Boston College
Northeastern
Eagles Look to Cool Off Northeastern in 22nd Semifinal Showing
March 16, 2016 | Men's Hockey
No. 4 Boston College makes it return to TD Garden for the Hockey East tournament and a chance to win its 12th Hockey East tournament trophy; BC will have to get by Northeastern first, a club that has gone 18-1-2 since the Eagles last defeated them on Dec. 6
| TOURNAMENT INFORMATION | |
| WHEN | SEMIS - Friday, March 18, 2016 (8 p.m.) Â // Â FINALS - Saturday, March 19, 2016 (7 p.m.) |
| WHERE | TD Garden  //  Boston |
| HOW TO FOLLOW | Audio //  Stats |
| GAME NOTES | BC: PDF Â / Â WEB Â /// Â Northeastern: PDF |
| MEDIA CENTER | NESN / NESNPlus: P x P: Alex Faust  /  Color: Billy Jaffe  /  Rinkside: Nikki Reyes |
| NBC Sports Network: P x P: Steve Schlanger  /  Color: Anson Carter | |
| NBC Sports Live Extra (online stream of game if an NBC Sports Network subscriber) | |
BOSTON COLLEGE vs. NORTHEASTERN
Boston College and Northeastern will faceoff and represent The Hub at TD Garden, but not on a Monday night in the Beanpot Tournament like both programs are accustomed to. The Eagles and Huskies skate for a chance to play in the Hockey East championship on Friday night at 8 p.m., marking the third time Boston College and Northeastern have had a Hockey East semifinal date. The Eagles have won both those contests, with the last occurring in a tight 5-4 contest in 2011. BC took it to the Huskies in 1987 with a 9-3 victory. In both instances where BC and NU played in the semis, the Eagles were the No. 1 seed and also went on to win the Hockey East Tournament championship. Since 1985, Boston College and Northeastern have met each other half way at TD Garden (or Fleet Center) 20 times. BC holds a 16-4 advantage in those 20 meetings on Causeway Street. The last time Northeastern beat BC at the Garden was on Feb. 2, 2009 in the first round of the Beanpot Tournament (6-1). Even the Eagles have not lost to Northeastern this season, tying the Huskies, 3-3, on Dec. 5 and beating them at Matthews Arena the next night, 4-3, only one goal separates the two squads in 2015-16. The Eagles have not lost to Northeastern in their last 10 contests, but the last win NU posted over BC was a meaningful one. Northeastern ended Boston College's 19-game winning streak that culminated in BC's last national title in 2012 by topping the Eagles, 3-1, at Matthews Arena on Oct. 13, 2012. This cross-town battle stretches back almost 83 years when BC won the opening game of the 227-game series in 8-6 fashion on Feb. 4, 1933. In all, the Eagles lead the Huskies 163-48-16 with a 76-30-11 advantage in Hockey East tilts. BC has dominated the series from the onset, winning 57 of the first 65 installments. Over the course of the last four seasons, Jerry York is 14-1-1 against Northeastern's Jim Madigan.
RED-HOT HUSKIES
Boston College returns to TD Garden for the Hockey East tournament for the first time since 2013, but has to dispatch college hockey's hottest team. When BC and NU met for the first time this season on Dec. 5, the Huskies had just returned from their trip to Ireland with a big 7-1 win against Colgate. That victory curbed a 13-game winless stretch in which Northeastern headed into the BC series with a 2-11-2 mark. Since BC beat the Huskies at Matthews Arena on Dec. 6, Northeastern has put together an 18-2-2 mark and skate into TD Garden on the nation's best 11-game winning streak. Over the course of this scorching string, the Huskies have collectively outscored their opponents, 51-20. With such a slow start, Northeastern finished sixth in Hockey East and hosted 11-seeded Maine in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs. The Black Bears put up a fight, but Northeastern swept Maine with back-to-back overtime wins before shipping off to South Bend and sweeping Notre Dame in the quarterfinals, 3-1 and 6-4. Third-year forward Zach Aston-Reese is leading the way for NU with 40 points (12-28-40), ranking him 39th in the country in scoring. The Stevens brothers, Nolan (sophomore) and John (junior) rank second and third, respectively in scoring for Northeastern with 37 and 32 points, in that order. Nolan Stevens has tallied 17 goals and tied for 44th, nationally, with 0.45 gpg. Newcomer Adam Gaudette is NU's leading freshman and ranked 25th in the nation with 0.71 points per game. As a whole, Northeastern's offense ranks 12th in the NCAA and third in Hockey East. Defensively, rookie goaltender Ryan Ruck backstops the 19th ranked offense with a 2.21 goals against average (24th) and a .915 save percentage (37th). Kevin Roy, preseason Hobey Baker candidate, is back in the lineup after missing significant time with an injury. He has 10 goals and 14 points in 26 games played.
OFFENSIVE NUGGETS
• The Eagles possess the nation's SECOND BEST scoring margin of +1.95 -- the Eagles have scored 143 goals this season and only surrendered 71 (3.86 goals for pg / 1.92 goals against pg)
•  The 2015-16 Eagle offense has already surpassed last year's offensive output by 36 goals this year -- Boston College scored 107 goals last season while BC has already tallied 143 this season
• Four BC forwards have already surpassed last year's point totals by double digits, including Ryan Fitzgerald (+18), Austin Cangelosi (+15), Matthew Gaudreau (+14), Zach Sanford (+13)
•  Ryan Fitzgerald has now scored two overtime goals as an Eagle -- the walk-off winner in game three against UVM on March 13 and the OT winner against Harvard in last year's Beanpot
•  First-year forward JD Dudek picked the right time to tally his first goal as the Auburn, N.H. native redirected a shot that sent the Eagles to overtime against Vermont and eventually claim a spot in the Hockey East semifinals -- he also assisted for his first-career multi-point showing
DEFENSIVE NUGGETS
• Boston College recorded its 10th shutout of the season against Vermont on March 11 - that is now a new school record, surpassing the old standard of eight set in 2005-06
•  As a whole, BC's defensive unit ranks fifth nationally, yielding only 1.92 gpg (one of six teams under 2.00 gpg) - BC has kept opponents off the board in 59-of-101 periods of play
• Boston College's penalty-killing unit has surrendered only four power play goals in the last 16 games as the Eagles rank fourth in the nation at 88.8 percent (143-of-161)
•  When holding a lead heading into the third period, the Eagle defense has been on lockdown, posting a 20-0-2 record with the advantage after two frames
• Casey Fitzgerald came up huge in game three of the Hockey East quartefinals, assisting on both JD Dudek's game-tying goal as well as his older brother, Ryan's, game-winner in overtime. Fitzgerald has registered 20 assists on the season (4-20-24)
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BC IN THE HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT
Boston College owns an overall record of 65-29-2 (.688) in the Hockey East tournament with a record 11 Lamoriello Trophies (1987, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012) and the same number of tournament MVPs. Boston University possesses the most Hockey East tournament victories (68) but Boston College owns the highest winning percentage of .688 (BU is currently at .652). The Eagles got over the hump of missing out on the Hockey East semifinals with a 4-3 overtime win against Vermont in game three on March 13. Prior to the loss to Notre Dame in 2014, Boston College had an 18-game winning streak in the Hockey East quartefinals series.
BC IN THE HOCKEY EAST SEMIFINALS
The Eagles return to the Garden for the first time since 2013 but BC has a strong track record once they get to Causeway Street. BC is 16-5 (.762) in Hockey East semifinal games, making its 22nd appearance on Friday. BC last played Northeastern in the semis in 2011 and went on to win its 10th Hockey East title that year.
YORK IN THE HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT
Jerry York's nine Hockey East tournament titles (1998, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012) are the gold standard. BU's Jack Parker is second with seven. York is 55-17-1 (.760) in 73 conference postseason contests. Boston College has advanced to the semifinal round of the league tournament in 11-of-17 seasons overall under York (York's first semifinal showing was in 1997). The Eagles also own the most Hockey East championship appearances in league history with 16.
HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT SEEDING
Boston College will be the No. 1 seed in this year's Hockey East Tournament for the 13th time. As the No. 1 seed, BC has gone 29-9-0. The last time BC was No. 1 was in 2014.
...AND NEW
Thatcher Demko surpassed Cory Schneider for the all-time single-season shutouts record holder, notching his ninth of the season against BU in the Beanpot on Feb. 8. Demko added his 10th of the season against Vermont on March 11. Demko is now tied for second all-time in the career shutouts list and two away from the career mark.
NOT JUST AT BC, BUT ALL-TIME...
Thatcher Demko's 10 shutouts is the second most in college hockey history for a season, tying David McKee (Cornell – 2005) and Ryan Miller (Michigan State – 2001). The San Diego native is two shutouts away from matching Greg Gardner's (Niagara) of 12 set in 2000 for the all-time mark in a college hockey season.
CHAMPS ... 14 TIMES OVER
Boston College's 3-1 victory over UMass Lowell on Feb. 26 guaranteed the Eagles the No. 1 seed for the Hockey East playoff and a share of the regular season title. BC lost to the River Hawks the following night in the regular season finale and tied as co-champs with Providence. BC has been champs or co-champs in the regular season 14 times, including the 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2015-16 seasons.
20 / 20
With the Beanpot victory over BU on Feb. 8, Jerry York has now lead his program to a 20-win season (or more) in 17 of his 22 years behind the bench. This is the seventh-consecutive season the Eagles will have won at least 20 games and will be the 75th season in which Boston College has guaranteed more wins than losses.
FITZY ALERT
Ryan Fitzgerald has been on fire for the Eagles and it came to a head on March 13 when he scored the overtime winner against Vermont to clinch a berth in the Hockey East semifinals. With his team-leading 22nd goal, Fitzgerald is rapidly approaching the 100-point mark for his career (52-45-97). His 52 career goals has him outside of Boston College's top 50 for a career by just a pair. Fitzgerald is also one of 15 skaters in college hockey with at least three short-handed goals this season. Five of Fitzgerald's 50 goals at BC have come via short-handed. Fitzgerald has scored 22 goals and registered as 21 assists in his junior season and ranks 18th, nationally, in points per game this season with 1.19 ppg.
WHITE OUT
Colin White, who has registered 12 multi-point performances this season, is currently the 16th most prolific scorer in college hockey and the third-highest scoring freshman with an average of 1.21 points per game. The Hanover, Mass. native is second on the Eagles with 18 points, notching 18 goals and 22 assists along the way. White is the first freshman since Johnny Gaudreau (2011-12) to score 40 points in his rookie campaign.
QUICK DRAW CANGE
Not only has junior Austin Cangeolsi been the glue to Boston College's offense this season and increased his point total by 15 points so far from last year (currently 60th in college hockey with 0.95 ppg), but his is the NCAA's best faceoff man hands down. The Estero, Fla. native has won 63.6 percent of his draws, winning 491-of-772.
HEADSTANDS
Demko is currently first in the nation in save percentage (.938) and third in goals against average (1.78). His 10 shutouts are easily the most in college hockey this season. In league play, Demko's five shutouts are tied for second most in a single-season with UNH's Casey DeSmith (2012-13) and BU's John Curry (2006-07). His .938 save percentage in league play is tied for seventh best in a single season Merrimack's Rasmus Tirronen (2014-15), NU's Clay Witt (2013-14) and none other than his current goaltending coach at BC, Mike Ayers. Ayers was a Second-Team All-American and finished with that number in 2001-02. For a career, the 6-foot-4 backstopper is 60-24-10 (.691) with a 2.05 goals against average and a .928 save percentage (2,514 saves on 2,708 shots).Â
THE DUDE(K) ABIDES
Rookie JD Dudek scored his first-career goal to force the game into overtime at 10:30 of the third period against UVM on March 13. Dudek also assisted on Colin White's goal in the second period for his first-career multi-point performance. For his showing, Dudek was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week on March 14.
SHORT-CHANGED
The Eagles have scored 10 short-handed goals this season, which is second in the nation (Penn State - 12). Ryan Fitzgerald leads the team with three while Colin White and Zach Sanford have both scored a pair. It's the most short-handed goals in a season for BC since 2011-12 (12 SHGs). Boston College is also tied for the most successful penalty shot goals (2) with Connecticut as well as delayed penalty goals (2) with Michigan and Wisconsin.
THE LEGEND CONTINUES...
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 1,010-597-110 (.620) in 44 seasons at the head coach level and 543-262-76 (.659) in his 22nd season at the helm of Boston College. 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. York also won his ninth Beanpot trophy on Feb. 8, 2016, checking off another record in the BC annals.Â
KILLING IN THE NAME OF
In its last seven games, BC has denied 35-of-36 penalty-killing opportunities between the UMass Lowell and the Vermont serieses. As a whole, the Eagles' penalty-killing unit ranks fourthh, killing off 88.8 percent (143-of-161).Â
BROTHERLY LOVE
Both Ryan and Casey Fitzgerald scored power play goals in the Feb. 13 contest at Merrimack and each assisted on one another's tallies. As a whole this season, Casey or Ryan have assisted on one another's tallies on five occasions and have both scored at least one point in a game on 13 different occassions, including a combined one goal and three assists against Vermont in game three on March 13.
FREAKY FAST
BC has had a penchant for attacking quckly this season. Casey Fitzgerald scored 1:35 into the Beanpot semifinal. It was the fastest goal to start a Beanpot game since Bryan Ewing scored 1:23 into the game on Feb. 6, 2006. Austin Cangelosi scored 12 seconds into the home opener against Wisconsin, marking the fastest goal scored by an Eagle since Matt Price tallied 11 seconds into the game against Northeastern on March 7, 2008. The Estero, Fla., native followed that with a goal 16 seconds into the game on Jan. 29 at Notre Dame.
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. Cangelosi also converted a penalty shot against Merrimack and is the only skater in college hockey so far with a pair.Â
SPECIAL TEAMS TALES
The Eagles' power play ranks 13th in the nation, converting 32-of-154 opportunites at a rate of 20.8 percent. The penalty-killing efforts continue to dominate, ranking first in Hockey East and fourth, nationally (88.8 percent - 143-of-161).
IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUUUUL TIME, OF THE YEAR
As of Saturday, Boston College is ranked fifth in the Pairwise ranking with an RPI rating of .5838, claiming the second spot in the poll with respect to Hockey East (Providence).
