Boston College Athletics
Men's Hockey Incoming Class: Meet Chris Birdsall
June 05, 2015 | Men's Hockey
Newcomer Chris Birdsall will help aid in the departures of Brad Barone and Brian Billett as the Glen Rock, N.J., native will be the first goaltender ushered in on The Heights since Thatcher Demko.
With the addition of Birdsall and the mainstay in Demko, Alex Joyce, a junior walk on from Darien, Conn., will be the Eagles' third netminder. Joyce stayed up with Boston College as a practice goaltender for a majority of last year's second half.
Birdsall was a staple in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and last played for the Youngstown Phantoms in 2014-15. The 6-0 backstopper started 29 games for the Phantoms, playing in 32, and assembled an 18-7-5-3 mark with the league's fourth-best save percentage of .914 and fifth-best goal against average of 2.46.
Prior to his time in Youngstown, Birdsall was the main goaltender for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in 2013-14 as he posted a 9-8-2 record with a .888 save rate and a 3.35 goals against. In 2012-13, the incoming freshman turned in an 8-14-1 mark with a .867 save percentage and 3.63 goals against average.
The New Jersey native has had good experience at the international level as well. In 2013-14, he was a member of Team USA's gold-medal winning club at the World Junior A Challenge and helped Team USA to a bronze finish at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2012-13. Birdsall also spend some time with the U.S. National Team Development Program, playing in five games with a .877 save percentage alongside a 3.09 goals against average.
