Boston College Athletics
Fenway's 'Friendly' For The Eagles
January 06, 2010 | Men's Hockey
Jan. 6, 2010
By Reid Oslin
Although Friday's game marks the first appearance of the Boston College hockey team in a game at Fenway Park, BC's teams have played many contests at Boston's venerable old ballyard on Brookline Avenue.
During the 1914 season, the Boston College football team - still yet to be dubbed "Eagles" and without a campus football home - played two games in the then two-year-old Back Bay baseball stadium - Oct. 31 vs. Norwich and a Thanksgiving Day game (Nov. 26) against Catholic University. BC's 28-6 victory over Norwich, believed to be the first football game ever played in Fenway, drew only 2,000 spectators, but the hometown eleven's 14-0 shutout win over Catholic was played before 30,000 fans - the largest crowd in BC sports history to that point.
Fenway hosted a number of big games on the Boston College football schedule in ensuing years - including a highly-anticipated game against Fordham in 1928 that matched BC's dynamic young coach, Joe McKenney, against his former BC mentor and future Hall of Famer Frank Cavanaugh - "The Iron Major." BC won that game, 19-7, before another packed Fenway house and went on to enjoy an undefeated season and capture the Eastern Championship.
Still another famous Fenway game was BC's thrilling 19-18 victory over Georgetown during the 1940 season - a contest that legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice pronounced "the greatest game of football ever played." Over the years, the Eagles faced such national powers as Florida, Michigan State and Auburn as well as traditional rival Holy Cross on the Fenway turf.
Boston College's football Eagles have won all five games played against city rival Boston University at Fenway: 21-14 in 1938, 21-0 in 1940, 37-0 in 1942, 7-6 in 1954 and 13-0 in 1956.
The Eagles were regular tenants at Fenway until 1956 when Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey decided that a full schedule of college football games was damaging the park's pristine grass. The edict forced Boston College administrators to raise money to build a suitable on-campus facility in time for the 1957 season. Alumni Stadium, originally built in just five months time, has been enlarged and refurbished several times in the past 52 years.
Likewise, the Boston College baseball team has played numerous games at Fenway, including the annual "Beanpot Tournament" that involves schools from the Boston and New England area.
