Boston College
Minnesota Duluth
No. 4 Eagles Set To Open Up Season At No. 9 Minnesota Duluth
September 27, 2018 | Women's Hockey
BC set to get 25th season underway.
Friday's game is set for a 8 p.m. EST puck drop while Saturday's is scheduled for 5 p.m. EST. Both games will be streamed on FloHockey.tv (for a fee).
Boston College is coming off a 2017-18 season in which it went 30-5-3 overall and 19-2-3 in Hockey East play. The team led all Division I program's in scoring (4.08) en route to a fifth consecutive Hockey East regular-season title, a third straight Beanpot trophy and the program's 10th overall NCAA Tournament berth. Minnesota Duluth, who finished last season with an overall record of 15-16-4 and fourth place in the WCHA, was picked to finish fourth in its conference. UMD played one exhibition tune-up, taking on the Minnesota Whitecaps of the NWHLÂ last weekend.Â
GAME 1
No. 4/4 Boston College (0-0-0) at No. 9/9 Minnesota Duluth (0-0-0)
Friday, Sept. 28, 2018 | 8 p.m. EST
Amsoil Arena | Duluth, Minn.
GAME 2
No. 4/4 Boston College (0-0-0) at No. 9/9 Minnesota Duluth (0-0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 | 5 p.m. EST
Amsoil Arena | Duluth, Minn.
BOSTON COLLEGE, IN BRIEF
• The Eagles finished the 2017-18 season with a 30-5-3 record, the third-best mark in program history.
• BC's 19-2-3 conference mark earned the program's fifth consecutive Hockey East regular-season title.
• The Eagles claimed a third straight Beanpot crown and earned the program's 10th NCAA Tournament berth.
• The team led all Division I program's in scoring, posting 4.08 goals per game.
• Daryl Watts became the first-ever freshman to win the Patty Kazmaier Award after posting 82 points on 42 goals and 40 assists. The point total was the second-highest single-season point total in BC history (88, Alex Carpenter).
• In all, three Eagles finished in the top 10 in the nation in scoring with Watts leading all players and Caitrin Lonergan (75) tying for second and Makenna Newkirk (61) finishing seventh.
• Eight of the Eagles' top 10 scorers from a season ago return for the 2018-19 season.
ABOUT MINNESOTA DULUTH
• The Bulldogs finished the 2017-18 season with a record of 15-16-4 overall and a fourth place finish in the WCHA.
• UMD was picked fourth in the WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll and is ranked ninth in both national preseason polls.Â
• The Bulldogs played the NWHL's Minnesota Whitecaps last weekend, dropping the exhibition match, 4-3.
• The team lost seven seniors from the squad, including five defensewomen, but returns U.S. Women's National Team goaltender Maddie Rooney.
• Offensively, the Bulldogs return five of their top six scorers.
• UMD was picked fourth in the WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll.Â
THE SERIES vs. MINNESOTA DULUTH
• Boston College and Minnesota Duluth have squared off 13 times prior to Friday's game, with the overall series tied at 6-6-1.Â
• This marks the fifth time that Eagles and Bulldogs will meet int he Eagles' season opener.
• UMD and BC first met on March 16, 2007 in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, with the Bulldogs nipping the Eagles, 4-3, in double overtime.
• BC swept last season's two-game series, opening up the season with 4-1 and 4-1 wins at Conte Forum.
• Daryl Watts finished the series with five points on a hat trick and two assists while Caitrin Lonergan potted two goals and assisted on all three of Watts' scores.
• UMD won the first four meetings in the series and five of the first six overall.
• Head coach Katie Crowley is 6-5-1 all-time against the Bulldogs.
• The Eagles are 3-1-1 in the last five meetings.
EAGLES IN THE OPENER
• BC is 13-10-1 all-time in season openers and 7-3-1 under head coach Katie Crowley.
• The Eagles are 4-0-1 in the last five season openers.
• This marks the fifth time that BC and UMD will meet in the Eagles' season opener.
A WIN WOULD...
• Bump BC's record in season openers to 14-10-1 and 8-3-1 under head coach Katie Crowley.
• Move BC's all-time record to 423-322-76.
• Give head coach Katie Crowley an overall record of 279-85-47.
MEET THE CAPTAINS
• The Eagles are led by a trio of seniors in 2018-19, with Kali Flanagan, Megan Keller and Makenna Newkirk serving as captains.
• This is the second consecutive season that Newkirk is donning a 'C' on her jersey, making her the seventh-ever two-year captain in program history.
• Keller served as an assistant captain as a junior (2016-17).
• This is the first time that Flanagan will wear a letter for the Eagles.
BC BREAKDOWN
• The Eagles sport a 24-player roster in 2018-19, with 10 of those players not having been on the 2017-18 team.
• Six players - three forwards, one blue liner and two goaltenders - have set foot on the Heights for the first time.
• Three players return after taking the 2017-18 season off to compete with the U.S. Women's National Team.
• The team returns eight of its top 10 scorers from a season ago, including the top three.Â
