Category Archives: Hockey

Same old? A spark?

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Thadd Smith touchdown, an occasion too infrequent

Thadd Smith touchdown, an occasion too infrequent for the Eagles overall

Against North Carolina State yesterday, BC had more first downs (16-12) and more offensive plays (71-60), gained more yards passing (257-212), and possessed the ball three minutes longer than the Wolfpack. The Eagles fell short in points, however, 24-8. The lone BC touchdown (photo above) came with only 1:21 remaining in the game.

Freshman walk-on quarterback John Fadule performed pretty well in his first start, compiling the best passing stats of any BC quarterback this season. He was 23 of 37 for 257 yards and one touchdown. He also threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, and was sacked five times.

Tyler Rouse was the Eagles’ rushing attack, with 7 carries for 48 yards. BC, with Fadule losing many yards in sacks, had only 28 yards net on the ground. NC State gained 351 yards in total offense, 212 through the air.

It was Senior Day for the Eagles. BC Athletics compiled this video of four seniors talking about their time at the Heights.

A surprising fact: The Wolfpack win was NC State’s first victory at Alumni Stadium since 1937!

BC (3-7 overall) remains winless in the ACC (0-7) and has been statistically eliminated from post-season bowl competition. The Eagles have a bye week to prepare for their next game, against Notre Dame, Nov. 21, at Fenway Park. Kickoff is at 4:30 pm PT.

Highlights

Hockey and other sports

BC’s men’s and women’s hockey teams — each ranked #2 in the country — kept steaming along this week. The women blasted BU 8-1 to bring their record to 11-0 (5-0), while the men (8-1, 3-0) swept Maine this weekend, 3-0 Saturday and 2-0 today. BC goaltender — and San Diego’s own — Thatcher Demo made 30 saves today and has shut out the opponent in six of the last seven games. That off-season hip surgery has apparently been successful.

Today’s men’s hockey game against Maine featured a donnybrook late in the third period. Six Eagles and six Black Bears received roughing penalties, with three Eagles — Casey Fitzgerald, Colin White, and Miles Wood — also getting 10-minute misconduct penalties along with three Maine players.

The women’s field hockey team fell in the semifinals of the ACC tournament to North Carolina, 3-2, Friday, but not before defeating defending champion Wake Forest, 4-3, in two overtimes on Thursday. The win over Wake was BC field hockey’s first ever in the ACC tournament, which traditionally features the nation’s best college teams.

Great season, but disappointing end

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BCWIH

The BC women’s hockey team finished with 34 victories this season, more than any other team in the country, but, more significantly, zero championships. Despite an excellent season overall, and two outstanding national awards for individuals, the Eagles would have liked even more to have earned the Beanpot, Hockey East championship, and the national crown.

Harvard, which had lost to BC 10-2 in November but beat the Eagles for the Beanpot 3-2, ended the Eagles’ season with a 2-1 victory Friday in the semifinals of the national championship. BC outshot Harvard, 44-21, including 18-9 in the final period, but the Harvard goalie stopped all but one.

BC started the season with a 28-game unbeaten streak, reaching #1 in the country, before  losing for the first time, to Harvard in the Beanpot. The Eagles finished 34-3-2, and 21-0-1 in the regular Hockey East season.

National player and coach of the year

Alex Carpenter

Alex Carpenter

Junior forward Alex Carpenter, the nation’s leading scorer, won the Patty Kazmaier Award, presented to the nation’s best women’s college hockey player in Division I. Her 81 points (37 goals, 44 assists) in the highest point total in Division I, women or men.

Carpenter, from North Reading, Mass., didn’t play with the Eagles last season as she was on the US national women’s team that took the Silver Medal in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. She was also named Hockey East Player of the Year this season.

BC Coach Katie King Crowley was named American Hockey Coaches’ Association “coach of the year” for women’s college hockey in 2014-15.

Carpenter and teammate Emily Pfalzer, a senior defenseman, were named first team all-America.

Eagles 0-fer in Beanpot trophies

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For the first time in several years, there is no Beanpot trophy on the Heights.

After the men’s team lost to Northeastern in the opening round, the #1-ranked women’s team took its unbeaten record into the arena at Harvard Tuesday, February 10, but lost 3-2 to #4 Harvard, a team BC had beaten 10-2 earlier in the year.

BC’s men’s team had won the five previous Beanpots and the women were defending Beanpot champions before this season’s Beanpot drought.

Against Harvard, BC took a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the game and outshot Harvard 32-17 in the game. BC advanced to 2-1 but Harvard came back to tie the game and then scored the winning goal when BC’s all-everything Alex Carpenter was in the penalty box for a five-minute major penalty.

The BC men’s team plays in the Beanpot consolation against Harvard on February 23, as the men’s tournament was recheduled because of perpetual snow.