Frozen Fenway on Tap Sunday Night

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017 (5 p.m.)

WHERE: Fenway Park / Boston

TV BROADCAST: New England Sports Network

NESN BROADCAST TEAM:
- Tom Caron (Play-by-Play)
- Guerin Austin (Rinkside)

GAME NOTES: PDF / WEB

HOW TO FOLLOW
- Television: Watch live on NESN (NOTE: The game will be broadcast live on both NESN and NESN-plus; if watching on NESN, the latter portion of the game will cut out to the Bruins at Panthers game -- NESN-plus will carry the broadcast in its entirety)
- Radio: WEEI 850 AM -- Jon Rish (Play-by-Play) // Andy Powers (Color Commentary)
- Live Stats

FUN AT FENWAY
Boston College makes its fourth appearance at Fenway Park, having played in all four outdoor extravaganzas hosted by Hockey East. The Eagles are 2-1, all-time, at 4 Yawkey Way with victories over Northeastern (Jan. 14, 2012) and Notre Dame (Jan. 4, 2014) and a setback in the first outdoor game in Boston College's history against Boston University on Jan. 8, 2010. Only five Eagles on the roster were on the 2014 team that defeated Notre Dame and one four of them, (Scott Savage, Chris Calnan, Ryan Fitzgerald and Austin Cangelosi) were active. Matthew Gaudreau will skate in his first time at Fenway Park on Saturday.

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. PROVIDENCE
Boston College and Providence cap the Hockey East regular season series on Saturday evening at 4 Yawkey Way, under the lights of Fenway Park. In the last meeting on The Heights on Oct. 28, 2016, BC's first conference game of the season yielded the first-career goals for Zach Walker and Ron Greco while Matthew Gaudreau netted his third-career game-winning goal. That victory marked Boston College's 13 win in the last 14 meetings over Providence at home. Saturday's Frozen Fenway marks the second-consecutive season BC and PC meet in neutral settings as the Friars came away with a 2-1 win in Estero, Fla. last year on Dec. 29, 2015. In the last 26 games overall, dating back to 2008, Boston College has dominated Providence, owning a 20-2-4 mark. BC posted a 15-0-2 mark from March 14, 2008 to March 1, 2013 against the Friars. Before beating BC in 2013, Providence had not won in Chestnut Hill since Oct. 31, 2006. Overall, the Eagles own a significant margin in the overall series, 111-48-14, and a 59-24-12 mark in Hockey East play. The win on Dec. 29, 2015 was Providence coach Nate Leaman's third win over BC in 12 tries (3-8-1).

FRIAR FOCUS
Despite somewhat of a slow start, Providence has not lost in its last five games, including an impressive win and tie against No. 2-ranked Denver at home last weekend. The Friars are 8-6-4 heading into the Fenway contest with a 1-4-2 mark in league play. PC likes to come out playing with fire, outscoring opponents 19-7 in first periods this season. Overally, Providence's offense is tied for 30th (3.00 goals per game) while the defense is 14th (2.39). PC's defense is anchored by Hayden Hawkey, who was tabbed Hockey East Goaltender of the Month in December.

INTERNATIONAL EAGLES
Freshmen Joseph Woll alongside sophomores Casey Fitzgerald an Colin White represented Team USA while brothers Jesper and Julius Mattila donned Team Finland uniforms at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal. The Finns went 0-3 in their opening slate of tournament play while Team USA plays in its fifth gold-medal game against Canada on Thursday night, Jan. 5. White is tied for US team lead in goals ( 6 ) and also has an assist while Fitzgerald has dished out three assists. Woll has won the two games has started and posted a .935 save percentage and a 1.50 goals against average.

SHOOTING THE LIGHTS OUT
Boston College recorded its most shots on net ( 59 ) in a game since blasting 56 at Notre Dame on Feb. 28, 2015.

KOUNTIN' ON KIM
Second-year defenseman Michael Kim's goal with 4:47 left in regulation against Ferris State on Dec. 30 was not only his first-career game-tying goal, it also stood as his first-career game-tying goal. Kim also scored his first goal of the year in dramatic fashion, at Northeastern on Nov. 29. The Toronto, Ontario native stole the puck on the penalty kill and rifled it past Northeastern's Ryan Ruck to win it for the Eagles with 22.9 seconds left. Kim's goal was not only his first-career short-handed goal, it also counted as his first-career game-winning goal. Kim has 19 points (3-16-19) in 45 games as an Eagle defenseman.

POINT PLUNDER
No other team in college hockey has scored as many points as BC has this season. The Eagles are first in the NCAA in total points (211), assists (136) and tied for first with three (3) hat tricks. Boston College also leads the nation in most road points scored with 133. Boston College is third in goals scored with 75 and back up to send place in plus/minus differential (+28).

ACROSS THE BOARD
Boston College has produced some even scoring as 11 Eagles are in double figures in points while eight skaters have at least five goals through this point. The Eagles are now averaging just under four goals per game (3.41 gpg) on the season which is 12th best in all of college hockey. For almost the entire first half of the season, that figure led Hockey East but has since slid to fourth after scoring only four goals in three games from Dec. 10-30.

GOOD-REAU
BC's points leader heading into the second half had an eight-game point streak snapped at Notre Dame on Dec. 10, accruing three goals and nine assists over that time span. It marks Gaudreau's second-career eight-game point streak. In the final game of his point streak on Dec. 6 against NU, the Carneys Point, N.J. native accounted for his second-career playmaker (three assists). As the second half gets under, Gaudreau ranks 70th in the country in scoring, averaging 1.00 points per game and is tied for eighth in Hockey East.

NON-PLUSSED
The Eagles are outscoring their opponent at a significant margin and possess the ninth-highest mark in the NCAA. BC's + 1.00 goal differential is tied for fourth in the lead as the Eagles have netted 75 goals and given up only 53. The +56 mark, as a club, is second best in the NCAA.

AGAINST THE ODDS
Boston College is currently tied for second with Penn State, UMass Lowell and Vermont for second-most wins as the second half starts up. ( Union & Bemidji State lead with 14 ). The Eagles did so, though, by having to trot out the penalty-killing unit 134 times, the most so far this season. At such a high frequency, BC is killing off opponents' power play opportunities at a rate of 82.1 percent (110 - of - 134).

DEFENDING THE HEIGHTS
The combination of first-year goaltenders Joseph Woll and Ryan Edquist have filled in nicely for the departed Thatcher Demko. Woll has earned the brunt of the work, amassing a 10-6-1 (.618 - 23rd in the NCAA) record, with a 2.51 goals against average (27th in the NCAA) and a .917 save percentage (22nd overall). Edquist has been the primary back up with nice numbers, including a 3-1-1 record with a 1.89 goals against and a .930 save percentage. Edquist recently turned in a career-best 36 save effort against Ferris State in a 1-1 tie on Dec. 30.

DEFENSIVE DEEDS
Following the Three Rivers Classic in Pittsburgh, BC is surrendering 2.41 goals per game which is 15th best in college hockey. Boston College is only one of two teams in Hockey East that has given up less than 10 goals, combined, in the first period, starting off strong defensively. BC has given up only nine first-period goals thus far (PC leads w/ seven.)

PLUSSES N MINUSES
Veteran defenseman Scott Savage is currently tied for ninth, nationally, in individual plus/minus rating with a +14 figure. Savage's +14 number is also tied for second best in Hockey East. Classmate Austin Cangelosi is currently +12 in the country which ties him for 16th overall.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Chris Calnan

Austin Cangelosi

Thatcher Demko

Ryan Edquist

Casey Fitzgerald

Ryan Fitzgerald

Matthew Gaudreau

Ron Greco

Michael Kim

Julius Mattila

Scott Savage

Zach Walker

Colin White

Joseph Woll