Powers Collide at Kelley Rink Friday Night

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. WISCONSIN
Boston College welcomes Wisconsin back to Kelley Rink for the second time in three seasons as the Eagles will play their second home game in a row to start off the 2017-18 season. This marks the third-straight season the Eagles and Badgers have collided on the ice as BC holds a 2-1 advantage in the last three meetings. Last year, BC went out to Madison for the first time in almost 10 years and split with UW on a Friday (1-3) - Sunday (8-5) series. Friday's tilt against the Badgers marks the sixth game between the two stories programs at Kelley Rink as BC owns a 4-1 advantage. This will be the 26th game in the overall series as the Eagles possess a 15-10 advantage dating back to the first meeting between BC and UW in 1970. In the opening game of the series last season, Wisconsin curbed BC's six-game winning streak against the Badgers. Prior to that win on Ot. 14, 2016, the last victory UW posted against BC was in the 2006 national title game. BC and Wisconsin are 1-1 against each other in national title games. The Eagles claimed their fourth NCAA Championship with a 5-0 blanking of UW at Ford Field in Detroit in 2010. All-time, Jerry York has defeated Wisconsin 10 times. In the last two meetings against Wisconsin at Kelley Rink, the Eagles possess a distinct 15-2 scoring advantage.

BADGER BEAT
Wisconsin skates into Friday night's bout with a 2-1 record and tout a top-10 ranking heading into the third weekend of action. The Badgers opened up with a 3-2 triumph over Michigan Tech in 3-2 in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game as freshman forward Linus Weissbach scored two goals in his debut. Wisconsin followed that with a split against Ohio State in Big Ten action, dropping the front end, 2-3, but responding with the same score in a win on Saturday night, Oct. 7. The Badgers sport a strong incoming class as Weissbach is joined by classmate Tarek Baker as two of four freshmen in the nation that have score two goals already this season. In the early goings, Wisconsin ranks 19th in scoring, averaging 2.67 goals per game while the defense is slotted in 22nd, allowing 2.33 tallies per outing. Weissbach and Baker are joined by Will Johnson as the multi-goal getters on the squad this season.

TORTORA TIES IT UP
Newcomer Jacob Tortora scored his first goal in BC's home opener in game-tying fashion while junior captain Casey Fitzgerald and classmate JD Dudek picked up points with the help. Tortora's tally was a power play goal, as well. The Victor, N.Y. native is one of 12 freshmen skaters to have attained a power play goal. The speedy winger is also tied for third amongst all first-year skaters with 1.00 point per game. Tortora's game-tying goal was also only one of five scored in the country so far.

PUCK POSSESSION
The Eagles will miss former faceoff specialist Austin Cangelosi, who was a top-five drawman the last two seasons. So far, Boston College's best faceoff man has been captain Christopher Brown, who won 15-of-24 draws with a percentage of 62.5 which is currently 42nd in the nation to this point.

PROTECT THE NEST
Despite it being only one game, Boston College is one of three teams to have surrendered only one goal this year, joining St. Cloud (0) and Clarkson (1). The Eagles are tied for third in the country on the defensive side of the puck, giving up only one goal per game.

KILLIN' IT
The Boston College penalty-killing unit is one of eight teams in the country to own a perfect record, going 4-for-4 on the kill on Oct. 6 against Quinnipiac.

FITZY FINDS 50
Casey Fitzgerald assisted on Jacob Tortora's first-career goal on Oct. 6 against Quinnipiac. Fitzgerald's assist stood for his 50th-career point as an Eagle. The North Reading, Mass. native hit that mark (9-41-50) in his 77th game in the maroon and gold and as his career point total is nearly double that of any other current teammate.

THE BRICK WOLL
Sophomore backstopper Joseph Woll stopped 28-of-29 shots faced in Boston College's opener on Oct. 6 to earn the draw. The Eagles are in good hands at the goaltending position as the St. Louis native is currently sixth with a .966 save percentage, second in Hockey East behind Northeastern's Cayden Primeau (who posted a shutout in his first-career start on Oct. 7). The 6-foot-4 netminder also posted a scant 0.92 goals against average, tying him for fifth on the national level and second in the league. For his career, Woll has stopped 940 - of - 1028 shots faced (91.4 save percentage) with a career mark of 2.59 goals against average. Woll was also one of 20 goalies named to the watch list for the 2018 Mike Richter Award, which annually honors the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey. The winner of the fifth annual award will be announced at the 2018 NCAA Men's Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn. He looks to become the second Eagle in program history to college this award. Thatcher Demko earned the prize as a junior at the end of the 2015-16 season in Tampa, Fla.

THE ROARING 20s
A funky note came to light following Boston College's 1-1 tie against Quinnipiac in the home opener on Oct. 6. Boston College recorded its first regular-season draw to open the season since the 1922-23 season, and second ever in program history with the 1-1 stalemate on Friday night. The Eagles tied the Boston Hockey Club on Oct. 25, 1922, 3-3.

FROSH SCORING FIRST
First-year forward Jacob Tortora scored the Eagles' first goal of the season, marking the third time in the last five seasons a rookie lit the lamp for the first time of the year. In 2015-16, Miles Wood scored BC's first goal at Army on Oct. 9, 2015 while Ian McCoshen' started off the scoring for BC at Yost Ice Arena at Michigan on Oct. 10, 2013.

EAGLETS
For the third time in four seasons, Boston College sports the youngest roster in NCAA hockey. As of Oct. 1, the average age of the Eagles roster is 20 years and 125 days. Boston University is second with a mean just two days short of 20 years and 127 days. Michigan is the third youngest team at 20 years and 324 days.

OPENING NIGHT EAGLES
After leading the National Hockey League with having 24 former Boston College Eagles dressing in at least one NHL game last season IN 2016-17, BC once again paces the college hockey world with the most delegates on NHL opening night rosters with 19 to start off the 2017-18 slate. Prior to NHL franchises trimming their respective clubs to their opening night rosters, Boston College led the pack with 33 alumni earning training camp invitations, followed by Minnesota (29), Michigan (28), North Dakota (28) and Boston University (27). The top six programs are: Boston College (19), Michigan (17), North Dakota (16), Minnesota (15), Boston University (14) and Wisconsin (11).

SHOW BIRDS
Starting off the 2017-18 season, with 548 former NCAA players having reported to National Hockey League training camps for preseason preparation, the Boston College men's hockey program led the way with 33 representatives spread out over 18 franchises. As has been the way in the past, the Eagles' professional pedigree shined through as BC led all schools with 33 alumni earning training camp invitations, followed closely by Minnesota (29), Michigan (28), North Dakota (28) and Boston University (27).

Powers Collide at Kelley Rink Friday Night

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Players Mentioned

Christopher Brown

Austin Cangelosi

JD Dudek

Casey Fitzgerald

Jacob Tortora

Joseph Woll