Men's Hockey Closes First Half with Michigan

Dec. 10, 2014

GAME NOTES: PDF  |  ISSUU (web based)  |  Michigan notes

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LIVE STATS

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. MICHIGAN
Perennial powerhouses Boston College and Michigan close out the holiday season with a big-time non-conference battle at Kelley Rink. Saturday's showdown between the Eagles and Wolverines marks just the third time Michigan has taken on BC in Chestnut Hill (BC won 5-3 on Dec 2. 1988 and 5-1 on Dec. 2, 1990). These two programs are more familiar with one another on neutral sites as Michigan holds a 7-4 advantage in 11 meetings. BC has protected home against Michigan with a 2-0 mark on The Heights. Last season, Boston College and Michigan opened each other's seasons at Yost Ice Arena in which U of M skated away with a 3-1 victory on Oct. 10, 2013. In all, the Wolverines hold the 12-6 advantage as Saturday marks the 19th all-time meeting. The first time these teams met was the 1947 NCAA Tournament. Michigan skated away with a 6-4 (OT) victory at the Broadmoor Ice Palace in Colorado Springs, Colo. Since taking the post at Boston College, Jerry York is 4-3 against Michigan's Red Berenson.

MARKING MICHIGAN

Michigan opened the season ranked the No. 8 team in country but had a difficult start to the season to push the Wolverines out of the USCHO.com poll by the fifth week. The Wolverines skidded off to a 2-5 start while four of those games came against two Hockey East opponents. After losing at Ferris State to start the season (4-3), Michigan welcomed New Hampshire and lost in its home opener, 5-1. U of M responded with a 2-1 triumph and then traveled to Boston the following weekend to defeat UMass Lowell soundly (8-4) and lost at Boston University (3-2). But as of late, the Wolverines have been on fire, winners of four straight outings and have outscored their opponents, 25-6, over the course of that span. In their last outing, Michigan buried four power play goals against rival Ohio State to send U of M to an 8-3 win at home following a 6-0 shutout out of Rensselaer the weekend before. Senior forward Zach Hyman leads the Wolverines in scoring with seven goals and 10 assists, tied for 16th, overall, in all of college hockey. Alex Kile (9-6-15) and Dylan Larkin (2-13-15) are both averaging over a point per game (1.07 ppg) and are each tied for 40th overall in the NCAA. Kyle's 0.64 goals per game is tied for eighth best in the game and is only one of two skaters in the country with six power play goals accredited to their name. First-year defenseman, Zach Werenski is tied for eighth in the country amongst all defensemen with 0.86 points per game (3-9-12). Larkin's point total is good enough to slot him as one of the top five skaters amongst all rookies. Sophomore goaltender Zach Nagelvoort has seen the brunt of the work, amassing a 6-5-0 mark with a 2.66 goals against average (44th) and .908 save percentage (46th). Nagelvoort and the Michigan defense have struggled, ranked 41st in the NCAA after surrendering 2.93 goals per game. The offense, however, has been clicking on all cylinders. U of M touts the second-ranked unit in the country as one of only two clubs in college hockey averaging over four goals per game (4.07 gpg). The Wolverines' power play unit is converting at a clip of 20 percent (11-of-55) and owns the 11th-best scoring margin In the game as a +1.14.

COACHES' CORNER

Saturday's game will have historic implications as the two active winningest coaches in college hockey history will square off at Kelley Rink. BC's Jerry York is college hockey's all-time winningest coach, having won his 971st game at the NCAA level on Dec. 6. Michigan's Red Berenson, having accrued his 796th victory after defeating Ohio State on Dec. 5, is currently fourth all-time. Between the coaches, they have totaled 1,767 victories over the course of 74 combined years behind the bench.

BATTLING THE BIG TEN

Last season, the Eagles posted a 3-2-1 mark against Big Ten foes, including an 0-1-1 mark against Minnesota, 2-0 total against Penn State, 1-0 mark against Wisconsin and an 0-1 mark against Michigan. BC lost to Minnesota in the Eagles' first B1G matchup of 2014-15, 6-2, on Nov. 28. Amongst the Big Ten as a whole in BC history, the Eagles are 44-56-5 (.443) against the conference.

MOVIN' ON UP

Following the three-point weekend against New Hampshire, Boston College is now in a tie for sixth place with nine points in Hockey East play. The Eagles upcoming schedule wil have BC play a conference game until Jan. 9 at Northeastern. 

BUCKING THE TREND

On Dec. 5-6, Boston College reversed a few downward trends. Heading into the New Hampshire game on Dec. 5, Boston College was 0-4-0 when trailing after two periods. Austin Cangelosi's game-tying goal averted the Eagles from slipping to 0-5-0. On Dec. 6, BC was down 1-0 at home against UNH and were 0-4-0 when trailing after the first period. It marked the first BC rallied after being down in the first period to win the game.

BABY BIRD(S)

Rookie defenseman Noah Hanifin is not just the second-youngest player in all of college hockey, he is the second-youngest player EVER to don the maroon and gold. The Norwood, Mass., native will not turn 18 years old until Jan. 25, 2015. Michigan's Zach Werenski (DOB: July 19, 1997) is college hockey's youngest player. Boston College, as a whole, is the second-youngest club in college hockey behind Boston University. Last season, BC goaltender Thatcher Demko owned the distinction of being college hockey's youngest player. 

REACHING NEW "HEIGHTS"

On. Nov. 21, 2014, at Massachusetts, the Eagles secured a 5-3 victory to make Jerry York the winningest coach in Boston College hockey history. Heading into the contest, York was even with his former coach John "Snooks" Kelley at 501 total victories. Following the 5-3 decision, York holds the claim as both the winningest coach at his alma mater (503-249-68) and in college hockey history (971-584-103).

AMERICAN EAGLES

Thatcher Demko, Noah Hanifin, Ian McCoshen, Steve Santini and Alex Tuch will represent Boston College as five of 33 skaters to be selected for the 2015 U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster as announced by USA Hockey on Tuesday, Dec. 2.  Once the final roster is announced on Wednesday, Dec. 24, the U.S. National Junior Team will participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship from Dec. 26, 2014 - Jan. 5, 2015 in both Montreal and Toronto, Canada.

Boston College Athletics

Men's Hockey Closes First Half with Michigan

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