Eagles Commence Title Defense

The 2010-2011 Boston College Men's Hockey Team picked up right where last year's squad left off with a win Saturday night at Matthews Arena against Northeastern. It was not the typical 4 goal effort that we've grown accustomed to seeing, but it was a win nonetheless.

The defending national champions walked into a rowdy crowd decked out in all black and sporting "Beat BC" T-shirts, a difficult environment to open the season in. But the Eagles settled them down early with a strong first period. As expected, the top line of Joe Whitney, Brian Gibbons, and Cam Atkinson led the way and three new lines followed suit. John Muse matched the great play of the Huskies' Chris Rawlings (both with 12 saves in the opening period) and the two teams returned to the locker room knotted at 0-0.

The crowd woke up in the second period as the Eagles began to struggle breaking the puck out of the zone, one of the few things that plagued them at times last season. As if that wasn't bad enough the Eagles earned a seat in the penalty box 6 times. With the loss of Matt Price and Matt Lombardi, two excellent senior penalty killers last year, the Eagles should have been concerned. But John Muse stepped up to the challenge, standing on his head for 16 saves, keeping the undisciplined Eagles tied through 2.

The third period was back and forth and physical up until the 11:45 mark when, much to the crowd's dismay, Northeastern's Anthony Bietto was called for interference. The rare 5 forward power play unit of the Eagle's had been 0/2 thus far, but Joe and Steve Whitney proved the third times the charm. At the 12:06 mark Joe did what he does best, making a perfect pass across the Northeastern defense to his younger brother who buried it top corner. That would be all Muse needed as he finished his shutout and earned defensive player of the week honors.

Last year the defense was a huge question mark, but after Saturday's game that doesn't seem to be an issue. Tommy Cross, the first junior to be named assistant captain since Mike Brennan in '06-'07, and Edwin Shea enter their third year on the blue line; Brian Dumoulin returns after a record breaking +/- season; Patch Alber really emerged in last years playoffs; and Wey and Samuelsson each have a year under their belts. Combine that with a two-time national champion goaltender and arguably the best back-up in college hockey - aside from the two-headed beast in Miami, Ohio - and scoring against the Eagles will be quite the task. The offense, who return 79% of their goals last season and bring in 1st round pick Kevin Hayes, can breathe a sigh of relief.

The Eagles take their season opening road trip out west as they travel to Denver for a weekend double header against the Pioneers.

Final Scrimmage

Hello, hello all.

Last scrimmage in the books, 9 days 'til kickoff, hooray!

First update which I tweeted first on the WZBC Sports twitter is that Herzy may start working on Saturday which would put him in for some snaps against the fearsome Wildcats from Utah (Weber State)

It monsooned today, but the weather calmed down to a drizzle for the last scrimmage of the summer.

Let's recap:

Shinskie and Marscovetra are close, I think it's Shinskies job...for now. Spaz says it's like last year with the competition, but both guys are better. Shinskie had a low completion percentage today and the rain and drops didn't help that, but Marscovetra still is quite efficient. Both guys are visibly looking defenders off and finding their check down routes which I love.

Sterlin Phifer broke off a nice 19 yard TD run today and showed that he can be more than a power back. Tajh Kimble seems to have taken the lead on the third RB spot despite the fact that Williams had a great first scrimmage.

13 guys caught passes today with Bobby Swiggert tying with Tajh Kimble with four receptions. He'll be a valuable second string slot guy and have an immediate impact as a freshman. Spaz says he likes what the kid's doing but he's still got a ways to go.

For those emailing me about Momah's lack of hands I say to you, he's fixed that problem. He only caught three passes today, but when he did, he used his size to shield the defender and hung onto the ball. Clyde Lee had the longest reception of the day with a 26 yard grab.

The defensive line looked a little different today with Albright, Ramsey, Scafe, and Newman out (those are the projected starters when healthy). Holloway and Edebali played end today and if they ever have to play with the first team, I like them as backups. Murray, Quinn, and O'Neal got reps with the first team at DT and all three have a little something different. Murray is good with his hands, Quinn just pushes hard into the backfield, and O'Neal seems to have a sweet little spin move.

Linebackers lit up the field today. Kuechly and Clancy tied with 10 tackles and Thompson completed the trio at the other LB spot. Kuechly's hitting harder than last year, which excites me. Morrissey anchored the second string guys with Kevin Pierre-Louis and Steele Divitto playing extremely well. Watch out for those guys in the future.

Seconday played well, were quick to the ball, and hit hard. Isaac Johnson had a very good breakup on a pass to Momah.

Though Shinskie led some drives down field, the red-zone defense turned up the pressure and did not allow a touchdown inside the 20 in the second half. In the first half, the first team offense played the second team defense and vice versa, which is when Phifer and Harris got their TD runs.

Frozen Leg missed a 48 yarder that banged off the cross bar and converted on a 47 yarder. Spaz smiles when he talks about Nate Freese.

Well the scrimmages are officially over which means I'll give you my young guys to watch this coming season:

Watch out for:#85 Nate Freese, #86 Bobby Swiggert, #80 Johnathan Coleman, #92 Dillon Quinn, #91 Kasim Edebali, and...#40 Luke Kuechly because he's going to be miles better (scary I know).

Thanks so much for following WZBC Sports both here and on twitter.com/wzbcsports.

We'll be bringing you EVERY game live on 90.3 WZBC Newton FM as well as streaming anywhere on planet Earth at www.wzbc.org.

I'm Adam Rose, it's been a blast, and I'll blog you soon.

Scrimmage Three

With Albright, Holloway, Herzlich, Scafe, Amidon, Flutie, Phillips, Quigley, Ian White, and most importantly, Colin Larmond Jr. out with injuries, the scrimmage today was cut in the half (the weather played a part in this as well).

Dave Shinskie's first pass was tipped by Kasim Edebali, who has looked good during the scrimmages, and picked off by Dom LeGrande. Shinskie bounced back pretty well and ended the day completing 9-14 attempts for 116 yards. He threaded the needle a few times but completed those passes. Marscovetra was a perfect 12-12 on the day or 90 yards and a TD to Bobby Swiggert. The lack of hitting the QB helped Marscovetra in a few situations, but he had crisp passes and also threaded the needle once or twice.

Bobby Swiggert stepped up today in the absence of Larmond and Flutie and showed he could play at this level. he tied for the lead with five receptions for 29 yards. Clyde Lee also had five receptions for 43 yards. Momah only caught two balls, but shows he's ready to step up this year as well, he stiff armed Donnie Fletcher and got a nice 22 yard gain down the sideline.

The running backs are playing a bigger part in the passing game, Montel didn't play much today but I wouldn't be too worried. Marscovetra and Shinskie both agreed that they are more comfortable with the offense and using their checkdown routes more.

Kuechly lead defense in tackles, no surprise there. Dillon Quinn continues to impress at DT, he gets great push off the ball and I think fans should watch out for him.

I keep saying it, but Freese can kick. He connected from 39 yards and get this, a 51 yarder that bounced in off the cross bar. I asked Santa for a FG kicker last year for Christmas and it looks like we found one. He missed on a 47 yarder that had plenty of distance but clanged off the upright, Spaz said it got tipped at the line.

Speaking of the Mustached leader of the Eagles, he said that the team as behind where they needed to be and addressed the fact that depth is an issue at many many positions, hence the shortened scrimmage. Let's all hope Colin's injury isn't as serious as some believe and that those who sat out today can get back in.

The last scrimmage of the fall is on Wednesday at 3:30, so look for a new blog then.

Women's Soccer Vs. Stanford

The crowd tonight at the Newton Soccer was filled to capacity as they watched a rematch of the 2009 quarterfinal matchup. Alison Foley said her team was excited to play the Cardinal on their own turf because they felt like it would give them a little something extra. "This is our house," Natalie Crutchfield said. The game ended after two overtime periods with a score of 1-1.

Stanford was very aggressive as their attack was lead by Christen Press who Foley called, "one of the best forwards in the country." Countering Press was Eagles goalkeeper Jill Mastroianni who played fantastically tonight. Stanford's shots had Jill diving to each side, jumping and punching them and everything in between. The one goal she gave up to Lindsay Taylor was a magnificent strike by Taylor as she curled it right towards the right post and it went in.

Kristen Mewis, who played will in the UConn scrimmage, was noticeably absent from today's game, though she did provide an assist on the one BC goal, scored by Natalie Crutchfield. Foley said she anticipated Stanford playing lockdown on Mewis who she calls, "one of the best players in the country if not the world".

Stanford controlled the ball for most of the game and BC didn't register a shot in OT, but Alaina Beyar and the defense played well and didn't allow an easy shot.

This solid performance should give the girls good momentum going into the season, here's my recap written for The Heights.

Second Scrimmage

Alrighty folks, second scrimmage in the books. Let's recap!

Mark Herzlich was back in PA getting a Ewing's Sarcoma checkup and his team continued without him. Some wonder if 94's return on 9/4 will really happen. I really still believe that he will be back this season but if he doesn't see any action in the next two scrimmages, the time table is a little in question. The Globe will make a big deal out of it, but I'm not going to because there's on field stuff we can talk about.

There were lots of people out including Colin Larmond Jr., Mike Goodman, Wes Davis, Nate Richman, and Ryan Quigley.

So some stats are here from athletics and you can interpret what you'd like.

Here are my observations:

Momah and the tight ends are going to be very valuable options for the QB's this year. All show great pass catching abilities and they all worked hard after the first hit to gain a few more yards.

Rettig looked for Momah on an end zone fade, which I think we'll see a lot of but it was broken up by the defense.

Montel's going to be better and that's not a surprise. He got more carries tonight and showed fantastic vision and good cutting ability. He's also going to become a bigger factor in the passing game. I didn't have a lot of faith in his hands last year but he held onto each ball that was thrown his way.

Kaleb Ramsey looked good in his first action back to the team. If he can stay healthy and Scafe can get back, the line will be strong. Plus, the second team d-line looks very good as well.

McGovern will be bringing more pressure. Gause frequently came on the blitz and Kuechly and Morrissey got into the backfield numerous times.

Freese can kick...the end.

Scrimmage

First full scrimmage of the fall was yesterday at 6. I was lucky enough to be able to cover it as a member of the media, since it was closed to the public.

There's plenty to read about it including stuff in the Herald and Globe.

Beyond the stats, I think the players who made a big splash were Quinn, Williams, and Freese.

After being redshirted last year, the 6' 6" Quinn got into the backfield constantly (though it was against the second o-line). Spaz said he liked what he saw from Quinn.

Williams could be moving up the depth chart as a true freshman as he showed speed, power up the middle, and agility to get outside.

Freese will add a scoring threat from beyond 30 yards away so that should excite all BC fans.

The 46 yard kick had plenty of height and missed just left.

Next scrimmage is Wednesday, see you all then.

Oh, and for those who are members over at Eagle Action, you can read my full notebook about the game here.

Media Day-Thoughts on Offense

So today the Eagles took part in media day. 16 players came out and talked to members of the press (including me) and while nothing earth shattering came out, there were some good signs and interesting story lines.

I now present them to you:

Wide Receivers will be fun to watch-

Talking to Colin Larmond Jr. and Momah, they're both really excited about the group of guys. With a planned rotation of six wideouts, there are spots up for grabs. "Everyone's working hard because they're fighting for those spots," Larmond said.

The one constant in all the scenarios is number 10 who says he's ready to be a leader. He also assured me that he wouldn't change the laid back guy he is, but he's going out and working as hard as he can to set a good example for the new guys. "If I drop a ball, everyone will say oh he dropped a pass so it's okay, well no it's not."

Johnathan Coleman has impressed so far and Colin reaped all sorts of praise on true Freshman, Bobby Swiggert's work ethic and natural ability. "He takes what we learn in film immediately out to practice"

(Stay tuned to see who gets the start at slot receiver)

I think Momah gives Dave a good big target guy and am more than pleased he's back on the offensive side of the ball ( he hasn't taken any snaps on d yet this fall).

Dave Shinskie is going to be fun to watch this year-

Literally every player I talked to mentioned Dave's improvement and something tells me they're not just randomly saying that. He's spent a ton of time in the film room, with his teammates in the summer and the evidence of weight room work is there. Let's not forget, he set a freshman record and I expect big things out of him.

Helping those big things will be an expanded play book which the receivers and Montel talked about. Second year under Tranquill's system leads to more variety.

Montel is still awesome-

He cut his hair, he's still carefree and we're all excited about this.

The Offensive Line is good to go-

Nate Richman takes over for Matt Tennant, "I had to learn how to snap the ball and it was all completely new," he said. He's ready after spending the spring and fall adjusting and his line mates have faith in him. Claiborne is still full of energy, expects to continue his reputation as the first guy into the endzone to celebrate and has declared "O-line U is back". Costanzo the scholar anchors the left and there are a ton of links talking about his potential future.

Only gave up 19 sacks in 13 games last year, they want to do better.

Tight Ends- Pantale and Lars will do well, especially since Dave has learned to use his check down routes more, according to Colin and Thomas.

Defensive post comes tomrrow after the scrimmage.

Comment!

New Depth Chart Out and Other Notes From Day 1

So the biggest news out of the first day of fall practices is that Herzlich's comeback was hampered...because of a foot injury. While there's no cause for utter panic yet, you can read the Globe's Mark Blaudschun's article about the injury here.

A depth chart has been released on bceagles.com and there are some interesting things to note, many of which have already been pointed out by members of the media:

The Nephew looks like he's going to start camp as a number one receiver
Clyde Lee is not on the two deep
Kasim Edeballi and Dillon Quinn, two big red-shirted freshman, are in on the defensive side.
Will Thompson will get the start it seems on the weak side.
Momah is listed as a WR again (Thank God) although Spaz says he'll be a situational third-down pass rusher.

Scafe is not listed due to a nagging back injury and Kaleb Ramsey did not report to camp. Ramsey attempted to transfer to Pitt during the Summer, but it seems as if things have gotten a little mess up somewhere along the way.

Let's here your thoughts on the depth chart and lets all rejoice in the start of BC Football.

Noreen to West Virginia

After months of indecision following the firing of Boston College Basketball head coach Al Skinner, Center Kevin Noreen decided to sign a scholarship for the West Virginia Mountaineers. This signing came as a surprise after word from new coach Steve Donahue had convinced Noreen to stay at BC as the only member of the upcoming recruiting class.

Noreen, the prolific 6’10 scorer who was the Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year, reportedly received over twenty offers after he backed away from his original commitment from Boston College with offers ranging from North Carolina to Oklahoma. He decided to not sign with another ACC school after realizing a little known rule that forces a player to sit out a year and use a year of eligibility if they switch commitments within the ACC.

Coach Steve Donahue’s team now has only six scholarship players on the roster, with four of those player becoming seniors.

BC Basketball Exodus

Former Boston College basketball players Evan Ravenel and Brady Heslip have both landed on BCS schools this past week.

Ravenel, the undersized junior center, announced he would transfer to Ohio State University. His play gradually improved last year as the season progressed after playing limited minutes his freshman year. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.4 rebounds last year. The hiring of former Tulane head coach Dave Dickerson, who recruited Ravenel in high school, to Thad Matta’s staff played a major role in Ravenel’s connection to the Buckeyes.

Brady Heslip, an incoming freshman who will have to redshirt due to taking classes early last year, accepted a scholarship at Big 12 school Baylor, which has made the NCAA tournament each of the past two years. His decision to join Baylor came as a surprise to some after trimming his list of schools to Utah State and Georgetown.

Both players cited the firing of Al Skinner as the impetus to their change but it seems the coaching staff wanted to retain Ravenel while they encouraged Heslip to search for a change of scenery.

Senior Rakim Sanders also transferred out of the program to Fairfield.

One Note to also consider: If Nebraska starts the domino effect that will be the dismantling of the Big 12, Heslip might end up playing in Conference USA or even the Sun Belt Conference.

Sports Saturday

Check out this link to listen to the Sports Saturday show on 5/29 hosted by Adam Rose and Luis Sanchez. Be sure to tune in next week when the show will be hosted by John Skudris.

Interested in helping out the ZBC sports team through promotions? Email adam.rose.1@bc.edu

We Gave them all we could

Couldn't asked more from our BC eagles.  They gave Virginia all they could, limiting the cavaliers to a season low of five hits, but it still wasn't enough losing 6-4.  BC only graduates 5 out of their 35 players, and with another strong recruiting class coming in, it appears we are poised to continue solidifying our spot amongst the upper  echelon of college baseball programs.

ACC-Tournament means Do or Die for the Eagles

The Eagles made a permanent imprint on the national scene last year by giving the perennial powerhouse Texas’ Longhorns all they could handle for 25 innings in the NCAA regional last year; the longest college baseball game ever played.  But, they’re going to need some truly miraculous play to get back to that stage once again.  Barely squeaking in over North Carolina due to a tiebreaker, the Eagles come into this weekend’s ACC tournament with a resume completely undeserving of a NCAA tournament birth. How can we fix this predicament? Get hot in a hurry!

As the bracket stands now the eagles are set to face the #1 team in the tournament, and #2 nationally, is the Virginia cavaliers, followed by Florida St. and Miami, FL, who are ranked 8th and 13^th respectively.  If they could win out and then beat Georgia Tech, another top 10 team, the Eagles would be a lock for the tournament due the automatic bid given out to the ACC tournament winner.

Possible? Definitely. BC has proven that they can compete with the big boys this year with wins over all of the teams I just mentioned, but one: the Virginia Cavaliers. But even versus them the Eagles proved they were up to the challenge, losing a one run heart break in the second game of the series, followed by an inspired effort for 7+ innings before a break down in the bullpen blew the game in the series finale.

Probable? No.  Although BC has the capability to win against the best of the best, we lack one thing that all these other school has an abundance of. TALENT.  BC wins by playing solid fundamental baseball.  But when the all-conference rosters are released in late may, the location of talent appears clear.  Boston College had only one player appear between the first and second teams of the all-ACC rosters. Virginia had seven. Georgia Tech had six. Miami had five. Yes we have one versus these teams, but we’ve done it with nothing resembling consistency as seen in our inability to win a series against a single ranked team this season. In the end, the chances of us to catching four of the nation’s best teams on a bad day, and in a row, seems slim to none, leaving our hope for another NCAA berth hanging on by only the very, very, very, very slightest thread.

He's Back

LB Mark Herzlich, who exactly one year ago was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, has announced on his Facebook page that he has been given a clean bill of health.

"Mark Herzlich: May 12 one year ago i was diagnosed. Today in the same room I was given a clean bill of health and the OK to play again. God is good."

If there was any a shred of doubt that Herzlich would return for the Weber State game on September 4th, there is none now. After winning ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, Herzlich was forced to sit out all the 2009 campaign where Boston College defied expectations and went 8-5. With Herzlich's return as well as a much more experienced defense and QB, Boston College looks to go nowhere but up in the ACC standings.

Herzlich is a common face on the Chestnut Hill campus and in recent months looks completely recovered. With a head full of hair and almost back to his playing weight of 245 pounds, he looks like he is ready to match his 121 tackles and 6 interceptions in 2008.

A Class Act

Every time SuperFans head to Conte Forum from October to April for a men’s ice hockey game, they know that he will be there. They know that when they take their seats, they can look behind Boston College’s bench and see him, clad in his usual sweater vest, jacket, and tie. He doesn’t kick water bottles, throw sticks, berate referees, and you would be hard pressed to witness him actually yell more than a handful of times in an entire season.

Mr. Jerry York, the Men’s Ice Hockey Team’s Head Coach for the last sixteen seasons, is the epitome of class and composure. If this University had to pick one person to serve as its ambassador to the rest of the world, York would be at the top of the list. When he goes to visit recruits and their families, he tells them exactly what it means to be an Eagle and be a member of his program, and it works.

You don’t get your jersey retired for just being a nice guy, though. Following legendary coaches like John “Snooks” Kelley and Len Ceglarski who each held the post for decades, York took the helm of the BC program in 1994 with a national championship already in his trophy case from his time at Bowling Green and he has not looked back since. Today, Coach York has the most wins of any active Division 1 hockey coach with 850 (383 of them coming during his tenure at BC). In the last 13 seasons, he has led the Eagles to seven Hockey East Tournament Titles, eleven NCAA tournament berths, nine Frozen Fours, and of course, 3 national championships. He does not always pick the biggest or the most talented players, but every name on the roster plays a specific role. Sure, he has goal scorers like sophomore Cam Atkinson and the NHL’s 19^th overall draft pick freshman Chris Kreider, but then there are players like Matt Lombardi from whom York always seems to extract the very best. This past season’s Captain, senior Matt Price, was not always the most productive name on the stat sheet either, yet York ranks him among the best captains to ever wear the maroon and gold. He has a way with people, a way with players, and a way with this game.

Next year’s hockey season seems a ways off right now, but you can bet that Jerry will be at work every day from now until his team raises the 2010 National Championship banner to the rafters of Conte Forum in October. Oh, and that’s the other thing. It is never about him. He’ll never acknowledge the fact that he is only 74 wins away from breaking longtime Michigan State Coach Ron Mason’s all-time wins record. He wouldn’t even let DA Gene DeFilippo retire his number since junior Brian Gibbons now dons #17 and York would rather a jersey be retired rather than the specific number. He’s always worried about the next shift against the next opponent.

As the school year comes to an end and everyone prepares to leave the Heights for the summer, you can rest assured that one man will be at work while we are gone and when we return in the fall and head to Conte Forum to take in a hockey game, he’ll be there. Don’t let him fool you; the man standing proudly behind the bench in his sweater vest, jacket and tie is what makes this team go. He’s the class act of college hockey, and everyone knows it.

Last week, my co-host Pat Quinlivan and I went to the Ice Hockey offices in Conte Forum to interview Head Coach Jerry York for the final broadcast of our weekly sports talk radio show on WVBC, “The Beantown Buzz.” Check out this link to hear the full interview: http://www.box.net/shared/ehki9e1lhe

Steve Donohue's team continues to morph as sophomore Evan Ravenel has asked for his release from the program. Ravenel follows Rakim Sanders and Brady Hesslip out the door. Ravenel saw an increased role after some great performances late in the season and some wondered whether or not he'd take the starting job from Josh Southern down low.

Donohue continues to be hard on the recruiting trail, however, as he has convinced Kevin Noreen to stay.

Full coverage:
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/news/story?id=5171980

New commitment this week by the name of Brian Mihalik

Nice offers from some BCS schools (West Virginia, Stanford, Arizona) and size (6'6 230). Also nice to get some Ohio blood on the roster since the last guy from the Birthplace of Aviation goes by the name Kuechly.

WZBC

Welcome to the WZBC Sports Blog, the hub for all you Boston College Sports. News, commentary, and links are all provided by members of the student run radio station WZBC 90.3.