Eagles Have Eyes on the Irish Thursday Night

GAME DAY INFORMATION
WHEN	Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.
WHERE	Kelley Rink at Conte Forum
HOW TO FOLLOW	Live Stats // Video // Audio // BUY TICKETS
GAME NOTES	PDF // WEB
MEDIA CENTER	Radio (WEEI 850 AM) - P x P: Jon Rish // Color: Andy Powers // Engineer: Mark Feldman

THE FROZEN HOLY WAR
Thursday's matchup between Boston College and Notre Dame marks the 40th installment of the Frozen Holy War as the Eagles hold the slight advantage (20-17-2) in what's proven to be a back-and-forth series dating back to Dec. 20, 1969 (7-3, BC win at McHugh Forum). The Fightintg Irish have gotten the better of BC in recent history, winning four of the last six encounters. Last season in the Eagles' first trip to ND's new facility, the Compton Family Ice Arena, BC shutout Notre Dame, 2-0, on Feb. 27 before losing the following night, 3-1. Prior that regular season series last year, not only did the Fighting Irish bounce BC from the 2014 Hockey East Tournament, winning the best-of-three quarterfinals series at Kelley Rink from March 14-16, Notre Dame also curbed BC's 19-game unbeaten streak (17-0-2) on March 1, 2014, in a 2-1 overtime victory. In the deciding game 3 on March 16, Notre Dame was able to keep Johnny Gaudreau off the scoring sheet for the first time in 31 games as BC's Hobey Baker winner tied Maine's Paul Kariya for the longest point streak in Hockey East history. All time at Conte Forum, Notre Dame leads Boston College, 7-6-1, and all-time in Chestnut Hill, the Irish hold a slight 10-9-1 advantage. Boston College possessed a 6-3-1 mark at Notre Dame's former barn, the Joyce Center. In Hockey East regular season play, since joining the league, BC and Notre Dame are an even 2-2. Boston College and Notre Dame kicked off the Hockey East rivalry on Jan. 4, 2014, at Fenway Park where the Eagles came away with a 4-3 triumph. Despite Notre Dame's recent success against Boston College, the Eagles defeated Notre Dame for the 2008 National Championship on April 12, 2008, at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

IRISH EYES
Notre Dame strolls into The Heights riding a three-game winning streak after a home sweep of Massachusetts (3-1, 5-1) after beating Wester Michigan on Nov. 28 (3-1) to end a four-game winless skid that spanned from Nov. 13 to Nov. 27 (0-2-2). Senior Thomas DiPauli is picking up where he left off last year and leading the Fighting Irish with 16 points in addition to being the top goal scorer (7). Sophomore Jake Evans leads the club with 12 assists and is tied for 26th in that category nationally. Second-year blue line Jordan Gross leads the Irish defense with 12 points and is tied for 14th in the NCAA (0.75 ppg) amongst all defensemen. Sophomore netminder Cal Petersen is back between the pipes for ND and ranks 26th nationally with a 2.36 goals against average along with a .920 save percentage (30th). Petersen backs the 23rd ranked defense (fifth in Hockey East) as Notre Dame has surrendered 2.56 goals per game. The offense is also fifth in the conference, scoring at a rate of 3.19 goals per game (17th). Notre Dame's power play has converted 11 of its 58 opportunities (19 percent – 28th and sixth in Hockey East) while the penalty kill has struggled. Notre Dame has given up 14 power play goals this season (55-of-69) at a clip of 79.7 percent, good for 42nd in the NCAA and ninth in the league.

OFFENSIVE NUGGETS
- The Eagle offense has scored five or more goals in seven of their first 15 games - - it is currently ranked second in the country and trails Robert Morris by only 0.03 goals per game

- The Eagles possess the nation's top scoring margin of +2.93 and is half a goal ahead of Quinnipiac (+2.47)

- Colin White (1.53) and Miles Wood (1.27) are ranked first and second, respectively, in all of college hockey amongst rookies. White is on a 10-game point streak while Wood is on a seven.

- Ryan Fitzgerald is one of eight skaters in college hockey with two of more short-handed goals - Fitzgerald is tied for sixth in scoring across the nation with 1.50 points per game

DEFENSIVE NUGGETS
- The BC defense has recorded 29 scoreless periods out of 45 possible frames. The Eagles defense is second best in the country, surrendering a scant 1.47 goals per game

- Despite being the most penalized team in the country (20.3 PIMs/game), BC's penalty kill is best in Hockey East and ranked sixth nationally (62-of-69 - 89.9 percent)

- Ian McCoshen smashed a one-timer in against RIT for his first power play tally of the season and fourth of his career - his last PPG came against UMass Lowell on Feb. 20

- The Eagle defense thrives off its counterpart -- when Boston College scores first, BC is 10-0-1. The defense has also anchored an 11-0-1 record when leading heading into the third period

YORK SAYS YES!
Boston College has won 13 of its first 15 games of the season, including an unbeaten string of 13. The Eagles' 11-1 start to the 2015-16 ledger marks the best start under a Jerry York club on The Heights. BC's string of 13 games without a loss is the third-best mark in the country behind Quinnipiac (15-0-2) and Providence (11-0-3). The 2012-13 club strung together 19-straight wins from Jan. 27 to April 7, 2012.

I AM A REAL AMERICAN ... FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF EVERY MAN
Freshmen Casey Fitzgerald and Colin White have been selected to attend the U.S. National Junior Team camp to be held at BU's Agganis Arena from Dec. 15-18. The camp will be used to select the 2015 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship set for Dec. 26 - Jan. 5 in Helsinki, Finland. The two Eagles will join Hockey East members Brandon Fortunato (BU), Charlie McAvoy (BU) and Anders Bjork (Notre Dame) at Team USA camp.

WHITE HOT
First-year forward Colin White is on a tear through his first 15 games. The Hanover, Mass., native earned his second Hockey East Rookie of the Week award on Nov. 30 and is currently fifth in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 1.53 points per game. White has accounted for 20 points (6-14-20) over the course of his current 10-game point streak and leads all rookies, nationally, in scoring.

CHASING '49...
With the win at UConn on Nov. 24, Boston College is off to its best start in program history since the Eagles' first national title team in 1949. The 1948-49 national championship squad started the season 10-0 before a loss at Dartmouth on Jan. 27, 1949. BC did not lose again that year, posting a 21-1 mark, culminating in the first national trophy on The Heights under Snooks Kelley. Kelley's 1940-41 team lost its first game at Yale on Dec, 14, 1940 before the Eagles rattled off the next 13 victories to cap a 13-1 season.

TOPPIN' OUT
Despite giving up six goals over the weekend to Northeastern, Boston College has the nation's second-stingiest defensive corps (1.47 gpg) along with the second-ranked offensive production in college hockey (4.40 goals per game.) BC's scoring margin of 2.93 is about half a goal better than the next-closest team, Quinnipiac (+2.47).

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUUUUL TIME, OF THE YEAR
Pairwise ranking are already out and as the Eagles play their final game before the holiday tournament, Boston College is eight with an RPI of .5947.

FITZ IN A FLASH
Ryan Fitzgerald recorded his third two-goal performance of the season against RIT on Nov. 28 and accounted for his third game-winning goal of the season and ninth of his career. He followed with his second short-handed goal of the season at Northeastern on Dec. 6. Fitzgerald is one of 18 skaters in all of college hockey with three game winners this season. He is the first Eagle to 10 goals this season and is tied for sixth in all of college hockey with 1.50 points per game.

LUMBER YARD
Miles Wood set the tone early in his Eagle career, posting three points in his BC debut (1-2-3). It has been 15 years since a rookie notched three points in his first-career game. The last time that occurred was when Ben Eaves doled out three assists in a 4-1 win over Notre Dame on Oct. 13, 2000 at Omaha Civic Auditorium. The last time any Eagle started the year with a three-point performance was when Brian Gibbons (2-1-3) and Brock Bradford (1-2-3) both turned the trick against Wisconsin on Oct. 10, 2008. Wood is in the midst of a seven-game point streak and is currently the second leading rookie scorer in all of college hockey (1.27 ppg).

GAU-GAU GAUDREAU
One day after having his career-best eight-game point streak snapped (3-9-12), Matthew Gaudreau was the hero at Northeastern on Dec. 6, tipping in his second game-winning tally of the season. He posted a career-best three assists in the RIT win on Nov. 28.

BEACON STREET BULLIES
Boston College is currently leading the nation in penalty, averaging 20.3 PIMs per game.

STANDING TALL AMONGST THE BEST
Demko is currently third in the nation in goals against average (1.46) and fifth in save percentage (.945) on the year and tied with Quinnipiac's Michael Garteig shutout mark (6). For a career, the 6-foot-4 backstopper is 48-19-7 (.696) with a 2.06 goals against average and a .927 save percentage (1,938 saves on 2,091 shots). If Demko's 2.06 GAA held, it would be second to Matti Kaltiainen's (2001-05) career mark for best all time. His six shutouts this season is two shy of matching the single-season mark set by Cory Schneider during the 2005-06 season. Demko possesses nine career shutouts, good for fourth-best all-time. He is three blankings shy of matching John Muse's third-place mark of 12 career shutouts (2007-11). Schneider holds the record with 15 (2004-07) while Scott Clemmensen is second with 13 (1997-2001).

LIVING HISTORY
The Schiller Family Head Hockey Coach of Boston College, Jerry York, enters his 44th season of coaching college hockey. Not only is York the winningest coach in the game's history, having amassed 997 victories and a win-loss total of 997-592-105 (.619), York is approaching another historic benchmark. After locking up the most wins all-time at his alma mater (502) and heads into his 22nd season behind the Eagles' bench, he now has the 1,000-win plateau in his sites. York is just THREE wins away from hitting that number as he is already the winningest coach in the game's history.

Eagles Have Eyes on the Irish Thursday Night

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Players Mentioned

Casey Fitzgerald

Ryan Fitzgerald

Matthew Gaudreau

Ian McCoshen

Colin White

Miles Wood