Playoff Positioning on the Table in South Bend

GAME DAY INFORMATION
WHEN	Friday, Jan. 29, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. (EST)
WHERE	Compton Family Ice Arena (South Bend, Ind.)
HOW TO FOLLOW	Video (NBC Sports - Live Extra) // Audio // Live Stats
GAME NOTES	PDF // WEB
MEDIA CENTER	TV: CSN Chicago RADIO: WEEI 850AM - P x P: Tom Grace // Color: Andy Powers

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. NOTRE DAME
Boston College returns to South Bend, having just played at Compton Family Ice Arena at the end of the season last year. Even though the Eagles hold the 20-18-2 overall series advantage, the Fighting Irish is the one team that has had the Eagles' number dating back to two years ago when BC and ND met in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs (March 14-16, 2014). The Domers have won five of the last seven meetings against BC. Friday's contest marks the fourth game BC has ever played at Compton Family Ice Arena as Notre Dame holds a 2-1 advantage over Boston College within its new confines. In the first meeting of the season, BC appeared to have a comfortable third-period lead before the Irish netted three-consecutive goals to steal victory, 4-3, on Dec. 10. Jordan Gross (8:33), Andrew Oglevie (15:26) and Dennis Gilbert (19:38) were the perpetrators while Gilbert's goal won it with only 22 seconds left in regulation. Just before Notre Dame struck thrice, Austin Cangelosi recorded his second-career two-goal performance with a pair of markers early in the third. BC's last win against Notre Dame occurred on Feb. 27, 2015, in South Bend when Thatcher Demko posted a 2-0 shutout. Boston College has always had an extra gripe with Notre Dame, including being rivals. Notre Dame 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. At Conte Forum, BC and Notre Dame have played to an even 7-7-1 split. Holding the 2-1 advantage at Compton Family Ice Arena, the Eagles were 6-3-1 at the Joyce Center, the Irish's former home. In Hockey East regular season play, since joining the league, Notre Dame possesses a slight 3-2 edge. 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.

EYES ON THE IRISH
Notre Dame is officially the hottest team in college hockey heading into Friday night's tilt. The Fighting Irish are unbeaten in their last 12 games, having gone 9-0-3 over that stretch. ND's win at Kelley Rink on Dec. 10 was its fourth straight-win to start its streak as the Irish have no lost since Nov. 27 (Harvard, 4-1). Prior to the 12-game string, Notre Dame was winless in four games (0-2-2). In all, Notre Dame is 14-4-7 and smackdab in a tie for second place with Boston College. Both the Eagles and Irish are one point behind UMass Lowell in the standings, but ND has three games hand over UML while BC has two. Sophomore Anders Bjork leads the Irish in scoring (10-16-26) while five members (Bjork, Evans, DiPauli, Gross and Nardella) are already in the 20-point club. Goaltender Cal Petersen (.927 / 2.15) backstops the nation's 15th-ranked defense (2.28 gpg) while the offense is scoring at a rate of 3.52 goals per game. Notre Dame possesses a top-10 power play as the Irish are converting at a rate of 23.9 percent (21-for-88).

THE LEGEND CONTINUES...1,000 WINS!
Boston College coach Jerry York has reached the 1,000-win mark for his career in his 1,703rd game as a head coach. In all, York's record is 1,000-595-109 (.619) in 44 seasons at the head coach level and 533-260-75 (.658) in his 22nd season at the helm of Boston College. York is the 128th coach across the big four (football, basketball, baseball and hockey) professional sports leagues and Division I college athletics. At the collegiate level, York is the 55th head coach to reach 1,000-career victories and the first to do so in college hockey. York remains the winningest coach in the history of the game. In his 1,000-career victories, Jerry York has defeated 69 different programs spread out through his tenures at Clarkson, Bowling Green and Boston College. The all time total goal count in Coach York's 1,000 victories is 5,421 goals for and 2,395 goals against.

OFFENSIVE NUGGETS
• Colin White scored Boston College's first extra attacker goal of the season on Jan. 23 against UConn - he leads the Eagles in scoring (14-17-31) and is ninth in the nation with 1.41 ppg

• The Eagles possess the nation's second-best margin of +2.29 -- Boston College trails only St. Cloud State (+235 -- BC has scored 100 goals and given up only 45

• Eight different skaters scored in an 8-0 shutout at UMass on Jan. 22 and scored all three ways: five even strength goals, two shorthanded goals and a power play goal

• Boston College's power play is hovering around the 20 percent range (19.8%) and is ranked 20th nationally and sixth in Hockey East - BC has converted on 21-of-106 chances

• Teddy Doherty scored his fifth power play goal of the season at UMass on Jan. 22 -- he is one of 33 skaters in college hockey with at least five power play tallies as the Hopkinton, Mass. native has been transitioning between defense and forward the second half of the season

DEFENSIVE NUGGETS
• The Boston College penalty kill mustered TWO short-handed goal in Amherst on Jan. 22 - the last time that occurred was on Feb. 6, 2012 - the PK unit is tied for eighth nationally (85.4%)

• Following their seventh shutout of the season, the Eagles' defensive unit ranks sixth nationally, yielding only 1.88 gpg - BC has kept opponents off the board in 39-of-62 periods of play

• Boston College's defensemen account for 22 of BC's 100 goals this season - Teddy Doherty leads with nine goals - The defensive corps has accounted for 53 assists as well

• When holding a lead heading into the third period, the Eagle defense has been on lockdown, postinh an 14-0-2 record with the advantage after two frames

STANDING TALL AMONGST THE BEST
Demko is currently sixth in the nation in goals against average (1.71) and eighth in save percentage (.936) on the year and tied for first in overall shutouts with seven. For a career, the 6-foot-4 backstopper is 50-22-9 (.673) with a 2.08 goals against average and a .926 save percentage (2,119 saves on 2,288 shots). If Demko's 2.08 GAA held, it would be BC's second-best career mark all time. His seven shutouts this season is one shy of matching the single-season mark set by Cory Schneider during the 2005-06 season. Demko possesses 10 career shutouts, good for fourth-best all-time. He is two 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).

EARNING 1,000 IN DEMONSTRATIVE FASHION
The Eagles ensured Coach York his 1,000th win by shutting out UMass, 8-0, on Jan. 22. The last time Boston College defeated a Hockey East team by eight goals was on Jan. 31, 2003, when the Eagles skated by Massachusetts, 9-0, at Conte Forum. Eight different Eagles score in Friday's 8-0 victory in Amherst.

MILESTONE MARKS
Several career game milestones Jan. 22 at UMass as Austin Cangelosi and Ryan Fitzgerald played in their 100th-career games tonight. Adam Gilmour dressed in his 100th game at BU. Teddy Doherty took part in his 125th game on Jan. 16 at BU while Travis Jeke donned the maroon and gold for the 50th time at Agganis Arena on Jan. 16.

McCAUTION
Defenseman Ian McCoshen broke through offensively and scored his first-career four-point performance on Jan. 15 against BU. It also stands as BC's fifth four-point showing this season. McCoshen pieced together his first-career five-game point streak from Jan. 8-22, accounting for four goals and as many assists.

KIM KAN
First-year defenseman Michael Kim, a late addition to the team on Dec. 28, earned his first-career assist on Jan. 22 in Amherst in his sixth-career game.

COUTURI-AAYYY
Freshman blue liner Josh Couturier has doled out assists in his last two outings, including his first-career multi-point game with two helpers in the 3-3 draw against UConn on Jan. 23.

SHORT-HANDED LAY-UP
Austin Cangelosi converted on a penalty shot against BU on Jan. 15, marking the Eagles' first penalty shot goal since Chris Kreider tallied one against Notre Dame on Nov. 18, 2011. It should be noted, Cangelosi's penalty shot occurred when the Eagles were short-handed.

HATS OFF
Freshman Colin White, fresh off his trip to Finland as a member of Team USA's bronze-medal winning team at the World Junior Championship, responded with Boston College's first hat trick of the season on Jan. 8 vs. PC and added an assist for his second-career four-point performance. For his performance, White was awarded his third Hockey East Rookie of the Week honor. White's hat trick marks BC's first since Ryan Fitzgerald scored all three goals in a 3-2 win at home over Connecticut on Jan. 24, 2015.

SPECIAL TEAMS TALES
The Eagles' power play awoke in the Providence series, scoring five power play tallies over the course of two games. BC added two more against the Terriers on Jan. 15 and one at UMass on Jan. 22. The power play unit rose from 38th in the nation to 20th in four games (21-for-106 - 19.8%). Boston College's penalty kill remains the top corps in Hockey East and tied for eighth overall, killing off penalties at a rate of 85.4 percent.

FITZ IN A FLASH
Ryan Fitzgerald is one of 46 skaters in college hockey to have score three game-winning goals this season. He is the first Eagle to 10 goals and tied with Colin White for the most goals (14) this season. Fitzgerald is tied for 14th in all of college hockey with 1.30 points per game. Fitzgerald recorded his second four-point performance of the season on Jan. 8.

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUUUUL TIME, OF THE YEAR
As of Wednesday, Boston College is ranked seventh in the Pairwise ranking with an RPI rating of .5700. Providence is the only team in the league ahead of BC in fourth.

HOBEY HULLABALOO
Three members of the Eagles are up for the 2016 Hobey Baker award, including: Thatcher Demko (G), Ryan Fitzgerald (F) and Colin White (F). Fans can vote for the Hobey Baker award at Facebook.com/TheHobey .

Playoff Positioning on the Table in South Bend

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Players Mentioned

Austin Cangelosi

Josh Couturier

Thatcher Demko

Teddy Doherty

Ryan Fitzgerald

Adam Gilmour

Travis Jeke

Michael Kim

Ian McCoshen

Colin White