Weekly Roundup: September 20, 2017

I've always felt very fortunate for the opportunity to meet and speak with members of the Boston College community. The athletes who I've spoken to are always genuine, articulate and passionate about their causes. It's a unique experience, and I've always marveled at the way players, coaches and fans band together. Whenever someone takes up a personal cause, it becomes everyone's cause.

Written by co-authors Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge, "The Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight against ALS" chronicles Frates' journey. Available in the Amazon Kindle store, it's already a bestseller, having reached No. 1 in the "Philanthropy & Charity" section online. Written by two of Boston's best-known authors, it taps into the same feelings from 2014 when people dumped buckets of ice over their head and donated in droves.

I can't recommend Pete's book enough. I legitimately couldn't put it down, even as it drove me to both smiles and tears. Every page I read felt like a story I already knew, continued to drive the message home in a new fashion. It drilled into the world surrounding Pete, reaching into the family and making it all so very real. It refocused my attention to the fight against ALS, and made me want to defeat this disease all the more. Pete's fight became our fight because of his spirit and the commitment of everyone around him.

This week, the Boston College hockey community found its own heavy heart. The New Jersey Devils announced Brian Boyle, a Massachusetts native who helped played for the Eagles in the mid-2000s, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.

The disease was reportedly discovered early and is treatable. Boyle himself says he remains committed to playing for the Devils when the NHL season begins against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 7, something that will be incredibly emotional to watch when he succeeds in returning to the ice.

I ask everyone to research these diseases and learn more about all those who are afflicted. To learn more about ALS and the fight for a cure, visit www.petefrates.com. For more information about CML, visit the American Cancer Society's homepage at www.cancer.org.

*****

There was a moment on Tuesday night where Boston College men's soccer head coach Ed Kelly saw "it" happening again. Late in a match against Providence, his team leading 1-0, Friar forward Matt Deperro got a pass off as he fell to the ground in front of Eagles goalkeeper Antonio Chavez Borrelli. The pass found the foot of Mac Steeves, who drilled it into the goal tie the game and eventually force overtime.

"I thought we were going to win it in regulation, but Providence is a good team," Kelly said. "They found a little opening with a pass on the ground, which was some some bad defending on our part. It was like, 'Here we go again.'"

That Kelly could smile about it is because his team, snake-bitten in four straight games, rallied to win in double overtime, 2-1, against an ancient Big East foe. With goals from Abe Bibas and Simon Enstrom, it turns the corner as the week begins, setting the tone for BC's upcoming road with a solid team victory.

"Len (Zuegner) came in and gave us 20 or 25 minutes or so to settle us down in the back," Kelly said. "It was the first time (Salama) and Abe have played center back together, and we knew Josh (Forbes) wasn't going to make it the whole way. And Simon, I don't know how he did it; he just kept working, like a mad dog."

It's an important win for the Eagles, who improved to 3-4-0 on the season. Winning an emotional game at home, it's the type of confidence builder capable of boosting the entire roster. A team considered among the most talented in the ACC, beating Providence can serve as something of a springboard as they look to Saturday's matchup at No. 10 Louisville.

*****
I've visited a number of hockey teams from high school through to the NHL through the years, but nothing will compare to the video I saw this week for Boston College's new locker rooms.

The locker rooms themselves are aesthetically amazing. I don't think I've seen a hockey room with backlit nameplates or LED lights around stalls. And the attention to the logo, hung in the center of the locker room ceiling with its own backlight, made it all the more dramatic.

But the locker rooms' functions are beyond anything I've witnessed. Both the men's and women's teams will have wet and dry lockers, which is probably the most underrated aspect. Players will be able to store personal effects in a dry locker featuring multiple charging stations, while their hockey equipment locker has individualized ventilation systems to dry equipment.

Every parent who ever had to carry their child's wet equipment bag knows is allowed to smile at how great that truly is.

*****
The men's golf team continued its roll through fall competition this week, placing sixth at the Hartford Hawks Invitational held at Bull's Bridge Golf Club in South Kent, Connecticut. The Eagles drew top-10 finishes from Matthew Naumec and Tyler Kertson, who finished sixth and eighth, respectively.

Kertson led the individual field following the first round, where he scored a 64 on the Par 72 course. Naumec, meanwhile, finished strong, opening the tournament with a 74 before finishing -6 in his next two rounds combined.

The Eagles finished one shot behind Rhode Island and Army West Point in fourth place. Central Florida won the tournament running away with a combined score of 836, a full 25 strokes ahead of second-place Seton Hall.

The women remain off this week in anticipation of the Boston College Intercollegiate coming up this weekend. A monumental day for the program, it's the first time the program is hosting on its home links at Blue Hills Country Club in Canton, Massachusetts.

*****
If it feels like everything is getting busier, it's because it truly is. This week represents the first time during this academic calendar when there's a Boston College athletics event every day. On Sunday, sailing captured second, third and seventh at their races, while women's soccer beat Louisviille and field hockey beat William & Mary. That led to golf and men's soccer on Monday and Tuesday.

Volleyball continues the week at Syracuse on Wednesday with women's soccer at NC State on Thursday. On Friday, field hockey heads to Virginia while men's soccer plays at Louisville. Women's tennis is at the Harvard Invitational all day, while swimming and women's cross country get in on the act at home. And at 1 p.m., the season debut of the No. 4 women's ice hockey team happens at Conte Forum in an exhibition against Laurentian.

That leads up to Saturday. Members of the sailing team will compete in the NEISA Singlehanded Championships, while the rest of the team will race in the St. Mary's Fall Invitational, the Loder Trophy and the Hood Trophy.

And if that still isn't enough, there's a football game on national television as the Eagles head to Clemson to play the defending national champions.

It makes for a busy week, but there's no questioning the excitement of the teams as they continue or start their journey down the 2017-2018 path.

Players Mentioned

Abe Bibas

Antonio Chavez Borrelli

Simon Enstrom

Tyler Kertson

Matt Naumec