 "Photo: Jeff Brien")
At the start of the season, the Boston College men’s hockey team clearly defined its expectations: win the Beanpot, win the Hockey East Regular Season Title, win the Hockey East Championship and win a national title.
Three down, one to go.
The Eagles’ impressive season reached a new level this past weekend as the team captured the Hockey East Championship, defeating the River Hawks of UMass-Lowell 5-3 on Friday night and the Providence College Friars 5-3 in the championship game on Saturday. It was BC’s third title in four years and fifth overall. Hockey East Rookie of the Year Chuck Kobasew was named Tournament MVP after his three-goal performance in the semifinal round versus the River Hawks. The Eagles’ strong performance in the tournament, along with a season in which BC has amassed a 30-8-2 record, earned them the top seed in the East division of the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
The most notable part of the Eagles’ victory was the total team effort that has defined this team all season long. From offense to defense, freshman to senior, and first line to fourth, every player can say that he contributed to the Eagles’ success not only over the weekend, but all season long as well. Saturday night’s star was freshman Tony Voce who scored two goals, including the game-winner. Also scoring for the Eagles were Captain Brian Gionta and Alternate Captain Mike Lephart, whose shorthanded, wrap-around goal, in the first, tied the score at one and swung the momentum the Eagles’ way.
“[Ales Dolinar] did a great job of chipping the puck to me,” Lephart said of his 14th goal of the season. “I noticed that [Providence goalie Nolan] Schaefer had slid way out of position so I just tried to wrap around as quickly as I could.”
Voce and sophomore Krys Kolanos completed BC’s scoring in the first period, and Voce’s power play goal in the second extended the Eagles’ lead to 4-1 as they appeared to have the game in hand. The Friars, however, battled back, scoring the next two goals to cut the lead to 4-3 after two periods. The Eagles went to the locker room having lost the momentum they had worked so hard to gain.
“After the second period, we were back on our heels a little bit,” Head Coach Jerry York noted after the game. “We asked our players just to follow Gionta out the door and watch how hard he played and that would be their inspiration and the fire they needed in the third.”
The Eagles’ captain carried the team on his shoulders in the third, playing what York called, “As good a third period as he has had in his career.” With the game still in doubt, freshman Ben Eaves fed Gionta who was waiting in front of the net. Gionta lined up the shot and pushed it high over Schaefer for his fourth goal of the tournament and 33rd of the season.
After the game, Gionta gave all the credit to his linemates for his goal. “[Jeff] Giuliano was working real hard in the corner and chipped it low behind the net to Ben [Eaves]. Ben, like he has all year, making great passes and seeing the ice unbelievably, found a way to get it through the defense to me out front,” Gionta said.
As the clock wound down in the third, it became evident that the Friars were simply too tired and too overmatched to mount any sort of late threat. When the horn sounded, the Eagles’ players jumped off the bench onto the ice and swarmed goalie Scott Clemmensen at the net. Clad in hats that read “2001 Hockey East Champions,” they waited patiently to get their hands on the coveted trophy. Kobasew was presented with the MVP honors and joined Voce, Clemmensen and Alternate Captain Bobby Allen on the All-Tournament Team.
“It’s such a great feeling to be in this position as a freshman,” Kobasew said. “We played as a team so well. Everyone had a part in this.”
Kobasew’s remarks epitomize the unselfishness that is this year’s BC team. With so many stars on both sides of the puck, it would be easy for the players to spend more time basking in their own glory than in that of the team. Not these Eagles, however. They have taken on the team-oriented attitude of their coach and translated that into one of the most successful seasons in BC history. It is impossible to talk to a player after a game and not get an earful on one of his teammate’s performances. Scott Clemmensen, BC’s version of Mr. October, is no exception. Having amassed a 27-1-1 record in March over his four-year career on the Heights, his outstanding goaltending at tournament time has been a huge part of the Eagles’ success. Clemmensen, however, sees it differently. “I am not the only one who is 27-1-1, it’s the entire senior class put together,” he said.
Put that experience and unselfishness together with the top freshman class in the country, and you have a team that seems destined for even greater things, namely a national title.
“We have three of the four pieces of the puzzle, three of the four championships we want this year,” Gionta said, “But there is still once more out there. Hopefully, if we work hard enough, we can get that.”
The Eagles first NCAA Tournament game will be Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at the Worcester Centrum. They will play the winner of the 4-5 game between Minnesota and Maine for the right to advance to the Frozen Four in Albany, NY on April 5 and 7.
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