Men's Hockey Seeks Revenge against UConn

Jan. 23, 2015

GAME NOTES:  PDF  |  ISSUU (web based)

VIDEO: Eagle Vision All-Access

RADIO: WEEI 850 AM WTPL 107.7 FM (Concord, N.H.) ( P x P: Jon Rish  |  Color: Andy Powers)

LIVE STATS

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. CONNECTICUT

Boston College, ranked the No. 3 team in the country on Nov. 5, was heavily favored heading into the first-ever meeting with Connecticut at the XL Center in Hartford. Evan Richardson, who had transferred from Boston College the season prior, scored in the first period in that initial tilt and the goal stood as the difference as the Huskies prevailed in the first-ever meeting between BC and UConn. That game on Nov. 5 marked Connecticut’s first home conference game as a member of Hockey East. Richardson’s strike was a power play goal (UConn went 1-for-6) while Boston College was denied on all five power play opportunities. With that 1-0 decision, UConn ended Boston College’s longest streak in college hockey of not being shut. The Eagles had scored a goal in 106 games before Nov. 5, 2014.

COUNTDOWN TO CONNECTICUT

Despite an overall record of 7-11-5, UConn is just one game below .500 (4-5-2) in Hockey East play and heading into the weekend, was tied with Northeastern for seventh place. Last weekend, the Huskies took part in a home-and-home series with Notre Dame and scrounged a point in league play with a 3-3 draw on Jan. 16 before getting upended, 6-1, in Bridgeport, Conn. Prior to the series against the Irish, UConn was winners in three of four contests, taking down UMass (4-3), Army and blanking UMass Lowell (2-0) with a loss against Colorado College (1-4) sandwiched in between. Since blanking Boston College on Nov. 5, the Huskies have pieced together a 5-7-3 record. Junior Shawn Pauly leads UConn with 15 points (3-12-15) and is currently tied for 93rd in the country with 0.52 assists per game while rookie Spencer Naas is 53rd in goal scoring with 10, logging 0.43 tallies per game. Evan Richardson guides the Huskies’ power play and has scored three extra-man goals this season. Goaltender Rob Nichols owns the nation’s 20th-best save percentage (.927) and 37th-best goal against average of 2.37. Nichols has the UConn defense ranked seventh in Hockey East and tied for 34th in all of college hockey. Despite some offensive spark from Naas and Richardson, UConn’s offense of 2.04 goals per game ranks last in the conference and 51st overall. UConn’s power play and penalty kill rank closely as the Huskies are seventh in Hockey East at 13.4 percent (11-of-82) and 80.2 percent (69-of-86), respectively.

PARSING THE PAIRWISE

Heading into the weekend, Boston College is 18th in the Pairwise rankings with an RPI of .5478. The  Eagles are currently sixth amongst Hockey East teams as BU (eighth), UMass Lowell (ninth), Vermont (T-12th), Providence (14th) and Merrimack (T-16th) all rank ahead of the  Eagles to this point. 

PRIME TIME EAGLES

The Jan. 21 broadcast against Merrimack marked the third time in four games the Eagles were shown live on the New England Sports Network. BC took down Northeastern’s on Jan. 10, 4-2, before defeating Boston University on the road on Jan. 16 and the Warriors at home. The Eagles will next appear live on NESN when they take on Northeastern in the first round of the 63rd Beanpot Tournament.

RETURN OF THE ‘MACK

With its victory on Jan. 21, Boston College extended its home unbeaten streak against Merrimack to 29 games. The Eagles have not lost to Merrimack at Kelley Rink since Oct. 31, 1997. BC is 26-0-3 against the Warriors during that span.

HOCKEY EAST IS HEATING UP

Like every time this season, the race of the Hockey East championship is a bottleneck. Heading into the weekend, Boston College is in third place with 16 points, two points behind league leaders Boston University and UMass Lowell. BC has played the most league contests in Hockey East thus far, so several teams have a game in hand over the Eagles. As if stands, the Eagles would have a first-round bye and have home ice for the quarterfinal series.

TAG, YOU’RE IT

When Boston College scores first, the Eagles have mounted a 10-2-1 record.

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 is an unblemished 9-0-0 when scoring at least one power play goal. When denied a power play goal, the Eagles are 5-8-2.

SHOOTING GALLERY

Shots on goal has had a significant impact on the Eagles’ results this season. When BC limits its opponents to 20-29 shots, the Eagles are 9-4. When allowing 30 or more, Boston College is 4-4-2. When BC takes 30 or more shots, Boston College is 8-3-1.

A GRAND OL’ TIME

Jerry York’s countdown to 1,000-career victories is officially on. York reached his 977th-career triumph against Boston University on Jan. 16 and now has 23 wins left to reach 1,000.

WHERE THE OFFENSE STANDS

Through 24 games, Boston College is one of 18 clubs averaging three goals per game. The Eagles are scoring at a rate of 3.0 goals per game, tying them for 17th in all of college hockey and third in Hockey East.

CAL ON ME

Chris Calnan has accounted for eight points in his last 10 outings (6-2-8), including his fourth game-winning goal of the season that came against Merrimack on Jan. 21. Calnan is tied for fourth in the country with four game-winning goals. The Norwell, Mass., native also registered a three two-goal performance in 11 games. His most recent two-goal performance took place on Jan. 10 against NU where he scored the game-winning goal in short-handed fashion. In every two-goal performance this season, Calnan has secured the game-winning goal. Calnan native is tied for 33rd in goals per game (0.48). 

DEFENSIVE POSITIONING

BC’s defense is currently ranked 20th, surrendering 2.39 goals per game. That mark ranks fifth in Hockey East.

LAST LINE OF DEFENSE

Sophomore goaltender Thatcher Demko is 12-7-2 on the season and currently ranks 25th in the NCAA in goals against average with a mark of 2.08. Demko’s save percentage of .929 is good for 17th in college hockey. Demko’s winning percentage of .619 has him ranked 24th in the country. Following his freshman campaign, Demko was drafted by Vancouver, 36th overall, in last summer’s NHL Entry Draft. As a freshman, Demko turned in in college hockey’s sixth-best winning percentage (.729 – 16-5-3) with a 2.24 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.

Boston College Athletics

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