Boston College Athletics
BC Welcomes Wisconsin on Jerry York Night
October 16, 2013 | Men's Hockey
Oct. 16, 2013
Game Notes: Boston College | Wisconsin
Live Audio and Video (Play-by-play: Jon Rish | Color: Andy Powers)
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. WISCONSIN
Boston College will combat its second Big Ten squad in three games when No. 2 Wisconsin makes its way to The Heights for the first time since Oct. 10, 2008. The Eagles and Badgers are no strangers to the big stage. Two of the last five meetings between these two clubs have occurred in the national championship game, including BC’s and UW’s most recent meeting in the 2010 national championship game. Boston College shutout Wisconsin at Ford Field in Detroit, 5-0, on Apr. 10, 2010. Including that most recent triumph, BC has won the last four meetings against the Badgers before Wisconsin ousted the Eagles in the 2006 title bout in Milwaukee, 2-1, on Apr. 8, 2006. Friday night marks the 22nd meeting all-time between these historic programs with the Eagles holding the 12-9-0 advantage. Boston College has defeated UW in the last two tilts at Kelley Rink (5-4, 10/10/08 | 4-2, 10/25/02). The last time Wisconsin won in Chestnut Hill was on Oct. 27, 2000.
EYE ‘ON WISCONSIN’
Second-ranked Wisconsin enters the 2013-14 season with high expectations, having been chosen as the preseason favorite for the inaugural season of Big Ten hockey. The Badgers posted 22 victories last year and finished off its run in the WCHA by winning the 2013 Final Five. UW returns nine seniors and seven juniors, the most upperclassmen on its roster since the 2009-10 squad that reached the 2010 title game. The Badgers also return 81.3 percent of their goal scoring (91-of-112 goals) and 78.9 percent of their points (239-of-303 points) this season. The Badgers are fresh off their first 2-0-0 opening weekend since the 2004–05 season. Nic Kerdiles and Michael Mersch lead Wisconsin in scoring through two games, each with a goal and a pair of helpers. Just like BC, the Badgers dispersed the goaltending duties between junior Landon Peterson (18 saves on 20 shots) and classmate Joel Rempel (20 saves on 21 shots).
Jerry York NIGHT
On Friday, Oct. 18, Boston College will honor its legendary coach, Jerry York. The Schiller Family Head Hockey Coach is in his 20th season at The Heights and 42nd, all-time. York is college hockey’s all-time winningest coach with 936 victories to date, along with a record 37 NCAA Tournament victories. The brief ceremony will honor York for the four NCAA championships (2001, 2008, 2010, 2012) he has brought back to Chestnut Hill, the 10 Frozen Four berths (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012) and the five 30-win seasons he has produced at Boston College. To date, York owns an overall win-loss total of 936-570-98 (.614) and a 459-235-64 (.648) mark at Boston College.
ONE AWAY FROM 100
Junior Johnny Gaudreau is one point away from reaching the 100-point plateau for his career. The Carneys Point, N.J., native has accounted for 43 goals and 56 assists in 81 career games. Gaudreau would become the 74th Eagle in program history to meet that benchmark. The last two to hit the 100-point mark for their careers were Pat Mullane (42-97-137 in 163 games) and Steven Whitney (55-73-128 in 160 games) from the 2012-13 teams.
ROOKS RUNNING RAMPANT
Boston College’s incoming class has shown no signs of stage freight early on. Six of the ten rookies have scored at least one point and make up 38.1 percent of the Eagles’ offense. Against Rensselaer on Oct. 13, three freshmen netted their first-career goals (Ryan Fitzgerald, Chris Calnan, Steven Santini) while Scott Savage (0-2-2) and Calnan (1-1-2) each notched their first-career multi-point performances.
CALLING ALL SPECIAL UNITS
Thanks to Boston College’s unblemished combined special teams’ effort against RPI on Oct. 13, the Eagles are now ranked the top power play (2-for-4 – 50 percent) and top combined special teams (75 percent) units in the country. The Eagles converted both power play chances (Hayes, Gaudreau) against RPI and shutdown all seven Engineers’ attempts.
SEVEN HEAVEN
Boston College’s seven-goal outburst on Oct. 13 marked the most goals scored at Kelley Rink since a 7-7 draw against Northeastern on Feb. 18, 2011. It marks the most goals in a win at home since trouncing Merrimack, 7-0, on Feb. 23, 2010.
REMINISCENT OF 2008?
Boston College lost its season opener in a physical battle to No. 11 Michigan on Thursday night at Yost Ice Arena. The Eagles and Wolverines initiated one another seasons in 2007-08, where Michigan won a 4-3 overtime contest at the IceBreaker Tournament in St. Paul, Minn. Despite that lost, Boston College’s season culminated by winning its third national championship over Notre Dame on Apr. 12, 2008, in Denver, Colo.
EVEN EAGLES
Boston College has won the NCAA championship each of the last three even years (2008, 2010, 2012). The Eagles defeated Notre Dame in 2008, Wisconsin in 2010 and Ferris State in 2012. In fact, Boston College has made the Frozen Four the last five even years, finishing as runner-up in 2006 to Wisconsin and losing in the 2004 semifinals to Maine.
McCAUTION
Freshman defenseman Ian McCoshen scored Boston College’s first goal of the season at Michigan on Oct. 10, 2013. The Faribault, Minn., native is first defenseman to score the Eagles’ first goal of the season since Patrick Eaves on Oct. 15, 2004. In that contest, BC power past Denver at Conte Forum, 6-2.
BATTLE OF THE TITANS
The Boston College - Michigan matchup symbolized lots of college hockey history. Since 1997, the Eagles and Wolverines sit atop the most prestigious categories in the game. BC owns the most national championships (4), NCAA Tournament victories (32), Frozen Four appearances (10) and national runners-up showings (4) over any other program in college hockey. Michigan leads the way in total victories (436) and NCAA Tournament appearances (15). In all, U-M owns the most national championships all-time (9) while BC has captured five in its course of history. In regards to overall tournament appearances U-M and BC rank first and third, respectively. The Wolverines have appeared 35 times in the NCAA Tournament while BC has gone 32 times. Michigan and BC also rank first and second, in that order, when it comes to Frozen Four appearances. U-M holds the slightest of margins, 24-23.
YORK vs. BERENSON
When Boston College head coach Jerry York and University of Michigan head coach Red Berenson met on Oct. 10, 2013, more history was on the line. Those two coaches represent the most active career win total amongst college hockey coaches today. York’s 936 victories is the college hockey benchmark while Berenson’s 771 victories is second-best amongst active coaches and fifth highest all-time. Together, the two have won 1,707 college hockey games.
IN YORK WE TRUST
Jerry York, The Schiller Family Head Hockey Coach at Boston College, is a cornerstone of college hockey. York begins the season as the game’s all-time winningest coach with 936 victories. On Dec. 29, 2012, York surpassed Ron Mason (Michigan State) to become the active leader with a victory over Alabama-Huntsville in Minneapolis, Minn, securing his 925th career win.
UNPRECEDENTED PUCKDROP
The Oct. 10, 2013, contest between Boston College and Michigan marked the beginning of a new era. Yost Ice Arena played host to the first-ever contest between the Hockey East Association and the newly-formed Big Ten hockey conference. It also marks the first team of the Big Ten Conference to play a regular season game.
EAGLES TABBED CO-FAVORITES TO WIN HOCKEY EAST TITLE
Boston College has been chosen as the preseason co-favorite to win the Hockey East regular-season crown voted on by the league coaches and announced at the conference’s annual media day at TD Garden on Sept. 24, 2013. The Eagles received the same amount of points as UMass Lowell (104 points) and garnered four of the league’s 11 first-place votes. The Eagles’ co-favorite pick marks the sixth straight season and 13th time in the last 15 seasons that BC has been picked as the preseason favorite, or co-favorite, to win the league title.
EAGLE(T)S
Boston College is the youngest team in college hockey. As of Oct. 1, 2013, the Eagles’ collective average age is 20 years and 58 days, 180 days younger than ironically, their opponent on Thursday night. Michigan is the second youngest team in the country with an average age of 20 years and 238 days. One of the biggest reasons Boston College is the youngest team, collectively, in the country is because it has college hockey’s youngest player, rookie goaltender Thatcher Demko. The San Diego, Calif., native was born on Dec. 8, 1995. Boston College is one of nine teams to usher in a class of 10 freshmen in 2013-14 (Michigan is one of those clubs). Northeastern and Sacred Heart lead the way with 12 while Alabama-Hunstville welcomes in 11.
PRO-RATED EAGLES
Boston College’s 2013-14 roster sports 11 players selected in the NHL Entry Draft. Only North Dakota (15), Minnesota (14) and Michigan (12) have more. Notre Dame also has 11 on its squad. Five of BC’s incoming freshmen were drafted in either 2012 or 2013, including Ian McCoshen (Florida – 2nd round – 31st – 2013), Steve Santini (New Jersey – 2nd round – 42nd – 2013), Chris Calnan (Chicago – 3rd round – 79th – 2012), Ryan Fitzgerald (Boston – 4th round – 120th – 2013) and Adam Gilmour (Minnesota - 4th round - 98th - 2012). Senior Kevin Hayes and sophomore Michael Matheson are Jerry York’s 10th and 11th first-round draft picks he has secured, respectively. Hayes was selected by Chicago in the first round (24th overall) in 2010 while Matheson’s rights were dealt to Florida in 2012 (23rd overall). Matheson became the 14th Eagle in the last 26 years to have been selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.
NESTING EAGLES
The BC hockey program now has three coaches on staff that are Boston College alums. Including York (’67) and Associate Head Coach Greg Brown (’90), the addition of Marty McInnis (’90) comprises the triumvirate. All three coaches have been inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame. Mike Ayers (New Hampshire ‘04) is also new to this year’s coaching staff.
BOSTON COLLEGE AND THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
The Boston College hockey program is tied for the lead with Wisconsin in having the most names from one college on the Stanley Cup. Both BC and the Badgers have 16 names from their respective programs on hockey’s silver chalice. BC’s representatives are Joe Mullen (1989 – Calgary, 1991, 1992 - Pittsburgh), Kevin Stevens (1991, 1992 – Pittsburgh), Brian Leetch (1994 – NY Rangers), Bill Guerin (1995 – New Jersey, 2009 - Pittsburgh), Doug Brown (1997, 1998 – Detroit), Brian Gionta (2003 – New Jersey), Ryan Shannon (2007 – Anaheim), Rob Scuderi (2009 – Piitsburgh, 2012 – Los Angeles), Brooks Orpik (2009 – Pittsburgh) and Ben Smith (Chicago – 2013).
BC LEADS HOCKEY EAST IN NHL RANKS
Boston College led all Hockey East members in number of alumni to open the 2013-14 season on National Hockey League rosters. Fifteen former Eagles will help constitute Hockey East’s group of 50 alumni to start off the season. Nine active Hockey East alums have won the Stanley Cup, including BC’s Ben Smith who won it last season with the Chicago Blackhawks. Boston University is the only other Hockey East team with more than ten former players who made NHL teams this season, finishing second behind the Eagles with 11.
TWEETABLES
• .@BCHockeyNews is the youngest team in college hockey with an average age of 20 years and 58 days #WeAreBC
• Thatcher Demko is the youngest player in college hockey - his birthday is December 8, 1995 #WeAreBC
• .@BCHockeyNews sports 11 players selected in the NHL Entry Draft; tying for fourth most in the country #WeAreBC
• Junior forward Johnny Gaudreau is one points away (43-56-99) away from the 100-point career mark #WeAreBC
• Coach Jerry York is the winningest collegiate hockey coach of all-time with a record of 936-569-98 #WeAreBC
