Boston College Athletics
BC, Merrimack Faceoff In Late October Series
October 30, 2008 | Men's Hockey
Oct. 30, 2008
COLLEGE HOCKEY GAME PREVIEW
Merrimack at Boston College
Game 5
Date: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008
Faceoff: 7:05 p.m.
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Venue (Capacity): Conte Forum/Kelley Rink (7,884)
Video Streaming: Eagles All-Access, bceagles.com
Radio Broadcast:
Flagship: WROL 950 AM; bceagles.com
Student Station: WZBC 90.3 FM
Live Stats: bceagles.com
Team Records: Boston College - 3-1-0, 1-1-0 Hockey East Association; Merrimack - 2-2-1, 0-1-0 HEA
Team Rankings: Boston College - No. 2 USA Today, No. 2 USCHO.com; Merrimack - NR USA Today, NR USCHO.com
Boston College at Merrimack
Game 6
Date: Friday, Oct. 31, 2008
Faceoff: 7:05 p.m.
Location: North Andover, Mass.
Venue (Capacity): Lawler Arena (3,000)
Radio Broadcast:
Flagship: WROL 950 AM; bceagles.com
Student Station: WZBC 90.3 FM
Video Streaming: B2 Networks
DROP THE PUCK: No. 2/2 Boston College will play Hockey East opponent Merrimack in a two-game home-and-home series beginning on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in BC's Kelley Rink. The Eagles and Warriors will conclude the two-game series on Friday at Lawler Rink in North Andover on Halloween Night. The two-game series will be BC's third and fourth consecutive league contests.
RADIO BROADCAST INFORMATION: All games are streamed live over the internet at bceagles.com and are carried live on WROL 950 AM. BC radio broadcasts will be handled by play-by-play announcer Jon Rish and expert analyst Ken Hodge. Additionally, BC student radio station WZBC 90.3 FM will carry Friday's contest.
THE MERRIMACK SERIES: Boston College and Merrimack are meeting for 71st and 72nd time in the all-time series that dates back to 1972. The Eagles own a 50-17-3 advantage and are unbeaten in the last 17 games (14-0-3). In the last meeting between the teams, BC skated to a 3-3 home tie on Friday, Nov. 9, 2007, snapping a string of 11 straight BC victories. Merrimack's last victory over Boston College came on Feb. 15, 2003.
SERIES FACTS:
- BC owns a 20-game home unbeaten streak against Merrimack (18-0-2). Merrimack last won in Kelley Rink on Halloween Night 1997. The two ties between the teams occurred on Nov. 18, 2003 and Nov. 9, 2007.
- In nine career meetings against Merrimack, senior alternate captain Benn Ferriero has recorded 13 points and eight goals.
- Senior alternate captain Tim Filangieri scored the first two goals of his collegiate career in a 3-0 home win over Merrimack on Oct. 26, 2005.
- In three career meetings with the Warriors, sophomore goalie John Muse is 2-0-1 with a 1.95 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.
- Sophomore forward Joe Whitney registered six points - two goals and four assists - in three games against Merrimack last winter.
- Senior defenseman Anthony Aiello has scored six points - two goals and four assists - in seven career meetings between the Eagles and Warriors.
LAST TIME OUT: Senior Andrew Orpik scored the decisive goal late in the third period to lift Boston College to a 3-2 Hockey East win over Vermont. The game marked the first meeting of the season between the two teams who last met in the 2008 Hockey East Tournament title game. After a scoreless first period, freshman Paul Carey tallied his first collegiate goal - on the power play - at 7:39 to give BC a 1-0 lead. Junior Ben Smith doubled the host's margin less than two minutes later with a power-play goal at 9:26.
THE POLLS: Boston College checks in at No. 2 in both major polls released on Monday, Oct. 27. The Eagles improved their ranking by one spot in the USCHO.com poll and two spots in this week's USA Today poll. The Eagles had been ranked No. 1 in all previous polls before the team fell at Northeastern, 4-3 on Saturday, Oct. 18.
QUICK GLANCE AT THE TEAM'S LEADING SCORERS: Four games into the 2008-09 season, senior captain Brock Bradford (3 goals, 3 assists) and sophomore forward Brian Gibbons (2 goals, 4 assists) are tied for the team lead with six points.
POWER PLAY: BC has scored eight power-play goals in four games and is converting its chances at a 25.0 percent rate (8-for-32). That mark ranks fourth among national leaders. BC scored three goals in man-advantage situations in the team's 5-3 home win over Bowling Green on Friday, Oct. 17. Individually, Gibbons is the top power-play producer, having totaled four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in man-advantage situations. Bradford, Joe Whitney and Ben Smith have each recorded three points on the power play.
PENALTY KILL: BC has killed 87.5 percent (21-of-24) of its opponent power plays, including all six Wisconsin power-play chances in the team's 5-4 season-opening victory on Friday, Oct. 10. In penalty-killing situations, Bradford and Gibbons have each registered two points - one goal and one assist - while junior Matt Price has also scored a shorthanded goal for BC.
FROM THE FACEOFF DOT: Boston College has averaged a win at the faceoff circle 46.5 percent (139-of-299) of the time through the team's first four games. Junior center Ben Smith leads the team with a 54.9 percent (39-for-71) win rate, while Matt Lombardi checks in at No. 2 having won 50 percent of his faceoffs (13-of-26).
QUICK HITS:
- With its 3-2 win over Vermont last week, the Eagles improved their record to 8-0-0 against Vermont in Conte Forum since the 2005-06 season.
- BC went 2-for-7 on the power play against Vermont and has now scored multiple man-advantage goals in three of its four games this season. The team is converting its chances at a 25 percent rate (eight-for-32), ranking fourth among national leaders.
- Junior center Ben Smith scored his first goal of the season in the team's 4-3 conference win over Vermont. The goal extended Smith's scoring streak to 11 games dating back to March 15, 2008 against Providence.
- Senior forward Andrew Orpik tallied his first goal of the season - the decisive goal - in BC's 3-2 league win over Vermont. The goal marked Orpik's 14th career score.
- With one assist, senior Kyle Kucharski has now tallied three points - two goals and one assist - in the last three games.
COLLEGIATE FIRSTS
- Freshman forward Paul Carey netted his first collegiate goal at 7:39 of the second period in a 3-2 league win over Vermont.
- Freshman defenseman Tommy Cross registered his first career point - an assist - on classmate Paul Carey's first career goal against Vermont.
THE COACH: Jerry York is in his 37th season as a head coach and his 15th season at Boston College. He is the second winningest coach in NCAA history and first among active Division I coaches. He has an 806-516-84 career record and a 339-181-50 mark as coach of the Eagles. York is a 1967 graduate of Boston College where he was a three-year letterman and earned All-America and All-New England first-team honors in 1966-67.
POSTSEASON SUCCESS: In NCAA Tournament competition, York is the winningest coach of all time, having guided his teams to 29 victories - five as head coach at Bowling Green State University and 24 at BC.
ONE OF ONLY TWO: On March 29, 2008, York captured his 800th career victory as Boston College defeated Minnesota, 5-2, in the NCAA Tournament's Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass. He joins Ron Mason (924) as the only two coaches in college hockey to earn 800 (or more) career wins.
ELEVEN AMAZING YEARS: In the last 11 seasons, he has guided the Eagles to eight Frozen Four appearances, four Hockey East regular-season trophies, six Hockey East Tournament titles and two national championships - 2001 and 2008.
GREAT COACHES, GREAT PLAYERS: Individually, York has guided 33 players to All-America first-team honors, including 2000 Hobey Baker Award winner Mike Mottau and 2008 USA Hockey College Player of the Year Nathan Gerbe.
ATKINSON COLLECTS LEAGUE'S FIRST ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AWARD: Freshman forward Cam Atkinson scored the game-winning goal at 13:30 of the third period in top-ranked BC's 5-4 season-opening victory over No. 14 Wisconsin and earned Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors. Atkinson was one of two BC freshmen to record their first collegiate points in their first game. Classmate Jimmy Hayes registered the secondary assist on Atkinson's decisive goal.
THE SENIORS: BC's Class of 2009 is comprised of seven seniors - F Brock Bradford, F Benn Ferriero, D Tim Filangieri, D Anthony Aiello, D Tim Kunes, F Kyle Kucharski and F Andrew Orpik. Led by Ferriero, who has played in all 128 games over the last three seasons, the septet has combined to participate in 744 career contests. It has captured two Hockey East Tournament titles, advanced to all three Frozen Fours and earned the 2008 national title. The class enters Thursday's game against Merrimack with a combined record of 83-37-12.
THE CAPTAINS: Brock Bradford will serve as team captain in 2008-09. He is joined by assistant captains Benn Ferriero and Tim Filangieri.
THE GOALIE: Boston College's goaltending duties are in the firm grasp of sophomore John Muse. Muse played in all 2,725 minutes in net during the team's 44-game 2007-08 campaign. He led all goaltenders in the nation in that category and totaled a BC single-season record 1,171 saves.
EAGLES CHOSEN AS HOCKEY EAST PRESEASON FAVORITE: For the eighth time in the past 11 years, Boston College was chosen as the preseason favorite to win the league's regular-season title, according to the Hockey East Coaches' Poll released at the annual media day held on Sept. 29. BC earned six first-place votes and a total of 86 points. Boston University was picked second with 80 points, just two points ahead of the league's defending regular-season champion New Hampshire.
THE ROSTER, BY POSITION: Forwards (14): Barry Almeida, Cam Atkinson, Tommy Atkinson, Brock Bradford, Paul Carey, Benn Ferriero, Brian Gibbons, Jimmy Hayes, Kyle Kucharski, Matt Lombardi, Andrew Orpik, Matt Price, Ben Smith, and Joe Whitney. Defensemen (8): Anthony Aiello, Tommy Cross, Tim Filangieri, Tim Kunes, Malcolm Lyles, Nick Petrecki, Carl Sneep and Edwin Shea. Goalies (3): Alex Kremer, John Muse and Chris Venti.
THE ROSTER, BY STATE: Massachusetts (11): D Anthony Aiello (Braintree), F Barry Almeida (Springfield), F Paul Carey (Weymouth), F Benn Ferriero (Essex), F Brian Gibbons (Braintree), F Kyle Kucharski (Saugus), F Matt Lombardi (Milton), G John Muse (East Falmouth), D Edwin Shea (Shrewsbury), G Chris Venti (Needham) and F Joe Whitney (Reading). New York (4): D Tim Filangieri (Islip Terrace), D Tim Kunes (Huntington), F Andrew Orpik (East Amherst) and D Nick Petrecki (Clifton Park). Connecticut (5): F Cam Atkinson (Greenwich), F Tommy Atkinson (Greenwich), D Tommy Cross (Simsbury), G Alex Kremer (Darien) and F Ben Smith (Avon). British Columbia (1): F Brock Bradford (Burnaby). Florida (1): D Malcolm Lyles (Miami Gardens). Minnesota (1): D Carl Sneep (Nisswa). Ontario (1): F Matt Price (Milton).
FOUR PLAYERS RECEIVE PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA DISTINCTION: Defenseman Nick Petrecki and forward Joe Whitney each received preseason All-America first-team honors, the online publication Inside College Hockey has posted. In addition to Petrecki and Whitney, sophomore goaltender John Muse and junior forward Ben Smith earned preseason All-America third-team recognition. Additionally, Smith, who registered 50 points on 25 goals and 25 assists last winter, captured College Hockey News preseason All-America first-team honors.
A BRIEF GLANCE BACK: Last season, Boston College finished with a 25-11-8 record. The Eagles were 11-9-7 in Hockey East, finishing fourth in the regular-season standings. The Eagles won the Hockey East Tournament, advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Frozen Four and won the 2008 NCAA title.
THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER: On Friday, Oct. 10, just before the team's season-opening game against Wisconsin, BC paid a final salute to last year's title-winning team by raising the 2008 national championship banner. All-American Nathan Gerbe and 2007-08 assistant captain Matt Greene returned to Kelley Rink to help commemorate the occasion. Also in attendance were three members of BC's 1949 national championship team and six players from the 2001 NCAA title team.
1949: Ed Casey, Len Ceglarski and Giles Threadgold. 2001: Bobby Allen, Bill Cass, Scott Clemmensen, Justin Dziama, Tim Kelleher and Mark McLennan.
