-11-1) in the
2000 NCAA Tournament Frozen Four
Providence Civic Center
Providence, R.I.
April 6 and 8, 2000
We're Back: The 2000 season marks Boston College's third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament's Frozen Four ... BC is just the fourth team to earn three consecutive berths in the semifinals since the tournament field was expanded to 12 teams in 1988 ... The 1998-2000 stretch marks the second time that Boston College has gained three straight Frozen Four berths. The Eagles also advanced to the semifinals in 1948, 1949 and 1950. The Eagles won their only national title in 1949 ... In 1998, BC defeated Ohio State (5-2) in the semifinal round, before falling to Michigan in overtime (3-2) in the title game ... Last year, the Eagles lost to Maine in overtime (2-1) in the semifinals.
Number 21: The 2000 tournament marks the 21st time the Eagles have earned a NCAA Tournament berth ... The Eagles rank fourth in all-time NCAA appearances ... BC made four trips to the tournament in the 1990s (1990, 1991, 1998, 1999) ... The 2000 tournament marks the team's 10th berth in the last 17 years ... BC has a 19-31 all-time record in the national tournament, including a 6-6 record in the 1990s.
Fourth Seed: Boston College advanced to the 2000 Frozen Four after winning two games - against Michigan State and Wisconsin - as the fourth-seeded team in the West Regional in Minneapolis, Minn. Boston College is the only team in this year's semifinal round that did not receive a first-round bye ... BC followed the same route last March, earning the fourth seed in the West Regional (Madison, Wisc.) and winning two games (Northern Michigan and North Dakota) to advance to the semifinals.
Streaks: Boston College has a 7-1 record in its last eight games. BC had a five-game winning streak snapped in the HOCKEY EAST Tournament's title game (a 2-1 loss to Maine). Since then, the Eagles have added two wins in the NCAA Tournament's West Regional ... BC's longest winning streak this season is six games (twice -- Nov. 30-Jan. 2, Jan. 23-Feb. 11).
Eyeing 100 Wins: For Boston College's five seniors, the 2000 Frozen Four represents the opportunity to raise their collegiate win total to 100. The class currently has a 98-51-14 record. The Class of 2000 won 15 games in its freshman season, 28 games in its sophomore season, 27 games in its junior season, and 28 games (so far) this season ... Only one other class in Boston College hockey history has recorded 100 wins. The Class of 1987 - John McLean, Sean Real, Tim Ceglarski and Kevin Stevens - won 111 games in its four years.
On The Defensive: When Boston College head coach Jerry York is asked to distinguish this year's Eagle team from either of his past two Frozen Four entries, he often cites the team's improved defense - and with good reason. Boston College has surrendered two or fewer goals in 29 of its 40 games this season. In fact, BC has allowed just 86 goals in 40 games, the lowest single-season goal total allowed by a BC team since the 1962-63 team allowed 79 goals in 31 games. Depending on the results of the team's Frozen Four contest(s), other relevant years are: 1961-62 - 87 goals allowed in 28 games, 1968-69 - 91 goals allowed in 26 games, and 1966-67 - 91 goals allowed in 28 games ... The Eagles are currently third nationally in scoring defense with a 2.15 GAA ... The team has posted seven shutouts.
Against the Frozen Four Field: BC is 2-2-0 against the three teams in the 2000 NCAA Tournament's Frozen Four. The Eagles have not met St. Lawrence or North Dakota this season, but did record a 2-2-0 mark against HOCKEY EAST foe Maine.
Who's Hot: Three Boston College players - seniors Blake Bellefeuille, Jeff Farkas and Mike Mottau - earned All-Tournament honors at the NCAA Tournament's West Regional in Minneapolis, Minn. Bellefeuille was also honored as the West Regional MVP ... Bellefeuille netted two goals and one assist in the two games out West, and extended his scoring streak to a season-best 11 games. During this streak, Bellefeuille has 15 points -- five goals and 10 assists. Earlier this season, Bellefeuille enjoyed a 10-game scoring streak (Nov. 30 to Jan. 22) ... Farkas captured All-Tournament accolades after netting two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, in a 6-5 first-round win over Michigan State ... Mottau tallied three assists - equaling his single-game high - against Michigan State. The first of those three assists was the 128th of his collegiate career, making him the school's career assist leader. The senior defenseman also anchored the BC defense that held Wisconsin's vaunted first line scoreless in the quarterfinal round.
Almost: Junior forward Brian Gionta wasn't a member of the West Regional All-Tournament Team, but he must have been the "next highest vote-getter". Gionta registered four points in the Eagles' two wins. He had one goal and one assist in the 6-5 overtime victory over Michigan State, and two goals in the team's 4-1 triumph over Wisconsin. His first goal against the Badgers came with 23 seconds remaining in the first period, while his second score was an empty-net goal with just four seconds remaining in the contest ... The junior ranks second on the team with 53 points - 32 goals and 21 assists. He has nine multiple-goal games.
Hobey Trifecta: Three Boston College players are among the 10 finalists for the 2000 Hobey Baker Award -- senior defenseman Mike Mottau, senior forward Jeff Farkas and junior forward Brian Gionta. Gionta was also a finalist for college hockey's highest individual honor last season. This marks just the second time in history that three finalists have been chosen from one school. The University of Michigan had three finalists in 1994 ... The three teamed up for the game-winning goal against Michigan State in the West Regional, with Gionta and Mottau assisting on Farkas' overtime tally.
Award-Winning Eagles: Senior defenseman Mike Mottau earned HOCKEY EAST Co-Player of the Year honors as well as the league's Best Defensive Defenseman award. He is the fifth Eagle to earn the league's Player of the Year award, and the first since David Emma in 1991. Five other Eagles also earned HOCKEY EAST recognition -- forwards Jeff Farkas and Brian Gionta joined Mottau on the league's first team, while forward Blake Bellefeuille and defenseman Bobby Allen earned second-team honors. Freshman forward Krys Kolanos earned HOCKEY EAST All-Rookie team honors. Junior goaltender Scott Clemmensen earned the Heaton Goaltending Award for posting the lowest goals-against-average in regular-season league play.
On the Verge: For the first time since the 1989-90 season, three Boston College players are on the verge of scoring 50 points apiece in the same season. Senior Jeff Farkas enters the Frozen Four with 55 points, junior Brian Gionta enters with 53 points, and senior Blake Bellefeuille enters with 49 points ... In 1989-90, junior David Emma (72 points) and sophomores Steve Heinze (63 points) and Marty McInnis (53 points) each reached the 50-point plateau.
In the NCAA Tournament Semifinals: The Eagles are 4-11 in the NCAA Tournament's semifinal round. Last season, BC lost to Maine, 2-1, in overtime ... In 1998, the Eagles defeated Ohio State 5-2 to advance to the championship game.
In the NCAA Tournament Championship Game: BC is 1-3 in NCAA championship games. In 1998, the Eagles fell to Michigan, 3-2, in overtime in the title game.
Non-Conference Analysis: The Eagles are 9-1-0 in non-conference games this season ... They are 2-1-0 against the WCHA, 2-0-0 against the CCHA and 5-0-0 against the ECAC ... The St. Lawrence game will mark Boston College's sixth against the ECAC this season. In previous action against ECAC foes, Boston College defeated Harvard (3-0), Dartmouth (6-1), Vermont (5-4), Brown (6-2) and Yale (3-1) ... Boston College defeated CCHA member Bowling Green, 5-2, in the 1999-2000 season opener (in BC's Kelley Rink on Oct. 15) and Michigan State, 6-5, in the NCAA West Regional in Minneapolis (Mar. 24) ... The Eagles split a two-game series at WCHA member Minnesota, and defeated Wisconsin (4-1) in the NCAA Tournament's West Regional (Mar. 25) ... The Eagles could meet WCHA member North Dakota in the national championship game.
Neutral Ice: Boston College has a 5-2-0 record in neutral-ice games this season, including two wins in the NCAA West Regional at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis ... BC was 2-2-0 in Boston's FleetCenter ... The Eagles defeated Dartmouth in Vermont's Gutterson Fieldhouse on Dec. 29.
In The Providence Civic Center: Boston College has a 3-3-0 all-time record in the Providence Civic Center, including a 1-1 record in NCAA Tournament action ... BC defeated Bowling Green, 6-2, in the 1978 tournament's semifinal round, before bowing to Boston University, 5-3, in the title game ... The Eagles registered a 2-2 record in four HOCKEY EAST Tournament contests (1-1 in both 1985 and 1986).
National Statistics: The Eagles enter the Frozen Four ranked among the nation's leaders in several statistical categories. Boston College leads the nation with an .886 penalty-killing percentage (202 for 228). The Eagles are third nationally in scoring defense (2.15 goals allowed per game) and fourth in scoring offense (3.98 goals per game).
NUMBERS TO WATCH
Multiple-Goal Success: BC is 19-1-1 in games in which at least one player tallies two or more goals. BC is 7-0 this season when an Eagle notches a hat trick.
Finishing The Job: Boston College is 22-2-0 this season when leading after two periods ... The Eagles have outscored their opposition by a 64-27 margin in the third period this season, including five-goal outbursts in the final stanza against Brown on Jan. 2 and against Providence on Jan. 23.
Shootout: Boston College has outshot its opponent in 32 of 40 games this season. The Eagles are 24-7-1 when they finish with the higher shot total. BC is also 23-6-0 when it scores first and 21-2-1 when scoring four or more goals.
Shootout II: The Eagles are averaging 33.2 shots per game, while holding their opponents to 25.2 shots per game ... Last winter, the Eagles averaged 33.0 shots per game, while limiting their opponents to 25.7 shots per game.
Penalty Kill: Boston College's penalty-killing unit leads the nation with an .886 success rate (202 of 228) through 40 games ... The Eagles set a HOCKEY EAST record by stopping 91.9 percent of its opponents' man-advantage situations (125 of 136) during regular-season league play ... Before giving up a power-play goal against UMass-Amherst on Feb. 26, BC had killed 49 straight penalties dating back to the first period of a Jan. 28 win at Maine.
Offensive Defensemen: Boston College's defensemen have been more productive offensively this season than the front lines of many other clubs. Through 40 games, the Eagles have gotten 109 points -- 13 goals and 96 assists -- from their defensemen. Senior Mike Mottau leads the nation's defensemen with 42 points -- five goals and 37 assists. Junior Bobby Allen (4-23-27) is also among the team's top scorers, and junior Rob Scuderi (1-12-13) has also reached the double-digit mark. Junior Marty Hughes, who moved up to the front line midway through the season, had eight points -- one goal and seven assists -- in 18 games as a defenseman.
On The Front Line: Since the Jan. 23 game against Providence, when junior defenseman Marty Hughes was moved forward to join Brian Gionta and Blake Bellefeuille on the Eagles' first line, the trio has been giving opposing teams fits. In 19 games together, the Hughes-Bellefeuille-Gionta line has combined for 57 points -- 27 goals and 30 assists -- an average of 3.0 points per game. Gionta has 18 goals and six assists in the last 19 games.
Net Profits: Boston College has two of the nation's top goaltenders -- freshman Tim Kelleher ranks fifth nationally with a 2.02 goals against average, while junior Scott Clemmensen ranks 10th with a 2.17 goals against average ... Kelleher earned HOCKEY EAST Goalie of the Month honors for January after going 4-1-1 with a 1.42 GAA, .940 save percentage and one shutout ... Clemmensen, who holds school records for shutouts in a career (10) and in a season (five), was HOCKEY EAST Goalie of the Month for February, posting three shutouts to go with a 1.09 GAA and .957 save percentage ... The two finished 1-2 in HOCKEY EAST in goals against average (Clemmensen ranked first in league contests only, while Kelleher is first in all games). They have combined for a school-record seven shutouts this season.
Victory March: Before a 2-1 loss to Maine in the HOCKEY EAST Tournament final (Mar. 18), 19 of the 24 players on the Boston College roster had never lost in the month of March. Only the Eagle seniors had ever experienced defeat during the third month of the year. Boston College entered that title game with a 21-game March unbeaten streak dating back to a 4-0 loss to New Hampshire on March 14, 1997 ... The BC seniors finished their careers with a 23-3-2 record in March ... BC's junior class has a 21-1-1 March mark, the sophomore class has a 15-1-0 record, and the freshman class has a 7-1-0 March record.
In April: Over the past two seasons, Boston College has registered a 1-2 record in April contests. In 1998, BC defeated Ohio State in the semifinal round on April 2, before losing to Michigan, 3-2 in overtime, in the title game on April 4. In 1999, the Eagles lost to Maine, 2-1 in overtime, in the national semifinals on April 1.
Movin' On Up: Senior forward Jeff Farkas is sixth on the Eagles' all-time scoring list. Farkas has 187 career points -- 86 goals and 101 assists ... Junior forward Brian Gionta is now ninth on the school's all-time list with 175 points (89 goals, 86 assists), while senior forward Blake Bellefeuille is 11th with 172 points (77 goals, 95 assists) ... Senior defenseman Mike Mottau is first among all BC defensemen and 18th overall with 156 points. He holds the Boston College career assists record with 130.
HOCKEY EAST Statistics: Boston College finished the regular season at the top of most of the league's statistical categories. The Eagles led the league in offense (3.97 GPG overall, 3.79 league) and defense (2.09 GAA overall, 2.08 league). BC's penalty-killing unit was the best in league history, stopping 91.9 percent of its opponents' man-advantage situations.
HOCKEY EAST Records: Boston College set HOCKEY EAST records for shutouts in a season by a team (five) and an individual (three, Scott Clemmensen) .... The Eagles also broke the league record for best penalty-killing percentage. The Eagles killed 91.9 percent of its penalties (125 of 136) in HOCKEY EAST play. Maine held the old record of 90 percent (105 of 118, set in 1991-92) ... BC narrowly missed the league mark for fewest goals allowed in league play, surrendering just 50 in 24 games (2.09 GAA). New Hampshire allowed 49 goals in 1998-99.
Did You Know?: Former Eagle David Emma holds the NCAA Tournament record for the fastest game-opening goal. On March 25, 1990, Emma scored just six seconds into the third and final quarterfinal-round game against Minnesota ... The Eagles defeated the Golden Gophers, 6-1, to advance to the NCAA Tournament's "Frozen Four".
On the air: Boston College hockey can be heard on WESX (1230 AM), WJDA (1300 AM) and on the Eagles' Official Athletic Site, www.bceagles.com. John Rish and former BC and NHL star Tim Sweeney call the action ... If the Eagles advance to the national championship game, Saturday's contest can be heard on WRKO (680 AM).
THE COACHING STAFF
The Head Coach: Now in his 28th year as a collegiate head coach, Jerry York has an impressive 592-435-53 (.573) record, ranking him sixth on the NCAA's all-time winningest coaches list ... Now in his sixth year at Boston College, York has a 125-90-19 (.575) mark as the Eagles' head coach, including an 83-32-10 (.704) record over the past three seasons.
Coach York in the NCAA Tournament: BC head coach Jerry York has now led his teams to nine NCAA Tournament berths ... He has an 11-12-1 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament ... York is 6-2 with Boston College (1998-2000) ... He was 5-10-1 with Bowling Green (1982, 1984, 1987-90) ... In 1984, York led the Falcons to the national title. He defeated Boston University (in a two-game quarterfinal-round series), Michigan State (semifinals) and Minnesota-Duluth (in four overtimes in the title game) en route to the championship.
Four Overtimes: Two of the four coaches in the 2000 NCAA Tournament Frozen Four have won four-overtime games. While everyone remembers Joe Marsh and the St. Lawrence Saints' 3-2, four-overtime win over Boston University on March 26, 2000, not everyone may recall Jerry York and Bowling Green's memorable, 5-4, four-overtime win over Minnesota-Duluth in the 1984 NCAA Tournament title game. The 1984 classic (the third-longest game in NCAA Tournament history) ended on Gino Cavallini's goal at the 97:11 mark.
Elite Group: Jerry York is one of just eight coaches in NCAA history who have led two schools into NCAA Tournament action ... To date, only one coach in NCAA history has won the national title with two different schools (Ned Harkness - RPI and Cornell).
Consistency breeds success: Associate head coaches Jim Logue and Scott Paluch and assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh join Jerry York to form the Eagle coaching staff. This marks the fifth consecutive year that the staff has remained intact. In addition to being on the same staff, Cavanaugh played for Logue at North Andover High School, while Paluch played his college hockey under York at Bowling Green.
