Boston College Athletics
Hockey To Play In Frontier Classic
October 09, 2001 | Men's Hockey
Oct. 9, 2001
Complete Frontier Classic Tournament Notes in PDF Format
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THIS WEEKEND'S TOURNAMENT
Boston College will play two games in the Nye Frontier Classic, hosted by the University of Alaska-Anchorage, on Friday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 13. The Eagles will face Denver on the first night in a 5 p.m. (9 p.m. EDT) game, and then the host Seawolves in a 7 p.m. (11 p.m. EDT) contest on Saturday.
After winning its season opener, 5-1, against Vermont on Oct. 6, BC is 1-0-0 on the season. Neither of the Eagles' opponents in the tournament have played yet this season.
AGAINST THE FIELD
Boston College and Denver - the Eagles' first-round opponent - have met 18 times, with Denver holding the series advantage, 11-7-0. The Eagles' seniors have a 2-1-0 record against the Pioneers, including a two-game sweep last season in Denver.
Boston College and the University of Alaska-Anchorage - the second night's opponent - have met four times, with the Seawolves holding a 3-1-0 series advantage. The last time the two teams met was on Oct. 30-31 in Anchorage. The two teams have not met since Jerry York has been coaching at BC.
Northeastern is the fourth team in the tournament, but the two teams will not meet.
LAST TIME AGAINST DENVER
Bobby Allen's third-period goal held as the game-winner as the Eagles completed a two-game sweep of Denver with a 3-2 win at Magness Arena on Oct. 21, 2000. Chuck Kobasew opened the Eagles' scoring, tying the sore at 1-1 in the first period, before A.J. Walker gave BC a 2-1 lead in the second period. Scott Clemmensen made 23 saves in the win. The Eagles defeated Denver the previous night, also by a 3-2 score, as Marty Hughes, Krys Kolanos and Ales Dolinar recorded goals.
LAST TIME AGAINST ALASKA-ANCHORAGE
Boston College dropped a 5-1 decision in Anchorage on Oct. 31, 1992 as Rob Canavan tallied the Eagles' lone goal. Mike Sparrow stopped 26 shots in the loss. The previous night, the Eagles defeated UAA, 4-1, as Dave Hymovitz scored the game-winning goal. Don Chase, John Joyce and Canavan also notched goals in the win. Josh Sinegwald made 31 saves in the victory.
LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Tony Voce factored in all five of BC's goals - including his first-career hat trick and two assists - as the Eagles defeated Vermont, 5-1, in the 2001-02 season opener in Burlington, Vt. Classmate Ben Eaves added one goal and three assists, while junior A.J. Walker netted one goal and two assists. Eaves opened the scoring just 45 seconds into the game, netting a power-play tally. Boston College went 4-for-6 with an extra skater, while killing off all four of Vermont's power plays. Junior Tim Kelleher made 15 saves in the win.
LEAGUE HONOREE
For his five-point performance against Vermont, sophomore Tony Voce earned HOCKEY EAST Player of the Week honors on Oct. 8.
WHO'S HOT
Sophomore Tony Voce scored a career-high five points on three goals and two assists in the Vermont game. He extended his scoring streak to five games, dating back to the HOCKEY EAST Tournament championship game against Providence on March 17 ... sophomore Ben Eaves notched his second career three-assist game against the Catamounts. He also added one goal in the first period ... junior A.J. Walker recorded his first career multiple-point game when he scored one goal and two assists in the Vermont game ... the power-play unit went 4-for-6 against Vermont (BC's other goal also came seconds after a power-play ended) ... the penalty-kill unit killed off all four Vermont power plays, while outshooting UVM's power-play unit 3-1.
EARLY-SEASON TOURNAMENT SUCCESS
Boston College has won the last two early-season tournaments it has played. Last season, BC won the Maverick Stampede, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Omaha, on Oct. 13-14. BC defeated Notre Dame 4-1 before topping the host Mavericks 5-1 in the championship game. In the 1998 IceBreaker Cup, the Eagles won the championship after defeating Ohio State, 4-3 in overtime, in the first round and St. Lawrence, 3-2, in the championship.
KELLEHER DEBUTS AS STARTER
For the first time in four seasons, Boston College had a new starter in goal on opening night when BC took the ice on Oct. 6. Junior Tim Kelleher started in net against Vermont, marking the first goalkeeper in four years other than Scott Clemmensen - who graduated in 2001 - to start an opening night game for BC. Ironically, Clemmensen, who signed with the New Jersey Devils after he graduated, made his NHL debut that same night, entering in the third period of the Devils' 6-1 loss to Washington.
YOUNG IN THE BACK
The Boston College defense is a young unit, complete with three freshmen. On opening night, the corps features one junior (Bill Cass), two sophomores (J.D. Forrest and Brett Peterson) and three freshmen (John Adams, Andrew Alberts and Taylor Leahy). The other two members of the defense - sophomore Joe Schuman and freshman Ben McManama - are also underclassmen.
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.
In the U.S. College Hockey Online preseason poll, the Eagles were chosen 11th in the 15-team rankings.
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.
STREAKING
With the Eagles' victory at Vermont, Boston College extended its winning streak to 11 games, the longest in Division I, and its undefeated streak to 12 games. 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 is also in the midst of a five-game scoring streak, dating back to the HOCKEY EAST Tournament championship game. Over that span, he's accumulated 10 points on five goals and five assists.
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 - earned JOFA/AHCA All-America honors. 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's organization. All three players were first-round draft picks in the NHL Entry Draft.
The Eagles also gained back a player as junior 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 118-41-12 mark. The Eagles won three HOCKEY EAST Tournaments 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.
FAMILIAR FACES STAYING TOGETHER
The Eagles' roster boasts six sets of teammates who played together in high school, as well as at the Heights. Senior assistant captain Ales Dolinar and sophomore Tony Voce were teammates at Lawrence Academy (Mass.). Freshmen Ryan Shannon and Taylor Leahy both came to BC from Taft (Conn.). Sophomore Joe Schuman and freshmen Andrew Alberts both played defense at Benilde-St. Margaret's in Minnesota. Junior A.J. Walker and sophomore Ben Eaves were also linemates at Shattuck St. Mary's (Minn.) before re-teaming at the Heights. Sophomore Justin Dziama and freshman Ben McManama played alongside each other at Noble & Greenough (Mass.). And, while not a high school team, four players were members of the United States National Development Program teams: junior Bill Cass, sophomore J.D. Forrest, and freshmen Ryan Murphy and Dave Spina.
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.
