Big Trip Out West Looms for Eagles

BOSTON COLLEGE vs. ST. CLOUD STATE
The Eagles and Huskies (of St. Cloud) meet up for the second time in either's history and first time as a true home or road contest. Boston College and St. Cloud State's first-ever meeting took place in Estero, Fla. at the Florida College Classic Championship at Germain Arena. BC emerged victoriously in double overtime as Chris Collins potted the game-winning tally 59 seconds into the second extra session. St. Cloud jumped out early at 7:39 when Mike Doyle scored before Boston College's Ryan Shannon tied things up on the power play at 12:01 later in that period. Friday and Saturday's series marks BC's first trip to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in program history. Bob Motzko is in his 13th season as skipper of the Huskies as BC head coach Jerry York owns the 1-0 advantage in head-to-head meetings.

ST. CLOUD LOWDOWN
St. Cloud State is firing on all cylinders early in the 2017-18 season, having won its first three games and skates into the Boston College series as the No. 3 - ranked team in all the land. SCSU took out Minnesota State (who just swept Boston University at Agganis Arena this past weekend on the road (4-0) before taking care of Alaska Fairbanks at home, 6-3 and 5-4 (OT). Junior defenseman Jimmy Schuldt is one of four skaters in the NCAA to have attained seven points as he leads all defensemen in the nation in scoring as tied atop the pile amongst all others in the game. Schuldt's four goals at 1.33 goals per game ranks fourth in the nation. Three of those tallies have come via the power play as Schuldt is one of two skaters in the NCAA with three power play tallies (Nick Hutchison - Canisius). He is also one of five skaters with two game-winning tallies already. The Huskies' offense ranks second in the nation as SCSU is scoring at a clip of 5.00 goals per game. Defensively, St. Cloud is tied for 19th (2.33 gpg). Just underneath Northeastern, SCSU owns the second-best scoring margin in college hockey (+2.67). St. Cloud is one of three teams in the nation to have an unblemished record, joining New Hampshire (4-0-0) and Army (2-0-0).

FRESHMEN FURY
The Boston College freshmen class of 2017-18 has stepped up in a big way in the first two weekends of the season. The Eagles have accounted for 20 points through the first three games of the season and the rookie class has notched 40 percent (3-5-8) of those points. Jacob Tortora scored the first goal of the season on the power play on Oct. 6 while Christopher Grando has scored in his last two outings. Logan Hutsko has accounted for three helpers in his last two outings while Aapeli Räsänen picked up his first assist on Oct. 15.

GRANDIOSE GRANDO
First-year forward Christopher Grando stepped up in a big way this past weekend, becoming the first Eagle to score goals in back-to-back games this season. The Islip, N.Y. native is tied for the team lead with two goals through the first three games of the season

McPHEEnomenal
Sophomore forward Graham McPhee has come into his own this past weekend, posting his third-career multi-point performance at PC on Oct. 15 after his first goal of the season against Wisconsin on Oct. 13. McPhee joins Grando and Casey Fitzgerald as BC's two-goal getters this year. The Bethesda, Md. native's tally was also the equalizer at 3:47 of the third period at Providence, standing as his first-career game-tying goal.

HUTSKO HANDIN' OUT DIMES
Freshman forward Logan Hutsko joined Grando on the pointstreak train, providing the assist on both of Grando's tallies this season. Hutsko also became the first Eagle to post a multi-point game this season as the Tampa, Fla. native assisted on Casey Fitzgerald's tally, at PC as well. Hutsko and Grando are the first two Eagles with points in consecutive games this season. He is currently tied for seventh amongst all freshman in college hockey, averaging 1.00 points per game.

POWER PLAY SCHMOWER PLAY
Boston College is one of five programs in all of college hockey that has not given up a power play goal yet this season. Army, Bemidji State, Mercyhrust and Rensselaer are the other four programs. The Eagles have killed off all 10 power plays faced and are currently tied for second in the nation in combined special teams at 66.7 percent (12-of-18).

PROTECT THE NEST
The Eagles' defensive corps has surrendered three goals per game, tying it for 31st nationally and sixth at the conference level. Wisconsin's five-goal total ballooned that number a bit as the Eagles only gave up four goals combined between Quinnipiac and Wisconsin.

DEFENSIVELY OFFENSIVE
With Casey Fitzgerald's one point per game average (2-1-3), he is currently tied for 10th scoring amongst all defensemen in college hockey.

THE BRICK WOLL
Sophomore backstopper Joseph Woll has stopped 76-of-84 shots faced in his first three outings for a .905 save percentage which is currently tied for 44th in all of college hockey while his 2.59 goals against average ranks 36th in the game. Woll has stopped 988 - of - 1083 shots faced (.912 save percentage) with a career mark of 2.64 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.

FITZ GOT THAT FEELING
Junior defenseman Casey Fitzgerald notched his second-career two-goal game (at Holy Cross – Oct. 22, 2016), including the overtime winner 69 seconds into the extra session to give the Eagles their first win of the season at Providence on Oct. 15. Fitzgerald's game-winning goal stands as the third of his career as the North Reading, Mass. native accounted for a pair last season. For his big showing, the captain was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week

DÉJÀ VU
The last time Boston College scored an overtime winner was when Casey Fitzgerald's older brother, Ryan, scored the walkoff winner in game three of the Hockey East quarterfinals two years ago against Vermont on March 13, 2016.

THE EAGLES GO MARCHING IN
The Eagles fell victim to a 3-0 deficit in the first 25:16 of regulation at Providence on Oct. 15. Boston College gathered itself and stormed back from a three-goal deficit to win for the first time since November 16, 2012 when the Eagles came back and beat Merrimack at home, 4-3.

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Players Mentioned

Casey Fitzgerald

Chris Grando

Logan Hutsko

Graham McPhee

Jacob Tortora

Joseph Woll