Boston College Athletics
Hockey Set To Begin 2001-02 Campaign
October 05, 2001 | Men's Hockey
Oct. 5, 2001
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SATURDAY'S GAME
Boston College opens its 2001-02 campaign with a trip to Burlington, Vt. to face the University of Vermont in a 7 p.m. contest. The game marks the season opener for both teams. The Eagles were the 2001 NCAA Division I National Champions, earning a 33-8-2 overall record. Vermont closed the 2000-01 season with a 14-18-2 overall mark.
SERIES AGAINST VERMONT
Boston College and Vermont have met 17 times ... the Eagles lead the series 9-6-2 ... Boston College has outscored the Catamounts 71-65 in the series ... the Eagles won the last meeting, 5-4, on Dec. 30, 1999 in Burlington behind Jeff Farkas' five goals ... BC holds a 5-2-2 advantage in the last nine meetings ... Saturday's game will mark the third time the Eagles open a season against Vermont.
EIGHTIETH SEASON
The 2001-02 hockey season will be the team's 80th as a varsity program.
SEASON OPENERS
Under current head coach Jerry York, the team has recorded a 5-2-0 mark in season openers, including wins in each of the last four seasons.
EAGLES IN HOCKEY EAST PRESEASON POLL
Boston College was selected third, and received three of the nine possible first-place votes, in the 2001-02 HOCKEY EAST Preseason Poll, released at the league's annual Media Day on Monday, Oct. 1. Providence was first in the poll, followed by Maine with four first-place votes. New Hampshire and Boston University followed the Eagles and each received one first-place vote. UMass-Lowell, Northeastern, Merrimack and UMass-Amherst round out the poll.
PRESEASON NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Eagles are ranked seventh in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine Preseason Poll. The team received four first-place votes. Michigan State was ranked first, followed by North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Providence and Colorado College. Harvard, St. Cloud State and Maine fill out the Top 10. Six of the Eagles' 2001-02 opponents appear the poll, ranking the nation's top 15 teams.
STREAKING
Boston College opens the 2001-02 season in the midst of a 10-game winning streak, the longest in Division I, and an 11-game undefeated streak. The string of wins began on Feb. 24 with a 6-3 victory at UMass-Amherst and continued through the Frozen Four with the Eagles' 3-2, overtime victory over North Dakota in the national title game. Sophomore Tony Voce will begin the season looking to extend his four-game scoring streak that concluded the 2000-01 season.
2001-02 EAGLE CAPTAIN
Senior forward Jeff Giuliano will serve as the team's captain for the 2001-02 season. Last season, Giuliano set career highs in goals (14), assists (22) and points (36). He is the team's second-highest returning scorer from 2000-01. The Nashua, N.H. product was awarded the James E. Tiernan Memorial Award as the team's Most Improved Player last season. In his three-year career at the Heights, Giuliano has appeared in all 128 games the Eagles have played, recording 29 goals and 50 assists for 79 total points.
ASSISTANT CAPTAIN
Senior forward Ales Dolinar will serve as the team's assistant captain this season. Over his career, Dolinar has appeared in 123 games, recording 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 points. He posted career numbers in both assists (16) and points (23) last season as a junior.
2000-01 IN REVIEW
Boston College capped, perhaps, the finest season in school history last season by winning the 2001 NCAA Division I National Championship. The team compiled 33 wins - a school record - and also won the Beanpot, HOCKEY EAST regular-season championship and HOCKEY EAST Tournament championship. Three Eagles - Brian Gionta, Bobby Allen and Krys Kolanos - were selected as JOFA/AHCA All-American. Gionta was the HOCKEY EAST Player of the Year, while Chuck Kobasew was the league's Rookie of the Year. Gionta and Allen were All-Conference first team selections and Kolanos and Kobasew were second-team honorees. Kobasew, Ben Eaves and J.D. Forrest all earned spots on the HOCKEY EAST All-Rookie Team.
EAGLE NEWCOMERS
Boston College's roster features 10 new players this season: two goaltenders (Matti Kaltiainen and Robbie Miller), three defensemen (John Adams, Andrew Alberts and Taylor Leahy) and five forwards (Ned Havern, Ben McManama, Ryan Murphy, Ryan Shannon and Dave Spina).
OFF-SEASON COMINGS AND GOINGS
Over the summer, three Boston College players opted to forgo their remaining collegiate eligibility and pursue professional careers. Senior defenseman Brooks Orpik signed a professional contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, while sophomore forward Chuck Kobasew left the Eagles to play in the Western Hockey League. Junior forward Krys Kolanos also decided to pursue professional hockey, joining the Phoenix Coyotes in camp. All three players were first-round draft picks in the NHL Entry Draft.
The Eagles also gained back a player as junior defenseman Anthony D'Arpino rejoined the team after playing the latter half of the 2000-01 season with Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League.
CONSISTENCY BREEDS SUCCESS
The Boston College coaching staff is in its seventh season working together to guide the Eagles. Head coach Jerry York arrived at the Heights before the 1994-95 season and brought associate head coach Scott Paluch with him from Bowling Green. That season marked associate head coach Jim Logue's second with the team. A year later, assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh joined the staff. In the last four seasons, Boston College has recorded a 117-41-12 mark. The Eagles won three HOCKEY EAST Tournament over that span and were the 2001 national champions.
YORK REWARDED
This summer, head coach Jerry York signed a new, five-year contract that runs through the 2005-06 season. Sixth on the college hockey career wins list, York has led the Eagles to the last four Frozen Fours, culminating in a national championship in 2001. He has also won three HOCKEY EAST Tournament titles and coached 11 All-American selections since arriving back at the Heights.
SUMMER IN LAKE PLACID
Three Boston College players participated in the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. from August 3-6. Sophomore Ben Eaves and freshmen Ryan Murphy and Dave Spina attended the camp from which the U.S. junior national team will be chosen. Eaves and Murphy also played with Team USA at the USA Hockey Summer Challenge, Aug. 7-12 in Lake Placid, and are still under consideration for the U.S. Junior National Team that will compete in the 2002 IIHF World Junior Championships to be held in the Czech Republic, Dec. 25-Jan. 4.
ON THE AIR
WTKK 96.9 FM, the flagship station of the Eagles, will not being carrying Saturday's game due to a scheduling conflict. Listerns can log onto http://www.uvm.edu/~sportspr/?Page=listen.html and click on the WVMT logo to catch the game broadcast live over the Internet.
UP NEXT
Boston College will participate in the Nye Frontier Classic, hosted by the University of Alaska-Anchorage, on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 13-14. The Eagles will face Denver in a 9 p.m. EDT contest (5 p.m. local) on Friday, then face the host Seawolves on Saturday at 11 p.m. EDT (7 p.m. local).
