Boston College Athletics
Crowley Announces 2018-19 Team Captains
June 27, 2018 | Women's Hockey
Eagles will be led by veteran leadership next season
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – A trio of seniors – Kali Flanagan, Megan Keller and Makenna Newkirk – will serve as the captains of the 2018-19 Boston College women's hockey team, according to a team vote announced by head coach Katie Crowley.
Newkirk returns for her second year as a captain, while Keller and Flanagan will be first-time captains for the Eagles. Keller served as one of the team's assistant captains in her 2016-17 junior season.
Both Flanagan and Keller are set to return to The Heights for their senior seasons next year after taking a leave of absence from Boston College during the 2017-18 school year to live and train with the U.S. National Team ahead of its gold-medal winning effort at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
"We're very pleased to have this leadership group next season," Crowley said. "All three players have achieved at both the national and international level, and they'll set a tremendous baseline for our team in 2018-19. Kali, Megan and Makenna are all ideal representatives of Boston College on and off the ice."
Newkirk returns as a team captain for her senior season. After just three seasons, she's already ranked inside the top 10 in almost every offensive category in the Eagles' career record books. With 149 career points, Newkirk will start her year ranked fifth in career scoring, while her 61 goals and 88 assists are each sixth on their respective charts. Additionally, she is fourth in game-winning goals (14), tied for fifth in power-play goals (19) and tied for 10th in shorthanded goals (3). Newkirk finished the 2017-18 season ranked sixth nationally among Division I players in scoring, posting a career-high 61 points. Her career-high 37 assists were fifth most in the country. She is a two-time Hockey East All-Star honoree and was the 2016 Hockey East Rookie of the Year. Newkirk has also represented the U.S., selected for the 2016 Under-22 Series, which was its last edition before last year's Olympic break.
Keller and Flanagan return to The Heights after a memorable 2017-18 season with the U.S. National Team. The Olympic gold medalists in PyeongChang helped the U.S. win its first gold in 20 years. Both were among the five Eagles, past or present, on the team and were heavily featured on the U.S.' seven-player defenseman rotation. Keller led all Americans in shifts (152) at the 2018 Olympics.
Keller returns to the Heights to complete her collegiate career following the 2016-17 season in which she established herself as the most dominant player in the college game. She became the first-ever defenseman to win the Cammi Granato Award as Hockey East's Player of the Year in 2017, earned her second AHCA First-Team All-America honor, her second Hockey East Best Defenseman Award and her third First-Team Hockey East All-Star honor. She is also a two-time Patty Kazmaier Award Top-10 Finalist.
With 115 career points after three seasons, Keller already holds the school record for points by a defenseman and is poised to become the first defenseman to earn a place in the top 10 on the Eagles' career scoring chart. With 89 assists through three seasons, she is also on pace to become just the fourth player in program history to reach 100 career assists.
Flanagan resumes her role on the BC blue line, also returning for her senior year in 2018-19. One of the fastest players in women's hockey, Flanagan has played a central role on BC's special teams units in addition to her regular shift. Additionally, she's developed into an offensive threat in her last two seasons at The Heights. She comes into her final season of collegiate play with 52 career points, including 14 goals and 38 assists. Flanagan ranks ninth among BC blue liners in career scoring and sits eighth in career goals while sitting one back of the top 10 in career assists.
The Eagles are set to return 18 letterwinners in 2018-19, including 16 from the 2017-18 team. Three of the nation's top six scorers this season are set to return in 2018-19: Patty Kazmaier Award winner Daryl Watts, Caitrin Lonergan and Newkirk.
In addition to Flanagan and Keller's return from the Olympics, BC will also benefit from the return of defenseman Cayla Barnes '22, who initially enrolled as Boston College as a freshman in 2017-18 but was called into the U.S. National Team in late October after playing five games for the Eagles. She will return next year as a redshirt freshman.
The Eagles finished the 2017-18 season with a 30-5-3 record, the third-best mark in program history, and a 19-2-3 mark in Hockey East play. Boston College won its fifth straight Hockey East regular-season title and third Beanpot crown in a row before drawing its 10th NCAA Tournament berth in program history. BC led all Division I programs nationally in scoring, posting 4.08 goals per game.
Newkirk returns for her second year as a captain, while Keller and Flanagan will be first-time captains for the Eagles. Keller served as one of the team's assistant captains in her 2016-17 junior season.
Both Flanagan and Keller are set to return to The Heights for their senior seasons next year after taking a leave of absence from Boston College during the 2017-18 school year to live and train with the U.S. National Team ahead of its gold-medal winning effort at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
"We're very pleased to have this leadership group next season," Crowley said. "All three players have achieved at both the national and international level, and they'll set a tremendous baseline for our team in 2018-19. Kali, Megan and Makenna are all ideal representatives of Boston College on and off the ice."
Newkirk returns as a team captain for her senior season. After just three seasons, she's already ranked inside the top 10 in almost every offensive category in the Eagles' career record books. With 149 career points, Newkirk will start her year ranked fifth in career scoring, while her 61 goals and 88 assists are each sixth on their respective charts. Additionally, she is fourth in game-winning goals (14), tied for fifth in power-play goals (19) and tied for 10th in shorthanded goals (3). Newkirk finished the 2017-18 season ranked sixth nationally among Division I players in scoring, posting a career-high 61 points. Her career-high 37 assists were fifth most in the country. She is a two-time Hockey East All-Star honoree and was the 2016 Hockey East Rookie of the Year. Newkirk has also represented the U.S., selected for the 2016 Under-22 Series, which was its last edition before last year's Olympic break.
Keller and Flanagan return to The Heights after a memorable 2017-18 season with the U.S. National Team. The Olympic gold medalists in PyeongChang helped the U.S. win its first gold in 20 years. Both were among the five Eagles, past or present, on the team and were heavily featured on the U.S.' seven-player defenseman rotation. Keller led all Americans in shifts (152) at the 2018 Olympics.
Keller returns to the Heights to complete her collegiate career following the 2016-17 season in which she established herself as the most dominant player in the college game. She became the first-ever defenseman to win the Cammi Granato Award as Hockey East's Player of the Year in 2017, earned her second AHCA First-Team All-America honor, her second Hockey East Best Defenseman Award and her third First-Team Hockey East All-Star honor. She is also a two-time Patty Kazmaier Award Top-10 Finalist.
With 115 career points after three seasons, Keller already holds the school record for points by a defenseman and is poised to become the first defenseman to earn a place in the top 10 on the Eagles' career scoring chart. With 89 assists through three seasons, she is also on pace to become just the fourth player in program history to reach 100 career assists.
Flanagan resumes her role on the BC blue line, also returning for her senior year in 2018-19. One of the fastest players in women's hockey, Flanagan has played a central role on BC's special teams units in addition to her regular shift. Additionally, she's developed into an offensive threat in her last two seasons at The Heights. She comes into her final season of collegiate play with 52 career points, including 14 goals and 38 assists. Flanagan ranks ninth among BC blue liners in career scoring and sits eighth in career goals while sitting one back of the top 10 in career assists.
The Eagles are set to return 18 letterwinners in 2018-19, including 16 from the 2017-18 team. Three of the nation's top six scorers this season are set to return in 2018-19: Patty Kazmaier Award winner Daryl Watts, Caitrin Lonergan and Newkirk.
In addition to Flanagan and Keller's return from the Olympics, BC will also benefit from the return of defenseman Cayla Barnes '22, who initially enrolled as Boston College as a freshman in 2017-18 but was called into the U.S. National Team in late October after playing five games for the Eagles. She will return next year as a redshirt freshman.
The Eagles finished the 2017-18 season with a 30-5-3 record, the third-best mark in program history, and a 19-2-3 mark in Hockey East play. Boston College won its fifth straight Hockey East regular-season title and third Beanpot crown in a row before drawing its 10th NCAA Tournament berth in program history. BC led all Division I programs nationally in scoring, posting 4.08 goals per game.
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