The Eagles hope to get back on the winning track
December 08, 2006 | Women's Hockey
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Dec. 8, 2006
Boston College Eagles (10-4-1, 5-3-0 HEA) vs. Northeastern (3-12-1, 2-7-1 HEA)
Saturday, December 9, 2006
@ Northeastern Huskies
2:00 p.m.
Matthews Arena, Boston, Mass.
DROPPING THE PUCK
Boston College dropped two Hockey East contests last weekend, failing to pick up any points in the league standings. Saturday afternoon at Kelley Rink, UConn upset the Eagles by a 4-2 score behind Brittany Wilson's 37 saves in net. Boston College outshot the visitors 39-19, but just could not place the puck in the goal. Sophomore Becky Zavisza and freshman Allie Thunstrom notched the only two goals for the Eagles. Zavisza also picked up an assist.
In Providence on Sunday afternoon, the Eagles again had difficulties scoring and consequently fell to the Friars, 3-2, in a rematch of last year's Hockey East semifinal game in which Boston College beat PC. Another set of underclassmen--freshman Megan Keever and sophomore Meghan Fardelmann--handled the scoring for the Eagles, and Zavisza picked up her third point of the weekend with an assist. Head coach Tom Mutch and his girls dropped to 10-4-1 overall and 5-3-0 in league play. Boston College now gears up for its third straight conference tilt and its last game before the winter break.
BC vs. THE HUSKIES
The Eagles are 7-28-3 all-time against the Northeastern Huskies beginning with their first meeting on November 10, 1994 at Kelley Rink, a 5-2 win for NU. After not having much luck against its cross-town foe in the first nine seasons of competition, Boston College has taken six of the last nine meetings since 2004, including the last five. Games between these two teams have gone into overtime five times, resulting in ties three times. The Eagles are 2- 13-1 against NU at Matthews Arena.
These teams met in Boston earlier this season on October 29 when the Eagles defeated the Huskies, 7-4. That game was the first in back-to-back games that Boston College scored seven goals, a season-high.
YOUNG GUNS
The freshman and sophomore classes are making quite the impact for the Eagles this season. Those two classes have tallied 107 of Boston College's 131 points this season (82%) and 46 of 55 goals (84%). Sophomore Becky Zavisza (7-10--17) is leading the scoring, most recently picking up three points last weekend. Below is the scoring break-down for each class.
Goals Assists Points Freshmen 29 35 64 Sophomores 17 26 43 Juniors 8 12 20 Seniors 1 3 4 Team 55 76 131ON THE ROAD
The Eagles are 4-2-0 on the road this season with wins at RPI, Maine, Northeastern and UConn. The only losses Boston College has faced on an opponent's home ice are close 1-2 and 2-3 contests to New Hampshire and Providence, respectively. On the road, the Eagles have outshot, 177-130, and outscored, 22-14, opponents. Freshman Anna McDonald has lit the lamp more times than any other Eagle during away games, doing so six times.
STREAKING
Sophomores Maggie Taverna and Becky Zavisza have played in every single game at Boston College and each played in their 50th consecutive games against Providence last Sunday. Juniors Lee-J Mirasolo and Lindsay Wright each have the Eagles' longest streaks at 80 straight games.
HOCKEY IN THE HALL
Erin Magee `99 made history as the first women's hockey player at Boston College to be inducted into the school's Hall of Fame on November 12 at the 37th Induction Banquet. She ranks first all-time in goals (116), assists (82) and points (198). Her 64 points as a freshman and 55 as a sophomore are the two highest single-season marks in program history. "She was the real deal," said former BC head coach Tom O'Malley who recruited and coached Magee.
THE NATIONAL SCENE (as of December 5 2006)
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine USCHO.com Division I Women's Poll Women's College Hockey Poll Team (first place votes) Team (first place votes) 1. Mercyhurst College (15) 1. Mercyhurst College (12) 2. Wisconsin (4) 2. Wisconsin (3) 3. New Hampshire 3. New Hampshire 4. Minnesota 4. Harvard 5. Harvard 5. Minnesota 6. Dartmouth 6. Dartmouth 7. St. Lawrence 7. St. Lawrence 8. Minnesota-Duluth 8. Minnesota-Duluth 9. Princeton 9. Princeton 10. Ohio State 10. Ohio State RV: Boston College, UConn, RV: Boston College, UConn, Providence, Providence. Colgate.UNDER-22 SELECTS
This summer, three Eagles were invited to participate in the U.S. National Women's Hockey Festival, which served as a try-out for the U.S. Under-22 Select Team. Defenseman Maggie Taverna, and forwards Deb Spillane and Becky Zavisza traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y. for the festival, and Taverna and Spillane were selected to play in the Under-22 series against the Canadian team August 24-27. The Americans were edged, 2-1, by the Canadians in the series.
THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING...
The Eagles had their best season in program history last year, and with it came lots of firsts. On February 14, 2006, Boston College won its first-ever Beanpot trophy by defeating Harvard, 2-0, in the title game. Next, the Eagles picked up their first win in a Hockey East tournament game since joining the conference in 2002 when they beat Providence in the semifinals, 3-1. When Boston College moved on to play New Hampshire the next night, it marked the first conference title game for the Eagles. The girls from The Heights finished off their season by hitting the 20- win mark, a feat which none of the previous Boston College teams accomplished.
COACH'S CORNER
Head coach Tom Mutch has compiled a 46-55-12 (.410) record at the Heights in his three-plus seasons since joining the Eagle staff in 2003. He has also earned Hockey East's Co-Coach of the Year Award and been selected to the All-Star game coaching staff. Prior to Boston College, Mutch coached the University of Nebraska-Omaha men's team, the Omaha Lancers Hockey Club, and his alma mater, the Northeastern men's hockey program. In 1996, Mutch accepted a position as the U.S. Women's National and Olympic Hockey team assistant. During his tenure there, Team USA captured the 1998 Olympic gold medal with a 6-0 record, and the silver medal in the 1997 World Championship in Ontario.
