Anastos Leads Eagles Back to NCAAs

For Andie Anastos, hockey is hard-wired into her DNA. The daughter of a Division I college hockey coach, she's grown up around the game, and she's been privy to the drama that makes the NCAA the proving grounds for some of the sport's greatest warriors.

This weekend, Anastos etched her name among the top warriors in the sport.

Last weekend, with her Boston College team facing elimination twice in the Hockey East Championship weekend, she scored with the season on the line. First, it was Saturday in the semifinals round against Vermont in double overtime. Then it was against Northeastern in the championship game the next day, also in overtime.

For BC, the goals couldn't have been bigger. The Eagles entered the weekend threatened with the possibility of missing the national tournament completely if they didn't win the Hockey East Tournament and a team other than Clarkson or St. Lawrence won the ECAC Tournament crown.

Now they host St. Lawrence in an NCAA Tournament first round game with a path to the Frozen Four in St. Charles, Mo.

"We always say that no shots are bad shots," head coach Katie Crowley said. "Andie is the type of unselfish kid who is usually looking to pass first at times. I didn't actually see the goal against Vermont; I was turning around to say something and then saw a celebration. But It was awesome for her to score that goal for us, and she backed it up with a really unbelievable play that ripped high slot (against Northeastern)."

"Those goals were amazing," Anastos said. "Against Vermont, we had been putting shots on net and I had been trying not to block them through. But then Kenzie (Kent) put one in that I got my stick on. We were all so tired and needed a lift, and that worked out perfectly.

"But against Northeastern, we really took off in overtime. We stepped on the ice and knew we weren't going to lose the game. Katie Burt had played well all game long, and we went out in overtime to help her out; I don't think Northeastern even got a shot on net. Once we scored, it was every emotion. I was excited that I scored, then nervous while it was reviewed, then excited again."

The way she scored the goals, by outworking opponents in a double overtime situation and by simply willing the team into their second straight championships, is a byproduct of a season where the Eagles had to defy expectations.

"Most people didn't think we would be back," Crowley said. "We lost six players who were so valuable that we needed others to really step up in a big way. And no matter what, they've stepped up, so it's very satisfying for me to see. Players filled roles that needed to be filled to be as successful as we have been."

Production-wise, it is incredibly satisfying for a player whose numbers probably would've set records for other programs. In four years, Anastos has 142 points, including 57 career goals. Her goal against Northeastern was her 40th point, the first time she reached the mark at BC. As a senior captain, however, it's more about the leadership qualities - building a bridge for the next generation of Eagles - that has her excited about this year's team.

"We had lost some all-time greats which leaves you kind of wondering what kind of team we were going to be," Anastos said, "But it's been my goal to introduce the younger players to Boston College hockey, to show them how we play the game and to get them ready. We also want to show them how to have fun, since that's a big part of the game."

"She's such an amazing two-way hockey player," junior Megan Keller said. "She always knows how to stay calm and possess the puck, and that keeps our team calm. She's always huge in big games; we've been playing together since middle school, and we have that second sense to always know where we are on the ice at the right time."

It's in her DNA to be that kind of player. Her father, Tom Anastos, is the head coach of Michigan State's hockey team, a former commissioner of the old CCHA, and a proponent of the growth of college hockey. In her upbringing, Anastos had the chance to observe and learn watching some of the all-time greats in tournaments like the Great Lakes Invitiational. In the offseason, it allows her to get a unique perspective of work in while continuing her training for the Eagles.

"Andie is such a steady player," Crowley said. "She does exactly what we ask. She's smart, if not the smartest player we have, and she always knows where to be and what to do in a given moment. That's on our special teams in addition to regular shifts, and she played a ton of minutes (this past weekend). Andie's really the type of player where you don't have to say a lot because she grew up in a hockey family and developed into a great player."

And it's not just her on-ice performance that's gained her attention. It's all the little things, including leading a youthful team.

"She's an unbelievable leader," Crowley said. "She was voted captain last year for us, and she learned from the older captains how to be a good captain (for this year's team). She makes players on our team feel comfortable, and she does a good job of bringing everyone along. Everyone develops, and that comfort is both on and off the ice. She's a reason why our players know how to do things the right way."

Despite scoring two historically-relevant goals for the Eagle program this weekend, however, there's still a matter of some unfinished business.

Because they won the Hockey East Tournament, coupled with results in other conference's tournaments, BC jumped in the PairWise Rankings enough to host the NCAA Quarterfinal round for the third straight year. A win on Saturday would send the team to St. Charles, Mo., for their third-straight Frozen Four and seventh overall.

But a win will need to come against St. Lawrence, a team that opened the season with a 17-game undefeated streak. Saturday's game is described by Megan Keller as a battle. "We know we have to take it one period at a time," she said. "This is the best time of the year, but we know we have to win to keep our season going."

"It's huge to play at home," Anastos said. "If we didn't win (Hockey East), we probably would've had to go to St. Lawrence, and that's a long bus trip. So now we don't have to worry about making an adjustment. We get the last change on the ice to match up, and the comfort in our building is huge. You always know your own rink, and we have our routines at home."

"There's a little bit of unfinished business for our seniors: Andie, Kristyn Capizzano and Haley McLean," Crowley said. "They want a chance to get back to the national championship and have a chance to win it this time. But we can't think about that because we still have to play St. Lawrence, and right now, Saturday is the most important game to us."

Players Mentioned

Andie Anastos

Katie Burt

Kristyn Capizzano

Megan Keller

Haley McLean

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