Boston College Athletics
Hockey Opens Homestand With Merrimack
November 07, 2001 | Men's Hockey
Nov. 7, 2001
Complete Boston College-Merrimack Game Notes in PDF Format
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BOSTON COLLEGE (3-4-1, 0-2-0 HEA)
vs.
MERRIMACK (2-5-1, 0-4-0 HEA)
Thursday, November 8, 2001
Kelley Rink, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
7 p.m.
THURSDAY'S GAME
Boston College enters Thursday's game with a 3-4-1 overall record and an 0-2-0 mark in HOCKEY EAST games. The Eagles are coming off a weekend split with Wisconsin in Madison. BC dropped Friday's game, 5-2, before winning on Saturday, 3-1.
The team will be looking for its first conference win after falling in earlier contests to UMass-Lowell (7-2 on Oct. 19) and Northeastern (4-3 on Oct. 20). The Eagles played both games without sophomore forward Ben Eaves.
Sophomore Tony Voce leads the Eagles in scoring with five goals and six assists for 11 points. Eaves follows with 10 points on four goals and six assists.
Merrimack travels to Chestnut Hill with a 2-5-0 overall record and an 0-4-0 mark in conference play. The Warriors lost both of its games last weekend, falling to New Hampshire, 4-3, and Providence, 3-2.
AGAINST THE WARRIORS
Boston College and Merrimack have met 47 times with the Eagles leading the overall series, 32-15. Last season, BC won four of the teams' five meetings including both in the HOCKEY EAST Tournament quarterfinal round.
The Eagles won the first game of the season on Nov. 17 at the Volpe Center, 6-1, behind a pair of goals each from Brian Gionta and Krys Kolanos, then followed up with a 7-2 win on Nov. 21 as Gionta netted a hat trick and Chuck Kobasew added two goals of his own. Merrimack took the third game of the regular-season series, 6-3, in North Andover.
BC swept the quarterfinal series on March 9 and 10, as Tony Voce scored both game-winning goals. The Eagles won 1-0 the first evening, before coming back to score four goals in the third period on their way to a 5-1 victory and a place in the league semifinals.
Senior Jeff Giuliano leads all Eagles in scoring against the Warriors, netting 13 points (five goals and eight assists) in 11 career games. Classmate Ales Dolinar has added one goal and six assists in 11 career games. Voce scored five points in the five meetings last season on three goals and two assists.
LAST TIME AGAINST MERRIMACK
The Eagles scored four goals in the final stanza to break a 1-1 tie as the team advanced to the semifinal round of the HOCKEY EAST Tournament by defeating Merrimack, 5-1, on March 10, 2001 at Kelley Rink. Tony Voce scored his second game-winning goal in as many games to lead BC to the win. Mike Lephart notched a shorthanded goal at the 5:48 mark of the first period, but Merrimack knotted he score at 4:46 of the second on a Nick Parillo goal. Voce's unassisted tally at 6:11 of the third proved to be the deciding goal as Brian Gionta netted two goals and a row and A.J. Walker added a late score. Scott Clemmensen made 25 saves in the win, while Joe Exter stopped 43 shots for Merrimack.
LAST TIME OUT
Boston College earned a weekend split with Wisconsin after defeating the Badgers, 3-1, on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Kohl Center in Madison. Freshman goaltender Matti Kaltiainen made a career-high 33 saves in the win.
BC opened the scoring when Tony Voce netted a power-play goal from Ben Eaves and J.D. Forrest 1:22 into the second period. Wisconsin came back to tie the game 2:40 later when Kent Davyduke recorded a power-play tally, but Jeff Giuliano's even-strength goal from Dave Spina and Ryan Shannon put BC up for good. Eaves added a late insurance goal from Giuliano and Spina to stretch the lead to 3-1. Kaltiainen stopped 14 shots in the third period on his way to the win.
WHO'S HOT
The senior class - Jeff Giuliano and Ales Dolinar - has recorded BC's last two game-winning goals ... sophomore J.D. Forrest has one goal and one assist in the last two games ... sophomore Ben Eaves has registered three points in his three games since returning from an injury ... freshman Dave Spina has scored six points in the last five games, including two multiple-point efforts.
SENIORS HEATING UP
Although the Boston College senior class consists of only two players - forwards Jeff Giuliano and Ales Dolinar - the pair has been getting hot in the last four games. The duo has combined for nine points on four goals and five assists.
YOUNGSTERS LEADING THE CHARGE
The sophomore class has accounted for 44.1 percent of the Eagles scoring this season (11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points). When adding the freshman class' production to the total (seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points), the two classes have scored 72.1 percent of the team's points (18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points).
FOUR IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
Since Nov. 30, 1999, Boston College is 43-0-2 when scoring four or more goals. In 2000-01, the Eagles were a perfect 24-0-0 when scoring four or more goals and are 2-0-1 this season when reaching the four-goal mark.
HOMECOMING
The Eagles have played eight games this season, but only two have been at home. Now, Boston College returns home to Kelley Rink to play four straight games on its home ice.
BC opened the season on the road at Vermont, then headed to Anchorage, Alaska to participate in the Nye Frontier Classic for two games. BC played it home opener against UMass-Lowell, then headed across town to Northeastern. BC then faced Notre Dame at home before traveling to Wisconsin for a two-game set.
JOINING A NEW LEAGUE?
In its eight games this season, Boston College has played four games against Western Collegiate Hockey Association members: Denver, Alaska-Anchorage and Wisconsin twice. At the same time, the Eagles have only played members from its own conference: UMass-Lowell and Northeastern.
EVERYDAY PLAYER
Senior forward Jeff Giuliano has played in every one of BC's games since his arrival at the Heights in the fall of 1998. He has dressed for each of Boston College's 136 games since his freshman year, recording 33 goals and 54 assists for 87 points. The season, he also leads the team with a plus-8 rating on the ice and is tied for third in scoring with eight points.
LIGHTNING STRIKES EARLY
Twice this season, Boston College has lit the lamp before the first minute of the game had elapsed. In the opening game of the year against Vermont, Ben Eaves scored a power-play goal 45 seconds into the game. In BC's game against Northeastern, Ryan Shannon struck 30 seconds into the game with an even-strength goal ... Jeff Giuliano scored 43 seconds into the third period against Alaska-Anchorage to give BC three goals this season within one minute of leaving the dressing room.
PUCKS HAVING TROUBLE FALLING
Boston College has outshot its opponents six of eight games this season. In the first game of a two-game series with Wisconsin on Nov. 2, BC outshot the Badgers 43-25 - a season high in shots for the Eagles - and lost 5-2. That game was just one of six where the Eagles have run into stiff goaltending.
In the six games BC has outshot its opponents, the Eagles have averaged 35.3 shots per game, while the opposition has averaged 20.3 shots per game.
LEAGUE HONOREES
Freshman goaltender Matti Kaltiainen earned HOCKEY EAST Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 5 for his 33-save effort against Wisconsin on Nov. 3. The Espoo, Finland native made 10 saves in the first period, nine in the second and 14 in the third to preserve the lead for the road victory ... earlier this season, sophomore forward Tony Voce was honored as the HOCKEY EAST Player of the Week for his five-point (three goal, two assist) performance at Vermont.
FOREIGN CONCEPT
Freshman goaltender Matti Kaltiainen, a native of Espoo, Finland, played the 2000-01 season for the Espoo Blues of the Finnish Junior League. Kaltiainen made his Eagle debut on Oct. 12 against Denver in the first round of the Nye Frontier Classic, then earned his first collegiate win at Wisconsin on Nov. 3 ... senior Ales Dolinar was born in Slovenia and spent several years there when he was younger, but grew up in East Northport, N.Y. and is now an American citizen.
KELLEHER DEBUTS AS OPENING NIGHT STARTER
For the first time in four seasons, Boston College had a new starter in goal on opening night. Junior Tim Kelleher started in net against Vermont on Oct. 6, marking the first goaltender 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.
EAGLES GET THEIR WINGS
Of the 10 members of the freshman class, six Eagles have already made their marks on the BC statistics. Forwards Dave Spina and Ryan Shannon recorded their first career goals at the Nye Frontier Classic, while goaltender Matti Kaltiainen made his first career start in the tournament against Denver. Defenseman Andrew Alberts recorded his first assist against UMass-Lowell on Oct. 19. Forward Ryan Murphy scored a goal against Wisconsin on Nov. 3, while forward Ned Havern assisted on the score.
APPROACHING THE CENTURY MARK
Senior Jeff Giuliano is 17 points shy of becoming the 58th Boston College player to reach 100 points for his career. So far this season, he's scored eight points (four goals and four assists) in eight games.
POWER-PLAY SPARK
Sophomore Tony Voce snapped BC's 0-for-18 streak on the power play when he notched a goal with the extra skater in the second period against Wisconsin on Nov. 3. The Eagles opened the season scoring on a .375 tear in the first four games before being held in check in the following three contests ... for the season, Voce leads the club with three power-play goals, followed by Ben Eaves and Dave Spina with two apiece. A.J. Walker, Jeff Giuliano and J.D. Forrest have also scored on the power play.
ALL-TOURNAMENT ACCOLADES
Sophomore forward Ben Eaves and sophomore defenseman J.D. Forrest were both selected to the Nye Frontier Classic All-Tournament Team for their performances against Denver and Alaska-Anchorage. Eaves was tied for the tournament's third-leading scorer, with one goal and two assists and was an active part of the Eagles' power-play unit that went 4-for-11 in the tournament. Forrest, also a member of both the power-play and penalty-kill units, logged nearly half a game on the ice in each of the two games. He also recorded one goal and two assists in the tournament.
EAGLE NEWCOMERS
Boston College's roster features 10 new players this season: two goaltenders (Matti Kaltiainen and Robbie Miller), four defensemen (John Adams, Andrew Alberts, Taylor Leahy and Ben McManama) and four forwards (Ned Havern, 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' 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, guiding 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.
Since the 1997-98 season, Boston College has recorded a 120-45-13 mark (.711 winning percentage). The Eagles won three HOCKEY EAST Tournaments over that span and were the 2001 national champions.
THE HEAD COACH - JERRY YORK
Head coach Jerry York is in his eighth season at the Heights and this 30th overall as a head coach. He has compiled a 162-103-22 mark (.603 winning percentage) at Boston College and a 629-438-56 (.585 winning percentage) in his career. A 1967 first team All-American for the Eagles, York came to the Heights in 1994 and has returned the program to its elite status. He is one of only two collegiate coaches to lead two different teams to NCAA titles and is the sixth coach to earn 600 career wins. York is currently sixth on the all-time win list.
York began his coaching career at Boston College as a graduate assistant to John "Snooks" Kelley, then was an assistant coach for one season. He then moved to Clarkson to serve as Len Ceglaski's assistant in 1970, before assuming head coaching duties in 1972 when Ceglarski returned to BC. In 1979, York became the head coach at Bowling Green, leading the Falcons to the 1984 national championship.
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.
UP NEXT
Boston College will host Providence in a HOCKEY EAST match-up on Wednesday, November 14 at 7 p.m. at Kelley Rink.
