Men's Hockey Hosts Harvard Tuesday Night

Nov. 10, 2014

GAME NOTES: PDF  |  ISSUU (web based)

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BOSTON COLLEGE vs. HARVARD

Boston College will take on another mid-week challenge, this time, in the form of Beanpot-foe Harvard on Tuesday night at Conte Forum. The last time the Crimson crossed into Chestnut Hill was Nov. 28, 2008 when the Eagles ousted HU, 5-1, thanks to a pair of goals from Andrew Orpik. BC and Harvard have met five times since that date on The Heights as BC has won three Beanpot contests and a pair in Cambridge, including last year’s 5-1 victory on Nov. 20, 2013. The Eagles are victorious in their last nine meetings against Harvard with the last setback occurring on Nov. 7, 2006, at the Bright Center. Harvard shutout out BC, 4-0, on that date. In all, Boston College possesses a 71-44-5 (.611) mark over the Crimson, including a 26-13 mark in the Beanpot Tournament. BC and Harvard did not play in the 2014 Beanpot and run that risk again as the Eagles take on Northeastern in the first round of the 2015 Beanpot. Boston College has won the last nine tilts by a combined goal margin of +27 while head coach Jerry York is 23-5-2 all-time against Harvard behind the Eagles’ bench.

CHECKING IN ON THE CRIMSON

As all Ivy League schools do, Harvard’s season started about a month after the rest of the NCAA ice hockey schedule, but through three games, the Crimson have no lost. Fresh off a 4-0 blanking of Rensselaer on Friday night and then tying defending national champion No. 8 Union on the road on Saturday, 2-2, Harvard possesses a good amount of confidence heading into Tuesday’s tilt. The Crimson opened the season with a 3-3 draw against ECAC rival Dartmouth on Nov. 1. The averages are a big askew because Harvard has only played two weekend of competition, but senior Patrick McNally (2-2-4 -- 1.33 ppg) and junior Jimmy Vesey (3-1-4 -- 1.33 ppg) are both tied for 12th in the country in scoring. Vesey’s goal per game average is also tops in the NCAA as it stands right now, while two of those three goals have taken place on the power play. McNally’s 1.33 points per game rate is second-best amongst all defensemen in college hockey, second behind Minnesota’s Mike Reilly (2-9-11 -- 1.38 ppg). Senior goaltender Steve Michalek’s numbers have been impressive thus far, slotting him in the top 10 in both goals against average (1.58 - 7th) and save percentage (.944 - 9th). Michalek’s numbers buoy a defense that is surrendering only 1.67 goals per game, seventh best in the NCAA. Conversely, the Crimson’s offense is actually tied with the Eagles. Both Boston College and Harvard are tied for 21st, averaging three goals per game.

POWER PLAY IS PARAMOUNT

Scoring on the power play has proved to be key to the Eagles’ success in the early goings of the 2014-15 schedule. Boston College has scored at least one goal or more in each of its four victories thus far. Each time the Eagles have been denied on the power play, BC has lost the game. In all, Boston College has converted five of its 39 chances at a rate of 12.8 percent which is tied for 34th in the country right now.

ANOTHER SEASON…ANOTHER BENCHMARK

The Schiller Family Head Hockey Coach of Boston College, Jerry York, won his 500th game behind the Eagles’ bench in only 811 games after a 2-1 victory at Denver on Oct. 31, 2014. York is in his 21st season as BC bench boss. York continues to maintain the label as college hockey’s winninges coach all-time, possessing a  967-579-102 mark in his 43rd season as a college hockey head coach.

SNEAKING UP ON SNOOKS

John “Snooks” Kelley, Boston College head coach for 36 years from 1932 to 1942 and 1946 to 1972, owns the most wins as Eagles’ head with coach with an overall record of 501-244-15. If the Eagles defeat Boston University, York ties Kelley for the most wins ever at BC. To date, York’s mark on The Heights is 500-245-68.

NOVEMBER RAIN

Boston College has not started the month of November 0-3 since Jerry York’s first season as head coach during the 1994-95 season.

REMEMBER THE LAST TIME BC LOST THREE GAMES? 

The last time Boston College lost three consecutive games, you would have to look back to the 2009-10 season when the Eagles lost to St. Lawrence (5-2 - Jan. 1), Denver (4-3, Jan. 2) and Boston University (3-2, Jan. 8). That season, the Eagles went on to win the 2010 National Championship, closing the season out with 19-4-1 mark to defeat Wisconsin for their fourth national title in Detroit.

WHERE THE OFFENSE STANDS

Through seven games, Boston College is averaging three goals per game, tied for 21st with Harvard. That mark ranks sixth best in Hockey East.

FITZ BLITZ

Sophomore Ryan Fitzgerald exploded for another two-goal performance against Boston University on Nov. 7, marking his second outburst in four games. The North Reading, Mass., native had never scored a pair of goals in a game until the Denver contest on Nov. 1. Heading into Tuesday’s game, Fitzgerald is fifth in the country in goals scored, averaging 0.88 goals per game.

SHORTY WANNA RIDE

Ryan Fitzgerald scored Boston College’s first short-handed goal of the season. It not only stands as his first-career short-handed goal, it was the Eagles’ first unassisted tally of the season. Fitzgerald is one of 11 Hockey East skaters wit a short-handed goal this season.

DEFENSIVE POSITIONING

Boston College’s offense has been clicking but the defense has shown marked improvement from its opening night. The Eagles’ defensive corps is ranked 21st in the country, surrendering 2.38 goals game. That mark is fourth in Hockey East.

BLUE-LINE BOPPERS

The Eagles’ defensive corps is not having a problem lighting the lamp itself. Boston College has scored 24 goals on the season with five coming from the twigs of the blue liners.  In BC’s first victory of the season against RIT, four of Boston College’s six goals game from defensemen (Matheson, Doherty, Santini, McCoshen).

Boston College Athletics

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