Boston College Athletics
Hockey Set To Host Maine On Friday
February 07, 2002 | Men's Hockey
Feb. 7, 2002
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. MAINE
Friday, February 8, 2002
Kelley Rink
7 p.m.
Boston College/Maine in PDF Format
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THE EAGLES IN BRIEF: Boston College enters Friday's game against Maine with a 13-13-2 overall record and a 6-10-1 mark in HOCKEY EAST games. In their last game, the Eagles fell to Boston University, 5-3, in the first round of the Beanpot on Monday. Due to injuries, BC has been unable to dress a full complement of skaters in any of the last eight games.
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 34 points (21 goals and 13 assists). Senior Jeff Giuliano follows with 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists), while sophomore Ben Eaves has netted 25 points on eight goals and 17 assists. Freshman Dave Spina has 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists). A total of 10 players have scored in double figures this season.
AGAINST THE BLACK BEARS: Friday's meeting between Boston College and Maine will be the 73rd between the two schools. The Eagles hold a 39-29-4 advantage in the series. In the two earlier meetings this season on Dec. 7-8, Maine defeated BC, 5-2, before the two teams skated to a 3-3 tie the following evening. Both games were played in Orono. Boston College has won six of the last nine meetings between the two schools.
Senior Ales Dolinar and sophomore Tony Voce both lead the club with eight points apiece against the Black Bears. Both players have scored four goals and four assists apiece. Senior Jeff Giuliano has seven points (two goals, five assists). Sophomore Ben Eaves has five points (two goals, three assists). In the first two games of its career against Maine, the freshman class combined to score five points earlier this season.
LAST TIME AGAINST MAINE: With less than three minutes remaining in regulation, Tony Voce scored his second goal of the night as Boston College went on to tie Maine, 3-3, at Alfond Arena on Dec. 8. After Maine took a 1-0 lead after the first period, the Eagles scored shorthanded goals 14 seconds apart in the second period. Ryan Shannon evened the score at 1-1 with his shorthanded strike at 3:43, then Voce put the Eagles ahead with his shorthanded goal at 3:57. Maine responded with a pair of power-play goals later in the period to regain its lead, but Voce's goal at 17:12 of the third period gave BC a 3-3 tie. Tim Kelleher made 12 saves in the third period - 23 overall - to pace the Eagles in net. BC peppered the Maine net with 38 shots on the night as Mike Morrison made 35 saves, including 11 in the first period and 15 in the second.
LAST TIME OUT: Boston University scored three times in the third period to earn a 5-3 victory over the Eagles in the first round of the Beanpot on Monday, Feb. 4 at the FleetCenter. Tony Voce put the Eagles up 1-0 after the first period, but the Terriers knotted the score 1:04 into the second. The two teams traded shorthanded goals - Andrew Alberts scored BC's - to bring the score to 2-2 after two periods. The Terriers built the lead to 4-2 before J.D. Forrest's power-play goal at 15:22 pulled the Eagles within one goal at 4-3. BU added a late empty-net goal to secure the win. Matti Kaltiainen made 20 saves in the loss, while Jeff Giuliano collected two assists.
LEAGUE HONOREE: Freshman Dave Spina was honored as the HOCKEY EAST Rookie of the Week today for his performance against UMass-Amherst last Friday ... he netted the game's first goal and then stole the puck in the corner to set up Ryan Shannon's overtime game-winner after BC rallied from behind to send the game into the extra session ... the honor is Spina's first of the season ... he is HOCKEY EAST'S second-leading freshman scorer (conference games only) with 17 points on seven goals and 10 assists.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS: Sophomore Tony Voce is one of only eight players nationally who have scored 20 goals so far this season ... he is fifth nationally in total goals and is tied for fifth in goals per game (0.74) ... 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 ... five of the nation's top eight goal scorers this season play in HOCKEY EAST.
WALKER LATEST ON DISABLED LIST: Junior forward A.J. Walker will be out of the lineup for approximately three weeks after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He suffered the injury when he slid into the goalpost in the first round of the Beanpot on Feb. 4.
INJURY REPORT: Sophomore forward Ben Eaves broke several ribs while he played for Team USA at the World Junior Championships. He has missed the last 12 games, 10 with the injury ... freshman defenseman John Adams had surgery to repair a broken bone in his thumb on Tuesday, Jan. 8. He has missed the last eight games ... freshman Dave Spina missed Monday's game after coming down flu prior to the game.
WE MISS YOU BEN: With sophomore Ben Eaves in the line-up, Boston College is 7-4-2. Without him, the team is 6-9-0 ... with Eaves, the offense averages 3.62 goals per game. Without him, the team averages 2.80 goals per game ... the power-play clicks at 22.7 percent with him and 10.5 percent without hime ... no single player misses Eaves more then wingmate Tony Voce. In 13 games the duo played together, Voce has recorded 22 points (15 goals, seven assists). In the 15 games without Eaves, Voce has scored only 12 points (six goals, six assists). Voce also had a five-game point-less streak without Eaves.
INJURY GAMES MISSED IN 2001-02: Boston College players have missed a total of 35 games in 2001-02 because of injury ... sophomore Ben Eaves leads the team with 12 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.
GOALTENDERS LEAVING THE GAME EARLY: Boston College has pulled its goaltender in seven of the last eight games. In those games, the Eagles have been down by one or two goals in the closing minutes. However, BC was unable to score a 6x5 goal in that span. The team has allowed five empty-net goals in those seven games.
WHO'S HOT: Senior captain Jeff Giuliano has scored 15 points in the last nine games. He has netted four goals and collected 11 assists. He also recorded his 100th career point during that span ... freshman Dave Spina has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in the last seven games he has played ... senior Ales Dolinar has four assists in his last four games ... sophomore Tony Voce has three goals in the last three games.
YOUNGSTERS LEADING THE CHARGE: The freshman and sophomore classes have combined to score 69.8 percent of the Eagles' offense this season ... the freshmen have contributed 27 goals and 45 assists for 72 points ... the sophomore class has combined for 42 goals and 50 assists for 82 points ... the two youngest classes have netted a total of 164 of BC's 235 points.
WINS COME THROUGH DEFENSE: This season, 10 of Boston College's 13 wins have come when the defense has held the opposition to one goal or fewer. 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 and Minnesota-Duluth 5-1. The Eagles also have wins over Merrimack (6-4), Massachusetts (4-3, OT) and Massachusetts (3-2, OT).
SUCCESS AFTER FIRST PERIOD SHUTOUTS: Boston College has a 10-5-0 record this season when not allowing a goal in the first period. Matti Kaltiainen has a 5-3-0 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).
VOCE AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS ...: Sophomore Tony Voce is listed among the Division I national leaders in four categories. He is the only Eagle to be ranked in Division I. The following is a list of his ratings as compiled by USCHO.com (as of Feb. 5) and the NCAA (as of Feb. 5).
Overall scoring: Tied for 17th with 34 points Goal scoring: Fifth with 21 goals Shorthanded goals: Tied for second with four Goals per game: Tied for fifth (0.74)
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 12 games, the duo has combined for 26 points (five goals, 21 assists). Giuliano has scored four goals and added 12 assists in 12 games, while Dolinar has scored one goal and collected nine assists in 11 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 4-2-0 record when scoring four or more goals.
GETTING OFFENSIVE WHEN SHORTHANDED: Boston College leads HOCKEY EAST, and is tied for third in Division I, with eight shorthanded goals this season ... the Eagles have 50 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 second 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, and Tony Voce scored 37 seconds into the second period at Yale on Jan. 6 to give BC seven goals within one minute of leaving the dressing room this season. BC has a 5-1-1 record in games where 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. 5).
Three players are listed among the league leaders in scoring: Tony Voce (tied for fifth, 13-7-20), Jeff Giuliano (tied for 12th, 4-13-17) and Dave Spina (tied for 12th, 6-9-15).
Voce leads the league in two categories - hat tricks (one) and shots (83) - and second in two categories - goals (13), shorthanded goals (three). He is also tied for 10th in power-play goal with three.
Giuliano is tied for fourth in assists with 13 and 10th in shots with 57. Ben Eaves is tied for sixth in assists with 11. Ryan Shannon and Ryan Murphy are tied for fourth in shorthanded goals (one).
GIULIANO HITS 100 AND KEEPS GOING: Senior Jeff Giuliano reached the 100-point mark for his career on Jan. 25 against Providence. He recorded his 100th point on a first-period assist, then kept going to add three additional points on the evening. He later assisted on A.J. Walker's third-period goal, scored his own third-period goal, then assisted on Ned Havern's goal ... Giuliano finished the evening with a career-high four points ... he now has 106 career points ... he is the 58th Eagle to reach the 100-career point level.
CHANGING POSITIONS: After playing the first 20 games of the season as a forward, junior Anthony D'Arpino has moved back to his natural position as a defenseman. A depleted defensive corps forced the coaching staff to move D'Arpino to the blue line. He was a defenseman in his first two seasons at the Heights.
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.
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 17 points (6-6-12 on the power play, 4-0-4 shorthanded and 1-0-1 in 4x4 situations).
VOCE'S PRODUCTION SCHEDULE: Sophomore Tony Voce has netted 34 points this season (21 goals and 13 assists) in 28 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 156 of BC's games since his arrival at the Heights in the fall of 1998. He has recorded 37 goals and 69 assists for 104 points.
MULTIPLE-POINT NORM: Sophomore Ben Eaves has recorded multiple-point efforts in eight of the 13 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 three games with three points.
MAKING A CAREER OF IT: During his 53-game career, sophomore Ben Eaves has recorded 21 multiple-point efforts, a total that represents nearly 40 percent of the games he has played as an Eagle. In fact, since February 2001, Eaves has recorded multiple points in 16 of 30 games (53.3 percent of the games he has played). He had eight in 17 games to close the 2000-01 season and has already accumulated eight in 13 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.
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 will serve as an assistant coach on the team ... in addition, Matti Kaltiainen's sister, Anna, qualified for the Finnish Olympic snowboarding team, but the team will 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 172-112-23 mark (.598 winning percentage) at Boston College and a 639-447-57 (.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 130-54-14 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 face Harvard in the consolation game of the 50th-Annual Beanpot tournament. The game will be played on Monday, Feb. 11 at the FleetCenter at 5 p.m.
