HD's Preseason Predictions and the Big Finish

Brian: ESPN’s ACC blogger HD has her three predictions for the Eagles in 2009. Namely,

1. Dave Shinskie will be a better quarterback than people think.
2. The Eagles’ running game will flourish behind one of the best offensive lines in the conference.
3. The losses up front and in the linebacking corps will be too much to overcome.

Care to pick apart any of these statements?

Jeff: As usual HD's statements are vague so that we can never truly say "I told you so!" at the end of the season.

First, I agree with her that Shinskie will be the guy and will be a decent ACC quarterback. Tuggle and Boek had their chances to be "the man" but in all likelihood that time has passed.

Secondly, we know our backs are young and pretty good and our O-line is almost becoming overrated now after being very good for over a decade.

But to her third point, will the losses on defense be too much for the team to overcome and win ANY conference games? Will it be too much to overcome and win the Atlantic Division again? Will it be too much to overcome and be the 5th best defense in the country? What does she mean?

If she means that we won't be the 5th best defense in the nation again, well, duh!!! ...

If she means we won't win the division again, then she is just joining the crowd of Boston College football naysayers ...

But if she thinks that's the reason we won't go to a bowl game or won't win a bunch of games, she is very, very far from being right. BC went without B.J. Raji in 2007 and did fine. We've dealt with Toal's extensive injury problems over the last several years and have been fine. Good players graduate and move onto the NFL. BC has had good players leave before and we have rebounded, and they will again this year. It's just as simple as that.

The quarterback position is somewhat questionable but the running backs should be the best we've had in a since Derrick Knight and William Green. The linebacking corps has injury issues but the secondary will be the best it has been in years. The defensive tackles won't be as good but the defensive ends will be much improved. The only thing that might be too much to overcome in 2009 is HD's terrible predictions when she hopes to keep her job.

Brian: Whoa. Settle down there. Well I don't think HD has to worry about job security by making a uninformed season preview of Boston College, because it seems every college football prognosticator (with the exception of Phil Steele, who thinks we'll finish 3rd in the Atlantic) has made a similar assessment. Safety in numbers I guess.

The only thing you said that I will slightly disagree with is your assessment of the secondary. Our defense led the country in interceptions last season. I think this was largely due to the strength of our line (particularly Raji and Brace in the middle) and our linebacking corps of McLaughlin, Herzlich and Akins putting pressure on the opposing QB. While I have great faith in the secondary this season, I wouldn't expect a better performance than last season's performance given that we've lost a lot of talent in front of them.

Also, the running game will be strong, but this is predicated on having a capable quarterback under center than can move the ball through the air. As you mentioned, this remains to be seen whether we have such a capable signal caller.


Big Finish

Brian: The ACC announced game times and networks for the 2009 Big Ten/ACC Challenge. BC will travel to Crisler Arena and play Michigan on Wednesday night, December 2 at 7:30pm on ESPN2. Do you like the time slot and network selection, or are you disappointed because you’ll be attending the Illinois at Clemson game that night starting at 7:15?

Jeff: That sounds like a perfect two TV setup night. BC can't complain about being on the Deuce when playing Michigan in basketball.


Jeff: BC and the ACC also announced that Matt Tennant and Jim Ramella will represent the Eagles at this year’s ACC Football Kickoff weekend. That cool with you?

Brian: You bet. It’s a great honor for the seniors and is a testament to the offensive and defensive line talent our school consistently produces.


Brian: Pittsburgh Penguin Brooks Orpik is bringing the Stanley Cup to Boston College. If you had one day with the most famous trophy in sports, where would you take it?

Jeff: If I were a well-known alumni, I'd take it to the Heights, but since I'm not, I don't know. I might have to go to South Beach and drink out of it all night.


Jeff: The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with ex-Eagle Andrew Alberts. With all the recent player movement of various Eagles in the NHL, who has the best chances to hoist the Stanley Cup this season?

Brian: You have to still like Orpik's chances with Pittsburgh, but Patrick Eaves and Andrew Alberts have a good shot in Carolina.


Brian: Last season, the Eagles finished dead last in offensive turnover rates, turning the ball over 26 times on 637 offensive plays. Will we see any improvement in that category this season?

Jeff: Yes, even if for no other reason than that we go to more conservative play calling with Logan gone.


Jeff: HD thinks we have the 5th best running back corps in the league. Objections?

Brian: Considering that Montel Harris had nearly as many rushing yards and TDs last season as Miami's Graig Cooper and Javarris James combined, I am surprised to see Miami (Fla.) ranked ahead of BC. Georgia Tech shouldn't even be ranked (their entire offense is rushing!) and Clemson at #8? I thought C.J. Spiller was a darkhorse Heisman candidate?


Brian: Last one, Matt Ryan indeed won the ESPY for Breakthrough Athlete (the ESPY’s will be aired on Sunday). I believe you had this one right. Time to gloat. Have at it.

Jeff: No need. That one was too easy.

Headlines: 'Eagles in the NHL' Entry Draft

Brian: Not much BC-related news over the weekend, other than the NHL Entry Draft. Here is the list of Boston College recruits selected:

Chris Kreider: 19th overall pick (Round 1) to New York Rangers
First up, the bad news. Kreider becomes only the 12th Eagle to get drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry draft. Of the Eagles 11 other first-round selections, they averaged only 2.4 years in school, with only Brian Boyle (26th overall to the Kings in the '03 draft) staying in school all 4 years. Hopefully York gets in Kreider's ear early about staying in school and BC can retain his services for more than 1 season. Surprisingly though, the Rangers have one of the youngest rosters in the league, so hopefully that can persuade Kreider to stay in school a bit longer. Flight risk here is pretty high for a first-rounder.

Player	Pick	Team	Draft Year	Yrs at BC
Bill Guerin	5th	New Jersey Devils	1989	2
Brian Leetch	9th	New York Rangers	1986	1
Craig Janney	13th	Boston Bruins	1986	2
Chuck Kobasew	14th	Calgary Flames	2001	1
Marty Reasoner	14th	St. Louis Blues	1996	3
Brooks Orpik	18th	Pittsburgh Penguins	2000	3
Krys Kolanos	19th	Phoenix Coyotes	2000	2
Chris Kreider	19th	New York Rangers	2009	??
Brian Boyle	26th	Los Angeles Kings	2003	4
Cory Schneider	26th	Vancouver Canucks	2004	3
Nick Petrecki	28th	San Jose Sharks	2007	2
Patrick Eaves	29th	Ottawa Senators	2003	3

Kenny Ryan: 50th overall pick (Round 2) to Toronto
Ryan is a 6'0" 204 pound forward from Franklin Village, Michigan. Aside from having a good Eagles last name, Ryan has been compared to the NHL's Jere Lehtinen. Ryan was previously playing for the U.S. National U-18 Team Development Program, registering 20 goals and 16 assists in 49 games.

Brian Dumoulin: 51st overall pick (Round 2) to Carolina
Dumoulin, a defenseman from Biddeford, Maine, was previously playing for the NH Jr. Monarchs of the ECHL. Dumoulin joins former Eagle Patrick Eaves in the Carolina organization.

Philip Samuelsson: 61st overall pick (Round 2) to Pittsburgh
Samuelsson joins the ever-expanding list of Boston College Eagles congregating in Pittsburgh - Orpik, Scuderi, Lovejoy and Guerin (resigned for another year). The Penguins organization also owns the rights to current Eagles defensemen Carl Sneep. Samuelsson, a defensemen, played for the Chicago Steel of the USHL last season, tallying 22 assists in 54 games.

Patrick Wey: 115th overall pick (Round 4) to Washington
Patrick Wey is a 6'2", 200 defensemen from Pittsburgh, PA. Most recently, Wey was playing for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. Wey, Samuelsson and Dumoulin will look to fill the Eagles hole on the blueline left by the departure of Anthony Aiello, Tim Filangeri, and Tim Kunes.

Steven Whitney, Pat Mullane, Brooks Dyroff, Parker Milner, Patrick Alber: Undrafted
The best prospect of this bunch may very well be freshman forward Steve Whitney, according to York:

“I think the class will have an impact and probably the best prospect for us might be Steve Whitney of Wakefield, who didn’t get drafted because of his size (5-foot-7, 160 pounds). But if small kids can show they’re durable over four years it can make a difference.”

The QB Carousel and the Big Finish

Brian: Exhibit 154A as to why we don't get too emotionally invested in recruiting ...


The big news from Thursday was that Boston College's QB commit in the class of 2010 Joe Boisture decommitted from BC and signed with Michigan State. Apparently word isn't bond.

... The Spartans reportedly have added quarterback Joe Boisture to their 2010 recruiting class. According to Scout.com, Boisture switched his commitment from Boston College to Michigan State, giving head coach Mark Dantonio another solid in-state prospect

Boisture grew up in Saline, Mich., and his grandfather, Dan, coached at Michigan State under Duffy Daugherty.

An ESPNU 150 Watch List prospect, Boisture has excellent size (6-foot-6, 200) and polished mechanics."

This decommit comes after the Eagles signed Dave Shinskie and Maryland QB Josh Bordner. The Eagles now have Shinskie, Tuggle, Boek, Flutie, Marscovetra in the mix for 09 and Bordner in 10. Jeff, your thoughts?

Jeff: No offense to Flutie or Marscovetra but you are only even mentioning them to make a mockery of the situation. If you looked at any program any year that did not have a returning starter you could come up with a similar number of recruited QBs.

Brian: Maybe a little bit but I disagree that this situation is like any other year where we haven't named a starting quarterback going into the summer. The coaching staff is certainly taking the approach of throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks in terms of determining the QB of the future. Under Tom O'Brien and even Jags, I felt like the starting QB succession was much more well-defined.

Jeff: I'm not comparing the situation to BC in the last ten years, but other BCS programs who have not have a clear cut QB to replace a graduating or drafted one. USC has had three man races several times in the last few years, for example.

Boisture leaving before he ever came sucks but it is really not a very big deal. You and BCMike are very, very sad I'm sure since you were already planning his 2013 Heisman campaign and booking rooms for the Orange Bowl but the bottom line is that our program has been built on unheralded recruits and will continue to be built on these types of recruits. The Floridas, USCs, and LSUs of the world get big time recruits regularly that don't pan out. They just get enough of them such that if half of those recruits are busts, it's no big deal. The signing of Bordner may have changed things for Boisture but the coaches probably considered his potential reaction and decided to sign another QB anyway. Therefore, I think fans were much higher on Boisture as BC's future than the people in the know ever were.

Brian: There is a huge difference between recruits not panning out - e.g. transferring, getting suspended or kicked off the team - and recruits changing their verbal commitment from one program to another. I'm sorry, but how many 4 or 5* recruits switch their commitment from USC, Texas, Ohio State or Florida? My guess is not many. I don't really care about Joe Boisture specifically (although no hard feelings, wish him well, etc.). I think the larger issue is that a highly rated recruit switched his commitment from Boston College to go to another BCS program. Just when the program seems to be making strides forward in recruiting, this feels to be to be a step backwards.

From everything I read, the coaching staff was open with Boisture about the recruitment of Bordner and Shinskie, but you have to question why we are bringing on more and more quarterback recruits if you have an ESPNU Top 150 recruit locked down. I know Boisture explained that this wasn't a factor in decommitting but this had to have had some effect on the kid.

Jeff: Verbals changing is just the way of the world these days. No big deal. Finally, when do I get to say I told you so?

Brian: For what? Because Joe Boisture didn't pan out? That's a really tough position to take to say a QB recruit won't pan out there, buddy. Forgive me for getting excited for having signed a 4* quarterback that compared himself to Matt Ryan.

Jeff: I said he might not even ever come to the Heights.

Big Finish

Jeff: Earlier this week Eagle in Atlanta mentioned Clemson in a way to be considered an equal with Notre Dame as far as a game that will sell tickets at Alumni. Thoughts?

Brian: Clemson travels well but will never, ever come close to Notre Dame in terms of the number of visiting fans traveling, the premium tickets to the Notre Dame game will go for or the buzz around campus and around Boston.


Brian: Providence College's men's basketball coach Keno Davis announced via Twitter - your favorite - that BC and PC renewed their basketball rivalry for the next 10 years. You like the move?

Jeff: This was actually a good use of Twitter. Celebrities and coaches having Twitter accounts (instead of blogs) I have no problem with.

Brian: I was asking more whether you like the renewal of the Providence series, not for you to bash Twitter. It's a great series and a good move.

Jeff: Oh yeah, good move for sure. North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough went a little higher than expected in this week's NBA Draft (13th overall to the Pacers). Surprised?

Brian: No, not particularly given he was a dominant college player. Still I wonder how his skills will translate in the pros.


Brian: This comes as no surprise to you but Tyrese Rice went undrafted in Thursday's NBA Draft. Will he sign with an NBA team this season?

Jeff: I am guessing that he will at some point but not necessarily make a roster.


Jeff: 6'2", 18 year-old Chris Kreider of Phillips Academy-Andover (Mass.) is a BC men's hockey recruit taken 19th overall by your New York Rangers in this weekend's NHL Entry Draft. You excited?

Brian: Absolutely. I've always been jealous when looking across the Hudson and seeing Gionta and Clemmensen do great things for the Devils organization. I'm glad the Rangers grabbed a BC guy. I just hope York can keep him at school for a couple of years and he doesn't pull a Petrecki.


Brian: The New York Time's Quad blog has Wake Forest coming in at 69 in their preseason countdown. They predict a 6-6 season for the Deacons. Over/under 6 wins for Jim Grobe and Wake Forest?

Jeff: Smart money is on a push but I am actually going to say under since pushing is unmanly. Their out of conference schedule did lighten up slightly by not have Ole Miss again this year but a home tilt against Stanford and a road trip to Annapolis could be losses.


Jeff: Last one, the ACC & SEC blog has ten questions for the ACC in 2009. For BC, they ask "What will it take for BC to make it three straight ACC Championship Game appearances?" Your response?

Brian: Divine intervention.

Belated Congratulations to the BC Penguins

Brian: This happen while I was on blogcation, but I did want to congratulate the Pittsburgh Penguins on capturing the Stanley Cup in seven games over the defending champion Detroit Red Wings. BC alum Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi win their first Cup, while Bill Guerin wins his second cup but first since 1995. Also, Ben Lovejoy - who played a season for the Eagles before transferring to Dartmouth - will also get his name stenciled on the Cup. Penguins-Red Wings Game 7 was also the most watched NHL game in 36 years.

Orpik, Scuderi and Lovejoy join these Eagle alum that have recently hoisted the Cup: Joe Mullen (1989, 1990, 1991), Doug Brown (1997, 1998), Kevin Stevens (1991, 1992), Brian Leetch (1994), Brian Gionta (2003), and Ryan Shannon (2007).

The College Hockey Blog runs through all the Penguin collegians.


Also, a while back I posed the question on our Twitter feed, but with the Cup win, Orpik and Scuderi join some elite company. I can't find any definitive list online, but how many players can say they have won both a Stanley Cup and an NCAA National Championship?

The only ones that I could come up with (with the help of the Twitterati) in recent memory are Neal Broten (Minnesota, NJ Devils), Chris Drury (BU, Colorado Avalanche), and BC's Brian Gionta (NJ Devils). Ryan Shannon was a year too late at BC.

Others?

Spanning the Globe

Jeff: Brian and I very cleverly have stolen the template for our blog and for every post from the popular ESPN show Pardon the Interruption. I am going to venture outside of the PTI format for a moment - but not outside the ESPN family - to steal borrow a segment that Colin Cowherd does on his radio show The Herd called Spanning the Globe. This takes the work of creating content off my shoulders and distributes it to several others as I ask them questions.


First, let's check in with the man synonymous with BC Sports blogging, Eagle in Atlanta from atleagle.com. ATL, no one has a better sense of the pulse of the BC alumni Superfans than you. How many fewer victories in '09 do you think the average fan is now expecting compared to after we lost to Vanderbilt in Nashville and Jags was still our coach? Would you dare say the average fan isn't even expecting to be bowl eligible?

ATL: As we know there are three types of BC fans.

1. The diehards like us who follow everything.
2. The semi casual fans who know about Herzy and the Jags shuffle but might not realize all that has happened injury wise or with the QBs.
3. The bandwagon folks who pay attention when we are on TV or play Notre Dame.

I think group 1 wants a bowl game but will give Spaz a pass if we win 5 games, show improvement and recruit well. I think three wins or less will cause problems.

I think group 2 give Spaz a huge pass and don't expect a bowl game.

I think group 3 will wonder what happened and jump off the bandwagon if we struggle.

I've said in general, Spaz will get a pass on this season (I am not giving him one though). But he'll have to rebound quickly next year if he expects continued support from the general fanbase. Remember Henning was only given three seasons and Jack Bicknell Sr., who accomplished a lot was shown the door. Although we are considered passive fans, I don't know how much losing BC will actually tolerate.

Jeff: How high were expectations before all the bad news started rolling in? 9 or 10 wins?

ATL: Before Herzy and Mclaughlin went down, I expected 8-4 plus a bowl. Now I am hoping for 7-5 or 6-6 plus a bowl.


Jeff: There is a big difference between hoping and expecting. Let's go to another man in Atlanta and talk about the big news of signing another QB earlier this week.

BCMike, as one of the biggest prowlers of the BC blogs and message boards and avid BC fan, how excited are you about the news of our latest recruit, David Shinskie?

BCMike: How "excited" am I? Not very to be honest. I'm still very excited about Joe Boisture coming in next year, but am I excited about four plus years of Chris Weinke comparisons? Here's the thing, if the guy is 30 and leading the team four years from now, that's fine by me; as long as we're winning. But in my mind, Joe Boisture was going to be leading this team, which means you have a 30 year old guy in the college locker room with nothing to do but hold a clipboard. To me, you're asking for a little trouble there. While many BC fans are excited to have some "maturity" as an option at QB this year (and somehow forget that Boek isn't exactly 18), there's something to be said with connecting with your teammates. It could work out well in the end, but I think there's at LEAST a 50% chance it ends poorly...and that's why I'm not exactly "excited".

Jeff: Thanks for bringing me back to reality. Maybe when Brian gets back you and him can arrange a time where you can write some fan mail to Joe Boisture. Maybe he redshirts. Maybe he doesn't live up to the hype. Maybe he doesn't even come to BC. It's just too early to tell with recruits like him in my opinion.


But now let's move away from football, and go to Brian Foley from the thecollegebaseballblog.com. Brian, what are the early expectations for next years team? Can the team make the tournament again?

TCBB: I would expect BC to at least make the ACC Tournament next year as the pitching should be better. They lose number 1 man JB McDonald but bring in some quality arms. I think the rotation next season will see Dean as the number 1, Dennhardt as the number 2, and Leonard/Del Colle as the three. It is still early. I think Kevin Moran has to be the closer next year or in the starting rotation over Dennhardt as he is the second best pitcher on next year's squad.

Jeff: Thanks, Brian. I am hoping that the Eagles make the ACC Tournament again and given the strength of the ACC that likely would mean an NCAA berth as well. We'll see how they handle higher expectations.


Lastly, we turn to resident hockey expert Christian to check in on how the BCers in the NHL are doing. With one game left in the Stanley Cup Finals, talk about the BC alums playing in that series.

Christian: With the hockey season just one game from being in the record books, your team may already have been eliminated from the playoffs (if they even made it that far). So who does that lead you to root for? Clearly if you're a BC alum, you have to go with the Penguins. They have four former players vying for Cup, while BC is unrepresented on the Red Wings. Bill Guerin, Brooks Orpik, Rob Scuderi, and though he was only on a BC squad for a year (he later transferred to Dartmouth), Ben Lovejoy. How can you not side for the Penguins with a lineup like that? If the Pens wind up winning the cup, Scuderi and Orpik will join the ranks of players who have won both the NHL Stanley Cup and an NCAA Championship. In recent memory, Brian Gionta (Devils) and Ryan Shannon (Ducks) are two others that achieved this feat.

Jeff: Now talking about the entire season, what BC alum did the most for his career in the NHL this season?

Christian: I think I'm going to point at two players, both of which I mentioned previously, and both at different ends of the spectrum as far as their career goes. Bill Guerrin's 17 year career started playing for some strong devils teams in the early 90's and resulted in him hoisting the cup with them in 94. Now, in the twilight of his career, he's back on an NHL powerhouse and he's playing much better. Perhaps its just that he's playing with better players, or maybe he's just reinvigorated now that he's on a Cup-contending team, but since his late-season trade to the Penguins from the miserable Islanders, he stepped up his scoring a bit and currently has 15 points in the playoffs, which is 3rd best on the team, with only Malkin and Crosby unsurprisingly scoring more. If the Penguins manage to win the Cup this year, it'll be a great way for Guerin to finish out his NHL career.

As for my second player, I'm going to go with another Penguin, Rob Scuderi. While it's hard to quantify the success of a defensemen since they are usually much more valuable than just their point output, Scuderi did significantly boost his point total and +/- rating this year, leading the team with a +23. He also leads and did lead the team in blocked shots during both the regular season and currently in the playoffs. But aside from the stats, I feel he really made a name for himself this season, and especially in the playoffs. Time after time while watching the Penguins this postseason, all I heard about was how great Scuderi and linemate Hal Gill have been playing, shutting down opposing teams' offense. After watching the game 6 on Tuesday, you can see just how great he really is. It hasn't yet made YouTube, but if you go to the 3:00 mark on this video, you can see what I'm talking about. Win or lose in the Finals, to me, Scuderi seems to have definitely made a name for himself this year.

Jeff: I am surprised you didn't mention a certain backup goalkeeper for the Devils but that might also show how little I follow the NHL.


Please check back Friday for the Big Finish. Who will fill in for Brian?????? Will GDF return my phone calls??

ACC-SEC Kicking Off The Season and the Big Finish

Brian: News out of Raleigh is that both NC State and North Carolina are finalizing deals with the Atlanta Sports Council to play in the 2010 and 2012 versions of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic. The preseason version of the Peach Bowl - pitting an ACC team against an SEC team - seems to be a growing tradition. Excerpt from said article with requisite sound byte from NC State coach Tom O'Brien:

N.C. State is set to open the 2012 football season against Tennessee in Atlanta. UNC is trying to work out a deal to open the 2010 season in the Georgia Dome against an SEC team.

It's all apart of the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff, which was started by the Atlanta Sports Council and ESPN in 2008.

"I like it," Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien said. "You've got to play one major game that gets you on television. It's great exposure for our program."

If UNC can finalize a deal, that will make four ACC programs that have played in or signed up to play in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic, with Clemson "playing" in the inaugural game in 2008 and Virginia Tech playing Alabama in the Dome to start the 09 season.

It is well documented the Atlanta Sports Council's bias for having southern schools play in both the Kickoff Classic and the Peach Bowl. If I was going to bet, if we get to 2018 and 11 unique ACC teams have been selected to play in the Kickoff Classic, BC wouldn't be one of those teams.

My question is if BC is continually left out of the discussion in terms of ACC teams playing in the Kickoff Classic on national television, can this actually result in a competitive disadvantage for Boston College when it comes to recruiting against these other ACC schools?

Jeff: No. You're talking about playing in this game once every 5-10 years for the other ACC schools. This one game is not going to make or break BC or any other ACC school.

I would love to see BC in it some day since we all know I'd be there in a second and I'd love to see BC play an SEC team at the Georgia Dome. Will it happen? Maybe. If it does it would be against one of the bigger SEC schools guaranteed to sell the place out since BC will probably only bring a quarter of the fans that North Carolina or NC State would.

The other thing to take from this is that this is the reason TOB made the seemingly lateral move to NC State. When you think about it, it doesn't seem quite so lateral when it comes to being able to play in games such as this. BC gets passed over for bowls and these type of events while NC State does not.

Brian: I agree that it is certainly to Tom O'Brien's and his program's advantage to have the opportunity to play in these sorts of games. NC State opened the season last year on national television against an SEC opponent in South Carolina, and will do so again this year.

Especially when BC is opening up the season against teams like Northeastern and Kent State, the national exposure and buzz you can get from playing a big name SEC opponent on college football's opening weekend can certainly pay dividends to your football program down the road. However, as Doc Saturday points out, it is what you make of these opportunities. You could just as easily lay an egg against these big name SEC opponents and therefore wouldn't get the same bang for your buck in terms of exposure. See:

NC State 0, South Carolina 34
Alabama 31, Clemson 10
Georgia Tech 3, LSU 38

In the end though, I'd much rather have the Eagles be considered for these type of games instead of continually be passed over. I do think that this puts the Eagles at a slight competitive disadvantage, even if these ACC teams are playing in the Georgia Dome against an SEC opponent once every 5-10 years. You have to figure that with the Kickoff Classic and the Peach Bowl, that is two opportunities instead of one every season for an ACC to play in the Georgia Dome against the SEC, and currently BC is typically being passed over for these games.


Big Finish

Brian: Baseball is set to face Texas State today at 2pm in the Austin Regional. Watch the Gamecast live here. Chances BC knocks off the Bobcats?

Jeff: I'll go with a healthy 55% chance.


Jeff: Here is a Buffalo News article on Brooks Orpik's second chance to win the Stanley Cup. Who ya got in the Stanley Cup finals?

Brian: Detroit in 6. Crosby and Malkin are great and all, but there's a reason Detroit is called "Hockeytown."


Brian: Bodog released their early future odds to win the 2009 National Championship. BC is currently listed as 100/1. You like the odds given to any of the ACC teams?

Jeff: No, not at all. Virginia Tech is clearly the only team you would want to put any money on but at 16-1 you're not getting a ton of return for that very risky bet. The best value might - and I emphasize MIGHT - be Georgia Tech at 50-1.


Jeff: Eagle in Atlanta linked to a good article about SEC coaches whining. It's shocking that South Carolina has killed Clemson in recruiting in the last 8 years yet gets killed by them on the field. Will recruiting rankings ever be a realistic gauge of a college football team?

Brian: Talent will always be one of the factors to compare college football teams, but ultimately, it is what you do with that talent that counts.


Brian: Your boy - Sergio Garcia - is heartbroken after his girlfriend (and BC's own) Morgan-Leigh Norman broke up with him. Will Sergio now finally win a major now that Norman and Garcia are splitsville?

Jeff: No.


Jeff: HD declares that BC's stretch of at Clemson, Wake Forest and Florida State will make or break the Eagles football season. Agree?

Brian: Actually, no. If you are going to pick three consecutive games and call them the toughest stretch, it has to be Florida State, at Virginia Tech, NC State. Side note: I feel like this is the 15th variant of the same offseason blog post from HD. C'mon.


Brian: Last one, two innovative athletics department cost savings measures. Georgia Tech becomes the first athletics department to fully outsource their athletic ticketing operation, while Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan will stop printing media guides. Should BC adopt one or both of these cost-cutting measures?

Jeff: I'm shocked Georgia Tech is the first to outsource ticket operations and printing media guides is just one of the many things dying with the internet age. However, BC should adopt neither cost-cutting measure this year.

Eagles in the NHL, Part 4

Christian: Well, after a week off of posting, I’m back for more hockey alumni goodness. (In case you missed it, here are installments 1, 2, and 3). Enjoy!

Jeff Giuliano LW (1998-2002), Los Angeles Kings

Itallian ICE! Have a taste!!! (Ok.. maybe, like, 5 people would get that joke) Jeff has been playing with the Kings and their affiliates since they signed him as an unrestricted free agent in 2005. He made his NHL debut during the 05-06 campaign, but was sent back down to Manchester until this season. Since being called up on December 10, 2007, he has played in 44 games this season, but has yet to find the back of the net. He does have 5 assists this season, though, giving him a career total of 3 G and 9 A. Despite having a permanent spot on the Kings roster right now, there's currently a nice article about Jeff on the front page of the Monarch's website.

Scott Clemmensen G (1997-2001), Toronto Marlies

If there's one thing I will probably remember about Scott Clemmensen, it won't be that he was the goalie for the 2001 National Championship or that he once the school's regular-season record for most consecutive shutout minutes with 254:23, not to mention other NCAA Championship records such as career tournament wins (10) and career tournament saves (356). Well, OK, I'll remember him for that. But one other thing I'll always remember is how he was the backup to one of the all-time greatest (and durable) NHL goalies: Martin Brodeur. While getting drafted by a team like the Devils is usually a great thing, for Clemmensen, it would mean he would spend a lot of time on the bench since Brodeur seemingly never sits. But that isn't always a bad thing: he spent his first few years playing for the Albany River Rats of the AHL, and when he became the full-time backup for Marty, one can only assume he learned a trick or two from the future Hall-of-Famer. In 2007, Scott signed a 1-year contract with the Maple Leafs, and has since been called up from their AHL team, the Toronto Marlies, a couple of times, posting a 1-1 record for the Leafs this season. Unfortunately he's once again in the backup role, but this time he's behind both Andrew Raycroft and Vesa Toskala.

Matti Kaltiainen G (2001-2005), Kiekko-Vantaa (FIN)

This beloved Eagle goalie started his career with Eagles strong, winning numerous Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors in 2001-2002. Drafted by the Bruins in 2001, Matti unfortunately was not signed when he graduated in 2005. The Bruins had many young goalies coming up in their system at the time, and Matti was just not in their plans. Following this, he went back to his hometown of Espoo, Finland to play for the Blues (the non-NHL Blues, that is). He played the 2005-2006 season with them as their backup, posting a record of 3-2-5. He has since bounced around Finland's hockey league, playing the next season on Assat Pori and now finding himself on Kiekko-Vantaa in the Mestis league.

Krystofer Kolanos C (1999-2001), Quad City Flames

Despite only staying with the Eagles for 2 years before leaving for the NHL, Krys Kolanos' overtime goal in the 2001 National Championship game against North Dakota forever etched him into the memories of Boston College fans everywhere. His early exit led him right to the Phoenix Coyotes, the team that drafted him 19th overall in 2000. He played just over three injury-plagued seasons with the Coyotes until 2005 when he was claimed off waivers by Edmonton. Not able to get back to his true form after some serious injuries, he bounced around the AHL, going from the Oilers to the Red Wings and eventually signing a deal with his hometown Calagary Flames' affiliate, the Quad City Flames, in 2007. While he didn't initially report to training camp, he soon started playing with the AHL Flames in November of 2007. He's currently tied for the team lead in goals with 27 and second in points with 57. If he keeps this up, he'll be back in the NHL in no time.

Alright, so I'm going to stop at 4 players for this week, but in place of the fifth player I usually do, I'm going to briefly go through a bunch of recent Eagles and give you a quick update. Some of the players you may remember (if you've been following the team for the past 8 years like I have), others you may not.

• Ben Lovejoy D (2002-2003) - Only played a year for BC before transferring to Dartmouth for his final 3 years, currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
• Cory Schneider G (2004-2007) - Left BC after 3 years. Drafted 26th overall in 2004 by the Canucks, currently in his first year with their AHL Manitoba Moose squad.
• AJ Walker F (1999-2003) - Played in 3 ECHL games for the Charlotte Checkers from 2003-2005.
• Bill Cass D (1999-2003) - Split the 2003-2004 ECHL season playing for both the Trenton Titans and then the Greenville Grrrowl, scoring 5 G and 12 A.
• Anthony D'Arpino (D, 1999-2003) - Played the 2003-2004 season with the CHL's Tulsa Oilers, scoring 4 G and 13 A.
• Ales Dolinar F (1998-2002) - Played 23 games with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the ECHL, attaining 4 A.

Eagles in the NHL, Part 3

Christian: I’m back again for your third dose of BC hockey alumni whereabouts (here are installments 1 and 2). Seeing as how last week I had a theme (well, I really chose those guys at random, and they all turned out to be defensemen, so I went with it), I figured I’d follow up this week with another theme: the class of 2004. Why feature the class of 2004? Well, that just so happens to be the same year I graduated. Oh yeah.. and Brian and Jeff may have graduated that year, too.



Brett Peterson D (2000-2004), Florida Everblades

After leaving BC with a National Championship under his belt, Brett went right to the ECHL (the "AA" minors of the NHL) playing for the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in the 2004-2005 season. After playing in 56 games with the Bullies, he was traded to the Johnstown Chiefs to finish up the season. The next season he played in all 72 games and scored 24 points for the Chiefs, ranking 2nd in scoring among the team's blueliners. In the following season, Brett switched clubs yet again, this time signing with the Florida Everblades, a Carolina Hurricanes/Albany River Rats affiliate. With one season in the books (and once again showing his durability, playing in 68 games in 06-07), Brett started the 07-08 campaign by attending the River Rats camp (and playing 3 games with them so far this season), but came back to the Everblades as an assistant captain (I'm not 100% positive on this: there's no mention of it on the Everblades' site, but pictures have him wearing the A). While not playing hockey, Brett is also teaching it as an instructor at Iceworks Elite Hockey Training in Fitchburg, MA.

Justin Dziama F (2000-2004), Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees

Before even playing a game for the Eagles, Justin was selected in the 8th round (242nd overall) by the New Jersey Devils in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Following that up with a National Championship win in his freshman season, Dziama had to have been riding high. Unfortunately, his point output was never truly there, scoring only 10 G and 9 A throughout his 4 year career at BC, despite playing in almost every game from his sophomore season on. After BC, the Devils had released him, so Justin played for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the CHL, a team only in its second season in the league in 2004-2005. There, he played for only one year, scoring 3 G and 7 A in 44 games for the Bees.

Ben Eaves C (2000-2004), Espoo Blues (FIN)

With brother Patrick on the Carolina Hurricanes and father Mike as the head coach of the U of Wisconsin men's hockey team, this former two-year BC captain certainly has hockey in his blood. One of the top scorers in every year he played for the Eagles, Ben was drafted by the Penguins in the 4th round (131st overall) in the 2001 draft. Unfortunately his success in college has yet to translate into the professional level, but that's not for lack of skill. Eaves has always been plagued by injury and that's probably why he's not currently on an NHL (or NHL-affiliated) roster. Ben played 48 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but his 05-06 season was cut short with what I'm pretty sure was a knee injury (again I can’t find any documented evidence, but I just tried to piece things together from what I read). Then, in 2006, new Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero decided it was time to clean house. Unfortunately, it was because of his inability to stay healthy that Shero did not offer Ben a new contract. Sitting out the next season (I'm guessing to get back in shape and heal from his injuries), Ben finally decided to make a comeback; but not in North America. Eaves is currently on the Espoo Blues in Finland. Through his first 9 games with the club, he has scored 3 G and 3 A. Shero left the door open for him in Pittsburgh if he is healthy and good enough to return to the team, so let's hope that one day we'll all see him play against his brother in the NHL.

Ty Hennes F (2000-2004), Texas Brahmas

A former assistant captain at BC, Hennes was much more valuable than his stat line would show you (16 G, 26 A for BC). He brought leadership to the team, making his presence felt in the lineup game after game, playing in a total of 155 games out of a possible 162 in his four year career. After BC, Hennes bounced around the ECHL, playing for 3 different teams in the 2004-2005 season. He then moved to the CHL where he played a season for the Fort Worth Brahmas and scored 11 G in 56 games. Next season, Ty only saw action in 5 games with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs before evidently retiring from playing hockey. He began to take classes at Parker College of Chiropractic Medicine in Dallas and also became a head coach for an Alliance hockey 14U Bantam AA team in the 2007-2008 season. With his playing days seemingly over, Ty was asked to come out of retirement to serve as a veteran forward for the CHL's Texas Brahams. Ty seemed to be the spark the team needed as they went on a 4-game win streak as soon as he joined them.

Tony Voce LW (2000-2004), Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams (DEL)

Tony led the Eagles in G each of the last 3 years he played for them, ending with 90 G in his four-year collegiate career. The native of Philly took that success with him to the Philadelphia Phantoms and continued scoring goals. Tony's first year, the 2004-2005 season, saw the Phantoms win their 2nd Calder Cup (the AHL version of the Stanley Cup) as he set the franchise record for goals with 22. In only his second year with the Flyer's affiliate, Tony lead the team in goals (28) and points (55), and was third on the team with 27 assists. Tony also became the first Phantoms player to ever score 4 goals in one game when he accomplished the feat against the Chicago Wolves on February 11, 2006. That season Voce also won the 2005-2006 Phantoms Toyota Cup, which is awarded to the player who accrues the most points via the Three Stars of the Game. Midway through the next season, however, Voce was reassigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins (Red Wings) after scoring only 8 goals through 41 games with Philly. After that disappointing season, Tony then went join Germany's Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams for the current 2007-2008 season. Through only his first 39 games, Tony has reclaimed his goal-scoring form, once again among team leaders in scoring with 13 G and 13 A, despite playing in 14 less games than the team's leading goal-scorer.

Well, I for one never would have guessed that knowing how to read German or Finnish would have helped me find more info about the Eagles alumni this week. I guess I’ll have to brush up on my Russian for next week.

And no, I didn’t make up the Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams… that’s a real team.

Eagles in the NHL, Part 2

Christian: I’m back, once again, for the second installment of Eagles in the NHL (here is installment #1). This edition focuses solely on the blueliners that played for BC in recent years. Enjoy!




Mike Mottau D (1996-2000), New Jersey Devils

Despite limited NHL success, Mottau did the one thing that Gionta couldn't do at BC, and that was win the Hobey Baker Award in 2000 as the nation’s most outstanding collegiate hockey player. He was drafted by the Rangers, but only played 19 games with them before being traded to the Calgary Flames in 2002. Hardly seeing time with the Flames, he spent the next few years bouncing around the AHL. It wasn't until this season did the Devils decide to take a chance on Mottau. They called him up from Lowell and he's played in a career high 57 games this season, tallying 4 G and 12 A. He's certainly seen a lot of ice time this year, and it looks like the former Hobey Baker winner's time in the NHL has finally come.

J.D. Forrest D (2000-2004), San Jose Sharks

Winning a National Championship in your freshman season is certainly a great way to start off your collegiate career. After playing with the Eagles for 4 years and becoming one of BC's top defensemen, Forrest played for two years in Finland before returning to the system that drafted him, the Carolina Hurricanes. He missed all of the 2006-2007 campaign due to injury, but is looking to make an impact this year. He has bounced around Carolina's ECHL and AHL teams this year before being traded this month to the San Jose Sharks for a player to be named later. He played 2 games for their ECHL Elmira Jackals before being called to play for their AHL affiliate, the Worcester Sharks, where he now playing. Now that he's back in the states, hopefully he'll make his move to the NHL before long.

Peter Harrold D (2003-2006), Los Angeles Kings

Harrold was called up from Manchester this year the same day as teammate Brian Boyle (Feb 2nd), but unfortunately only lasted 5 games this season so far before being assigned back to the Monarchs with only 1 NHL assist in those games. Harrold also played 12 games last season for the Kings where he tallied 2 assists.

Andrew Alberts D (2001-2004), Boston Bruins

The Kings aren't the only team to have 3 BC alumni on their roster. Alberts rounds out the Eagle trio, and like Allen, he's currently hurt, but unlike Allen, he's on the injured reserve. Alberts wasted no time in getting to the NHL, playing only 14 games with Providence in the AHL before he played his first game with the Bruins during the 05-06 season. While nothing special in stats (as most defenders aren't), Alberts has played in 70+ games in his first two seasons with the Bruins and also led the team in penalty minutes last season. But that streak looks to come to an end as he remains on the IR due to post-concussion syndrome.

Stephen Gionta D (2002-2006), New Jersey Devils

Brother to Brian on the Devils, Stephen went undrafted but was later signed as a free agent by the Devils. He still has yet to play in any NHL games, but has made a name for himself as the current captain of the Devils' AHL-affiliated team, the Lowell Devils. As a side note, the Gionta brothers aren't the only brothers on the Devils... both Jay Pandolfo and Zach Parise have siblings who also play for the Lowell Devils. This could quite possibly be the first time 3 pairs of brothers have ever been in the same NHL franchise at the same time.

Bonus: Where Will They Be?

Did you know that both Andrew Orpik and Hobey Baker hopeful Nathan Gerbe, current members of the BC team, have been drafted by the Buffalo Sabres? It certainly seems that some systems tend to pick BC players a lot (Carolina, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Buffalo). Do they like the talent BC produces, or is it just a big coincidence?

Eagles in the NHL, Part 1

The first installment of a few, here is a look at where Boston College men's hockey alumni have landed in the NHL. The research and player bios courtesy of our guest blogger and good friend christian.

Christian: Hey everyone! If you’re a BC sports fan, you are well aware of some of our great standouts that have made it to the pros in recent years, most notably Craig Smith, Jared Dudley, of course the Super Bowl winning Chris Snee. But lost in the shuffle are all of our immensely talented hockey players that make their way to the NHL. With 5 trips to the National title game and 1 Championship win in the last 10 years, you would certainly think some of these guys would make it to the next level. Of course some have had more success than others, but more than you probably realize have been playing in the NHL. And without further ado, here is your first installment of Where Are They Now? BC Hockey Edition.


Brian Boyle C (2003-2007), Los Angeles Kings

Boyle just got the call-up to the big leagues from the Manchester Monarchs and played his first NHL game on Feb 2nd of this year. Through his first 6 games, Brian has 4 G, 1A, and a +4 rating. I read that not too long ago the management was thinking about moving him to defense, in which case he may not see much action for a while. Looks like that's not the case, seeing as how is NHL career is underway. Unless, of course, that’s the reason he was just assigned back to Manchester two days ago. Either way, with a stat line like his in those first few games, don’t be surprised if his time away from the Kings is a short one.

Chuck Kobasew RW (2000-2001), Boston Bruins

After winning the National Title with BC in his freshman year, Kobasew left BC to head to the NHL; and seemingly for good reason. The 14th overall pick in the 2001 draft by Calgary, Chuck saw NHL action after playing only a year in the WHL. Starting in the 2002-2003 season when he was called up, Kobasew was a mainstay with the Flames for 3 seasons before being traded to the Bruins in the middle of last season. Never a true standout with the Flames, he has already tallied 19 G and 12 this season for Boston through 56 games, 1 G and 2A shy of his season highs with Calgary. It looks like Chuck just needs to play in Boston to find true success.

Brian Gionta RW (1997-2001), New Jersey Devils

A three time Hobey-Baker finalist and member of the 2001 National Championship team at BC, Gionta has emerged as a fan-favorite in Jersey. After a brief stint with the River Rats in the AHL, Brian played in 33 NHL games his first season out of college. Proving once again that he is a champion, Gionta helped the Devils win their 3rd Stanley Cup by tallying 9 points in 24 playoff games. In the 2005-2006 season, Gionta scored a team record 48 G (including 19 PP goals, also a team record), and also proving that he's a favorite amongst his teammates after they named him team MVP that year. The following season saw Brian plagued with injuries, and he started this season slow as well, but he's now recorded a point in each of the last 5 games. Unfortunately, Brian's name has come up in recent trade rumors, but all will be settled with the trade deadline fast approaching. This Devils fan is certainly hoping his Brian Gionta jersey doesn't soon become out-dated, though!

Patrick Eaves RW (2002-2005), Carolina Hurricanes

Eaves' career with the Eagles almost ended before it began when he suffered a horrific neck injury during a game against Maine on December 7, 2002. But that didn't stop Eaves from coming back and soaring. As soon as he left BC in 2005, he played 58 games for the Senators in the 05-06 season, who made him the 29th overall pick in 2003, scoring 20 goals. Unfortunately, this season again finds Eaves nagged by neck and shoulder injuries in what one can only assume is in some part due to his freshman year injury at Boston College. Most recently, however, Patrick was involved in a trade with defenseman Joe Corvo, sending both players to the Hurricanes for Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore. Hopefully Eaves can pick up where he left off once he is fully recovered.

Bobby Allen D (1997-2002), Boston Bruins

Another member of the '01 National Champion team, Allen has seen limited NHL action since he left the Heights. He's bounced around the AHL, playing for Hamilton, Toronto, Albany, and most recently, Providence. While he was drafted by the Bruins, Bobby Allen's first NHL game came during the 2002-2003 season while playing for the Edmonton Oilers. He has since been reclaimed as a free agent by Boston and played in a handful of games this season. He has 3 A in his 47 game NHL career. While still with the team, he has not played since December 22nd, mostly due to injury.



Check back next Wednesday for part 2.