Boston College Athletics
Hockey Looks To Continue Recent Success
February 13, 2002 | Men's Hockey
Feb. 13, 2002
BOSTON COLLEGE vs. MERRIMACK
Friday, February 15, 2002
Kelley Rink (7,884)
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
7 p.m.
Saturday, February 16, 2002
Volpe Complex
North Andover, Mass.
7 p.m.
Boston College/Merrimack Game Notes in PDF Format
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THE EAGLES IN BRIEF: Boston College enters Friday's game against Merrimack with a 15-13-2 overall record and a 7-10-1 mark in HOCKEY EAST games. BC has won three of its last four games. In their last outing, the Eagles defeated Harvard, 4-0, in the second round of the Beanpot.
The Eagles' success has been streaky this season. The team has five-game and four-game winning streaks to its credit, but also has a six-game losing streak and a four-game winless streak.
Sophomore Tony Voce leads the Eagles in scoring with 38 points (22 goals and 16 assists). Sophomore Ben Eaves has 29 points on 10 goals and 19 assists in only 15 games. Senior Jeff Giuliano follows with 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists). A total of 10 players have scored in double figures this season, seven have 20 points.
AGAINST THE WARRIORS: Boston College and Merrimack have met 48 times with the Eagles holding a 33-15-0 advantage in the series. The Eagles have won 11 of the last 14 meetings. BC earned a 6-4 victory on Nov. 8 at Kelley Rink in the team's first meeting of the 2001-02 season.
Senior Jeff Giuliano has scored 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 12 games to lead all Eagles in scoring against Merrimack. Sophomore Tony Voce has recorded nine points (six goals, three assists) in six games. Both senior Ales Dolinar (one goal, six assists) and sophomore J.D. Forrest (three goals, four assists) have notched seven points against the Warriors.
VOCE IS THE GAME-BREAKER AGAINST MERRIMACK: In just six career games against the Warriors, sophomore Tony Voce has found one of his favorite opponents. The forward has six goals and three assists for nine points in a combined 5-1-0 effort by the Eagles ... Voce has netted four game-winning goals against Merrimack: one on Nov. 17, 2000 at Merrimack, both in the 2001 HOCKEY EAST Tournament quarterfinal round at Kelley Rink on March 9-10, and one this season on Nov. 8 ... earlier this season he netted a hat trick and added one assist in BC's 6-4 victory ... in the last two seasons, the Eagles' only loss to the Warriors came when Voce was held scoreless (Jan. 16, 2001 at the Volpe Center).
LAST TIME AGAINST MERRIMACK: On Nov. 8, Tony Voce's hat trick propelled the Eagles to the 6-4 HOCKEY EAST victory. Voce's three goals included two shorthanded goals and a power-play tally. The Eagles took a 2-0 lead after the first period on scores by Ned Havern and J.D. Forrest. Anthony Aquino scored the first of his two goals to pull the Warriors within one goal. Voce scored his first of the evening before Aquino netted his second for a 3-2 score after two periods.
A.J. Walker scored on the power play to open the third period, before Voce netted his second and third goals. Merrimack's Ryan Cordeiro scored twice as the game wound down for the final 6-4 score.
Joe Exter made 35 saves for Merrimack in the loss as BC outshot Merrimack, 41-16. Tim Kelleher made 12 saves in the win.
LAST TIME OUT: Freshman goaltender Matti Kaltiainen earned his first career shutout and sophomore Tony Voce scored one goal and added one assist as Boston College defeated Harvard, 4-0, in the consolation game of the 50th Annual Beanpot at the FleetCenter on Monday.
Voce opened the scoring at 9:53 when he broke in down the left wing for his 22nd goal of the season. At 15:33, Ben Eaves netted his second goal in as many games since his return from a 10-game lay off from broken ribs. Anthony D'Arpino, who has seen time as both a forward and defenseman this season, put the Eagles up 3-0 just 43 seconds into the second period. Bill Cass recorded a power-play goal to close out the scoring at 18:38 of the third period.
Kaltiainen made 22 saves for the Eagles' second shutout of the season against Harvard. Boston College outshot the Crimson, 26-22, for the game as Will Crothers also made 22 saves.
POST-BEANPOT PUSH: Since the 1997-98 season, Boston College is a combined 41-9-4 after the Beanpot, a .759 winning percentage. Included are three HOCKEY EAST Tournament titles and four consecutive runs to the Frozen Four. Four of the nine losses have been in postseason tournament play: 1998 - national championship game, 1999 - national semifinal, 2000 - HOCKEY EAST Tournament final and national championship game ... Boston College has a 14-3-2 record after the Beanpot in the last four seasons against the Eagles three remaining regular-season opponents (Merrimack, 6-1-0, Northeastern, 4-0-1, and New Hampshire, 4-2-1).
WELCOME BACK BEN: Sophomore Ben Eaves made his return to the Eagle lineup last Friday night against Maine. He had missed the previous 10 games with broken ribs that he sustained at the 2002 IIHF World Junior Championships while he represented the United States. In the team's 4-3 victory over the Black Bears, Eaves recorded one goal and two assists, and was a plus-2 on the evening. He added one goal in the Eagles' 4-0 shutout of Harvard in the Beanpot second round. The Eagles are 2-0-0 with Eaves in the lineup in 2002.
DIFFERENCE MAKER: With Ben Eaves in the line-up, Boston College is 9-4-2. Without him, the team was 6-9-0 (2-8-0 in HOCKEY EAST)... with Eaves, the offense averages 3.67 goals per game. Without him, the team averages 2.80 goals per game ... the power-play clicks at 24.3 percent with him and 10.5 percent without him ... no single player missed Eaves more then wingmate Tony Voce. In 15 games the duo has played together, Voce has recorded 26 points (16 goals, 10 assists). In the 15 games without Eaves, Voce scored only 12 points (six goals, six assists). Voce also had a five-game point-less streak without Eaves.
ADAMS ALSO RETURNS: Freshman defenseman John Adams also returned to the lineup last Friday. He had missed the previous eight games after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his thumb on Jan. 8. Adams suffered the injury in the Eagles' 5-1 victory against Minnesota-Duluth in the championship game of the Silverado Shootout on Dec. 29 ... he collected his first point - and assist - in the Eagles' 4-0 victory over Harvard on Monday. It was his first point since Dec. 8 at Maine.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS: Sophomore Tony Voce is one of only six players nationally who have scored 22 goals so far this season ... he is tied for fifth nationally in total goals and is tied for ninth in goals per game (0.72) ... with two goals against Providence on Jan. 27, he reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career ... as a freshman in 2000-01, Voce recorded 12 goals in 43 games ... Boston College has had at least one 20-goal scorer every season since the 1994-95 season.
HOLDING A LEAD TO CLOSE THE GAME: This season, Boston College is 13-0-1 when holding a lead entering the third period. Conversely, the Eagles are 2-11-1 when trailing entering the final stanza.
WALKER LATEST ON DISABLED LIST: Junior forward A.J. Walker suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee on Feb. 4 in the first round of the Beanpot. He suffered the injury when he slid into the goalpost in the first period against Boston University. He is expected to miss approximately three weeks with the injury.
INJURY GAMES MISSED IN 2001-02: Boston College players have missed a total of 37 games in 2001-02 because of injury ... sophomore Ben Eaves leads the team with 13 injury games missed, followed by freshman John Adams' 10 ... the defensive corps have been hit hard this season as the defensemen and goaltenders have missed a total of 17 games.
WHO'S HOT: Sophomore Tony Voce has recorded six points - four goals, two assists - in the last five games ... freshman defenseman Andrew Alberts has four points - both of his goals and two assists - in the last four games ... although its been a long time between games, sophomore Ben Eaves has a 10-game point-scoring streak alive. The streak is the team's longest this season ... the penalty-kill unit has killed off the opponents' last 13 power-play opportunities.
YOUNGSTERS LEADING THE CHARGE: The freshman and sophomore classes have combined to score 70.2 percent of the Eagles' offense this season ... the freshmen have contributed 30 goals and 47 assists for 77 points ... the sophomore class has combined for 45 goals and 59 assists for 104 points ... the two youngest classes have netted a total of 181 of BC's 258 points.
VOCE AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS ...: Sophomore Tony Voce is listed among the Division I national leaders in five categories. He is the only Eagle to be ranked. The following is a list of his ratings as compiled by USCHO.com (as of Feb. 12) and the NCAA (as of Feb. 12).
Overall scoring: Tied for 12th with 38 points Goal scoring: Tied for fifth with 22 goals Shorthanded goals: Tied for fourth with four Goals per game: Tied for ninth (0.72) Points per game: Tied for 19th (1.24)
SUCCESS AFTER FIRST PERIOD SHUTOUTS: Boston College has a 11-5-0 record this season when not allowing a goal in the first period. Matti Kaltiainen has a 6-3-0 record with his losses at Wisconsin (5-2, Nov. 2), Providence (5-2, Jan. 25) and Boston University (5-3, Feb. 4). Tim Kelleher has a 5-2-0 record after blanking the opponent in the first period. Kelleher's two losses were both to Boston University (2-1, Jan. 18 and 3-1, Jan. 20).
WINS COME THROUGH DEFENSE: This season, 11 of Boston College's 15 wins have come when the defense has held the opposition to one goal or fewer. When allowing one or no goals, BC has defeated Vermont 5-1, Notre Dame 4-1, Wisconsin 3-1, Providence 4-1, Boston University 3-1, Harvard 1-0, Massachusetts 4-0, Miami (Ohio) 5-1, Minnesota-Duluth 5-1 and Harvard 4-0.
DEFENSEMEN GETTING INTO THE SCORING ACT: Boston College's defensemen have been on a scoring mission in the last four games. The unit has combined for four goals and nine assists in the last four games. J.D. Forrest and Andrew Alberts each have four points during that span. Forrest has one goal and three assists, while Alberts has added two goals and two assists. Bill Cass has recorded one goal and one assist, while John Adams, Anthony D'Arpino and Brett Peterson have added one assist each.
BAROMETERS OF SUCCESS: Sophomores Ben Eaves and Tony Voce have been barometers of the team's success this season. When either player records a point or scores a goal, the team has had greater success this year.
Eaves Voce Scores a point 9-3-2 12-4-2 Scores a goal 7-2-0 9-6-1 Held pointless 0-1-0 3-6-0
FIRST GOAL GO-TO GUY: When the Eagles need to break into the scoring column in a game, freshman Dave Spina has proven to be the go-to guy. Of his 22 points this season, 12 have come on the team's first goal of the game. He has scored the first goal eight times and assisted on four others.
SENIORS LEADING BY EXAMPLE: BC's senior class - Jeff Giuliano and Ales Dolinar - has been leading the team by example since returning from the holiday break. In 14 games, the duo has combined for 29 points (five goals, 24 assists). Giuliano has scored four goals and added 13 assists in 14 games, while Dolinar has scored one goal and collected 11 assists in 13 games.
ALBERTS CHANGING HIS TUNE: Freshman defenseman Andrew Alberts has become a different player in the Eagles' last four games. He has scored four points - his first two career goals and two assists - and is a plus-five during that span. Additionally, he has only commited one penalty in the last four games. Headed into the recent stretch, Alberts led the team in penalties (18) and had recorded just six points in 26 games.
FOUR AS THE "MAGIC NUMBER": Between Nov 30, 1999 and Nov. 30, 2001, Boston College compiled a 44-0-1 record when scoring four or more goals. The streak was snapped this season at New Hampshire on Nov. 30 when the Wildcats won in overtime, 5-4, at the Whittemore Center. Since then, BC has a 6-2-0 record when scoring four or more goals.
SHUTOUTS ALL AROUND: Both regular goaltenders have recorded shutouts this season. Junior Tim Kelleher has two to his credit, while freshman Matti Kaltiainen has one. Kelleher posted back-to-back blankings in November, shutting out Harvard (1-0, Nov. 25) and UMass-Amherst (4-0, Dec. 1), both at home. Kaltiainen earned his first career shutout with a 4-0 victory over Harvard on Feb. 11 at the FleetCenter.
GETTING OFFENSIVE WHEN SHORTHANDED: Boston College leads HOCKEY EAST, and is fourth in Division I, with eight shorthanded goals this season ... the Eagles have 52 shots on goal this season when skating a man down ... twice this season BC has netted two shorthanded goals in a game: Nov. 14 vs. Merrimack and Dec. 8 at Maine ... sophomore Tony Voce is tied for fourth in the nation with his four shorthanded goals, while junior defenseman Bill Cass, freshman forwards Ryan Murphy and Ryan Shannon and freshman defenseman Andrew Alberts have each netted one shorthanded goal.
LIGHTNING STRIKES EARLY: Four times this season, Boston College has lit the lamp before the first minute of the game has elapsed. In the opening game of the year against Vermont on Oct. 6, Ben Eaves scored a power-play goal 45 seconds into the game. In BC's game against Northeastern on Oct. 20, Ryan Shannon struck 30 seconds into the game with an even-strength goal. In the first round of the Silverado Shootout against Miami (Ohio), A.J. Walker scored 41 seconds into the game. Dave Spina scored at exactly 1:00 to take a 1-0 lead at Massachusetts (Jan. 7).
Additionally, Jeff Giuliano scored 43 seconds into the third period against Alaska-Anchorage on Oct. 13, Eaves scored 56 seconds into the third period against Boston University on Nov. 17, Tony Voce scored 37 seconds into the second period at Yale on Jan. 6, and Anthony D'Arpino scored 43 seconds into the second period against Harvard on Feb. 11 to give BC eight goals within one minute of leaving the dressing room this season.
BC has a 6-1-1 record in games when the team scores so quickly.
FAST AND FURIOUS SCORING: Boston College has scored back-to-back goals in less than three minutes in seven different games this season. BC has a 5-1-1 record in games when the team scores so quickly.
Against Notre Dame (Oct. 26) Dave Spina and Ales Dolinar scored 1:22 apart. Against Providence (Nov. 14), Ben Eaves and Dolinar scored 1:17 apart. At New Hampshire (Nov. 30), Eaves and Brett Peterson scored 2:34 apart. Against Massachusetts (Dec. 1), Spina and Tony Voce scored 30 seconds apart. At Maine (Dec. 8), Ryan Shannon and Voce scored shorthanded goals 14 seconds apart. Against Miami (Ohio) (Dec. 28), Ned Havern and Voce scored 27 seconds apart. At Massachusetts (Jan. 7), Spina and Jeff Giuliano scored 24 seconds apart to open the game.
EAGLES AND THE LEAGUE LEADERS: Several Eagles are among the HOCKEY EAST leaders (conference games only) in scoring categories (as of Feb. 10 games).
Two players are listed among the league leaders in scoring: Tony Voce (tied for fifth, 13-9-22) and Ben Eaves (tied for 14th 5-13-18). Voce leads the league in two categories - hat tricks (one) and shots (88), is second in shorthanded goals (three), tied for third in goals (13) and tied for sixth in game-winning goals (two).
Eaves and Jeff Giuliano are tied for fifth in assists (13 apiece), while Ryan Shannon is tied for sixth in game-winning goals (two) and tied for fourth in shorthanded goals (one). Ryan Murphy is also tied for fourth in shorthanded goals.
Both goaltenders are among the league leaders. Matti Kaltiainen is seventh in goals against average (3.09), 10th in saves (196) and 10th in save percentage (.875). Tim Kelleher is 10th in GAA (3.66) and tied for second in shutouts (one).
EAVES MAKES INTERNATIONAL IMPACT: Sophomore Ben Eaves represented the United States at the 2002 IIHF World Junior Championships, Dec. 25 - Jan. 4 in the Czech Republic. Team USA earned a fifth-place finish in the tournament with its 3-2, overtime victory over Sweden on Jan. 4.
Team USA completed the Group A round-robin with a 2-0-2 record. It then faced eventual goal-medal winner Russia in the quarterfinals, falling 6-1. Eaves recorded the USA's lone goal. Eaves played six games in the tournament, tallying one goal and four assists. He finished tied for third on the team in scoring and was named one of the U.S.' top three players at the championships by USA Hockey.
MULTIPLE-POINT NORM: Sophomore Ben Eaves has recorded multiple-point efforts in nine of the 15 games he has played this season. He collected a season-high four points (one goal and three assists) in the team's opening game of the season and has four games with three points.
MAKING A CAREER OF IT: During his 55-game career, sophomore Ben Eaves has recorded 22 multiple-point efforts, a total that represents 40.0 percent of the games he has played as an Eagle. In fact, since February 2001, Eaves has recorded multiple points in 17 of 32 games (53.1 percent of the games he has played) ... he had eight in 17 games to close the 2000-01 season and has already accumulated nine in 15 games this season ... earlier this season, Eaves recorded six multiple-point games in a row, the longest stretch at the Heights since Marty Reasoner did it in seven-straight games from Feb. 9 -March 7, 1998.
SPECIAL TEAMS SNIPER: While sophomore Tony Voce leads the club in power-play goals with six, he has also logged four shorthanded goals, as well as 4x4 and 5x3 goals this season. Overall, he leads the team in special teams scoring with 18 points (6-6-12 on the power play, 4-0-4 shorthanded and 1-1-2 in 4x4 situations).
VOCE'S PRODUCTION SCHEDULE: Sophomore Tony Voce has netted 38 points this season (22 goals and 16 assists) in 30 games, surpassing his 43-game, freshman total of 26 points in 2000-01. He equaled his scoring totals from last season in 17 games - on Dec. 28 against Miami (Ohio) - with an assist in the first period. He exceeded his previous total with a shorthanded goal later in the same game.
EVERYDAY PLAYER: Senior forward Jeff Giuliano has played in all 158 of BC's games since his arrival at the Heights in the fall of 1998. He has recorded 37 goals and 70 assists for 107 points. His 158 games played currently ranks him 10th in all-time at the Heights, where he is tied with Kevin Stevens '87 and Brendan Buckley '99. Rob Scuderi '01 holds the record with 169 games played.
RARE OCCURRENCE: A very rare occurrence happened in the Eagles' 4-3, overtime victory over Massachusetts on Jan. 7. There was not a single penalty called in the game. In 63:52 of hockey, referee Tim Benedetto and linesmen Chris Low and Glen Cooke did not whistle any infractions on either team ... this season, only two games in Division I have been penalty-free. The other - Connecticut at Army on Jan. 4 - also went to overtime and ended in a 3-3 tie.
OLYMPIC UPDATE: Boston College hockey has several connections to the 2002 Olympics ... the hockey team has three former Boston College players involved as Brian Leetch and Bill Guerin were chosen to the team. John Cunniff '66 is serving as an assistant coach on the team ... in addition, Matti Kaltiainen's sister, Anna, qualified for the Finnish Olympic snowboarding team, but did not travel to Salt Lake City to compete.
FAMILIAR FACES STAYING TOGETHER: The Eagles' roster boasts five 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.). 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.
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 174-112-23 mark (.600 winning percentage) at Boston College and a 641-447-57 (.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.
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 132-54-14 mark (.695 winning percentage). The Eagles won three HOCKEY EAST Tournaments over that span and were the 2001 national champions.
YORK REWARDED: This past 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.
FUTURE EAGLES: Three players have signed National Letters of Intent to play hockey at Boston College next season, according to an announcement made by head coach Jerry York. All three players signed their commitments during the NCAA's early signing period.
Patrick Eaves, a 5-11, 170-lb. forward from the U.S. National Under-18 Development Team in Ann Arbor, Mich, Peter Harrold, a 5-11, 185-lb. defenseman from the Cleveland Barons of the North American Hockey League, and Ben Lovejoy, a 6-2, 205-lb. defenseman from Deerfield Academy, will enter Boston College in the fall of 2002 and begin their collegiate hockey careers in the 2002-03 season.
BC MOVES UP IN SEARS CUP STANDINGS: Boston College currently stands in a 21st-place tie in the latest standings for the Sears Directors' Cup, released Jan. 8. The standings are annually tabulated based on schools' performances in NCAA Championship play and is a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.
Boston College has earned points in the following sports this year: women's cross country, football, men's soccer and women's soccer.
Stanford is currently in first place, while North Carolina is second and UCLA is third. Boston College is the highest ranked HOCKEY EAST school, followed by Providence in a 34th-place tie and Massachusetts in a 59th-place tie. Among its BIG EAST Conference rivals, Boston College is second trailing only 14th-place Notre Dame.
REMEMBERING THE PAST: 2002 JERSEY RETIREMENTS: Two former Boston College greats had their sweaters hung from the Kelley Rink rafters on Friday, Jan. 18. The jerseys of John Cunniff '66 and Bill Daley '61 retired in a first-intermission ceremony.
Cunniff was a two-time All-American (1965, 1966) and a three-time All-New England choice. He is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils. He will serve as an assistant coach of the United States' team at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City next month. Daley led BC in career scoring when he graduated. In 78 career games, he scored 77 goals and collected 76 assists. Daley set the Eagles' single-season scoring record with 74 points in the 1960-61 season, and held the record until Scott Harlow later broke it in 1985-86.
ON THE AIR: All of Boston College's games can be heard live on 96.9 FM WTKK. Jon Rish calls the play-by-play, while Ken Hodge provides the color commentary. The game can also be accessed live via the Internet at www.bceagles.com.
UP NEXT: Boston College will finish its home-and-home series with Merrimack on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Volpe Complex at 7 p.m. Next weekend, the Eagles will play two against Northeastern on Friday and Sunday, Feb. 22 and 24.
