Boston College Athletics
No. 11 Boston College To Face Providence Friday On NESN
January 30, 2009 | Men's Hockey
Jan. 30, 2009
COLLEGE HOCKEY GAME PREVIEW
Boston College at Providence College
Game 23
Date: Friday, Jan. 30, 2009
Faceoff: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Providence, R.I.
Venue (Capacity): Schneider Arena (3,030)
Television: NESN
Radio Broadcast:
Flagship: WROL 950 AM; bceagles.com
Live Stats: bceagles.com.
Team Records: Boston College - 11-8-3, 1-1-0 Hockey East Association; Providence - 6-14-2, 3-10-2 HEA
Team Rankings: Boston College - No. 11 USA Today, No. 11 USCHO.com; Providence - NR USA Today, NR USCHO.com
DROP THE PUCK
Boston College will face Providence College on Friday, Jan. 30, 2009. The game, which will be televised by the New England Sports Network (NESN), will faceoff at 7:30 p.m., at Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I. Friday's game marks the Eagles' third appearance on NESN's Friday-Night Ice package.
BOSTON COLLEGE IN BRIEF
• Boston College is 11-8-3 and 7-7-3 in Hockey East contests. Following a six-game winless streak (0-4-2), the Eagles earned a two-game series sweep (Saturday and Sunday) of the Maine Black Bears last week.
• Backstopping BC's defense is goalie John Muse, who has a 2.77 goals against average and a .905 save percentage in 22 games in 2008-09.
• BC's offense is averaging 3.32 goals per game and ranks No. 15 in the country. The offense is led by captain Brock Bradford, who has 16 goals and 28 points.
CLOSING IN ON THE CENTURY MARK
Senior captain Brock Bradford is seeking to become and is not far from becoming the 90th player in BC hockey history to join the illustrious club of 100 point scorers. Bradford has 96 points - 44 goals and 52 assists - in 111 games. The British Columbia resident tallied 18 points as a freshman (2005-06), 45 points as a sophomore (2006-07), five points during his five-game, injury-shortened junior season and has registered 28 points in 22 games this winter. Bradford is seeking to become the second active Eagle to have scored 100 points. Classmate Benn Ferriero has recorded 128 points in 150 career games.
THE PROVIDENCE SERIES
Boston College has a 94-45-11 overall record against Providence College in 150 games. BC and PC are meeting for the first time this season. The Eagles and Friars last met on March 15, 2008 in BC's Kelley Rink. In that game, the Eagles defeated the Friars 5-1 to capture the best-of-three Hockey East quarterfinal-round series. The Eagles also defeated the Friars by an identical score of 5-1 one night earlier. BC went 2-2-1 in five games in 2007-08. BC made one trip to Schneider Arena last winter. The teams skated to a 2-2 tie on Saturday, March 1, 2008. BC sophomore goaltender John Muse has a 2-2-1 record, a 1.98 goals against average and a .935 save percentage in five career games against PC.
CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME RANKS
• Senior assistant captain Benn Ferriero has 60 goals in 150 career games and is tied with Ken Hodge (1984-87) and Jim Mullen (1963-66) for 33 rd on BC's all-time list. Each of the three are two goals behind Jack Leetch (1960-63) and Ray Chaisson (1939-41) for 31st on the school's legendary list.
• Ferriero is also already tied for 29th on the BC all-time games played list with 150 career contests under his belt. The Essex, Mass., resident played in all 42 games as a freshman (2005-06), all 42 games as a sophomore (2006-07), all 44 games as a junior (2007-08) and has played in all 22 games this winter. Stephen Gionta ranks one game ahead of Ferriero, having played in 151 games from 2002-06 while Jeff O'Neill (1986-90) played in 152 contests.
EAGLES RECEIVE AN NHL CHARGE
With the Bruins hosting two Eastern Conference opponents in the Washington Capitals and the New Jersey Devils this week, Boston College enjoyed a parade of NHL stars through the halls of its locker room this week.
With a training holiday on Monday following a rare Saturday-Sunday series last week, Capitals superstar left wing and the reining Hart Memorial Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin paid a spontaneous visit to the Eagles' newly renovated hockey locker room. The Washington Capitals, in Boston to face the Bruins Tuesday night, had arranged an afternoon practice session at Boston College (Capitals general manager George McPhee played his collegiate hockey for BC head coach Jerry York at Bowling Green from 1979-82). Arriving separate from the team - Ovechkin flew from the All-Star festivities in Montreal to Boston - the Great 8 strolled into the locker room, received a BC hat from York, posed for pictures and soaked up the college atmosphere. "He was asking what the college life is like, what it's like living in dorms, what Boston is like as a city," senior forward Anthony Aiello told the Metro. "He seemed like a great guy."
"Those guys were great to me. I liked talking to them, talking about college hockey, about school," said Ovechkin of his visit to the Heights. "That rink they have is sick, especially the locker room. It's like the NHL there."
Following an eventful Tuesday in which three senior members - Anthony Aiello, Brock Bradford and Andrew Orpik - of the Eagles' squad, accompanied by head coach Jerry York, attending the annual Beanpot Luncheon at TD Banknorth Garden, a diverse yet familiar group of New Jersey Devils, in town to face the Bruins on Thursday, attended BC's practice on Wednesday. Goaltender Scott Clemmensen, forward Brian Gionta and defenseman Mike Mottau - all BC alumni - visited their alma mater.
