The Brothers Gionta

Sam Gionta was done eating his breakfast, his teeth were brushed, and his day was ahead of him.

It was some time around 8 a.m. on any given day this summer, and the father of Stephen, A&S '06, and Brian Gionta, BC '01, was going to work while his two boys were coming back from their work, namely playing hockey.

"I was usually on my way out the door when they would be coming back from the rink," the father said. "Trust me, they looked tired. You could tell that they had been through a tough workout. Give them credit. They work hard at what they do."

That was a typical summer day for the brothers. Five to six days per week they worked out, skated, and completed skill drills. They got stronger, pushing their bodies and each other with fitness plans from Boston College and Brian's New Jersey Devils.

"Let's just say there were few nights out. Brian would come by the house around 6:30 or 7 a.m. and he would drive to the rink," said Stephen Gionta, BC's assistant captain. "We would usually skate then lift. I definitely followed his advice and asked him about things in the league. How to get better. What I need to make the next step. With Brian playing in the NHL I definitely benefit from him knowing what it takes to make it there and to play."

And he has learned. He's picked up his brother's trade, taking in the guidance and implementing it into his workouts and practices. In fact, when you see the senior forward wearing No. 15 and an "A" to denote his assistant captaincy on his maroon and gold sweater, you should take note that this BC hockey business has been a family thing for a while now.

"When Brian was playing here I would come with my parents and sit in the stands," Stephen said. "I always liked BC, but I was open to other schools when I was deciding. I thought about Miami [Ohio], but I just loved BC. It had a home feeling, and I knew with the city that I'd never get bored."

He came to BC in the wake of his brother winning a national championship and a Beanpot in his senior season. He came in ready to play right away, in large part, because of the USA national training program that he played in during his junior and senior years in high school. Those final two years were not your typical high school kid's preparation for college, though.

The Rochester native moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., enrolled in Pioneer High School, and played against the best competition in the world.

"The experience of playing so many games and traveling to places like Finland and Sweden was amazing," Stephen said. "We were basically playing a college schedule like 40 games. I did that for two years so that definitely helped me get ready for the next step."

With the national team, he grew in his understanding of the game. Playing against bigger opponents and learning the grind of playing multiple games per week, as well as attending class by day, forced him to focus his time and energy on both hockey and academics.

"I definitely matured in my time there," Stephen said.

But hockey and school were not the only difficult parts. With the move to Michigan, his mother came and the two rented an apartment. His father stayed back in Rochester and visited when Stephen had an off day or when Penny, his wife, would come home.

"He would take regular classes and practice after school. It was a pretty intense schedule with the travel and playing in different cities," Sam said.

But he survived the schedule and developed into a Division I hockey player. He looked at other schools, but BC was where he felt at home.

"I did listen to Brian about BC, but it was definitely my choice to come here," Stephen said. "My family would have been happy either way."

In his freshman campaign he played in 33 games, scoring five goals and adding another 10 assists. From there, he moved up to playing in 41 games as a sophomore while netting nine goals and assisting on 15 others. As a junior, he played in 38 games and contributed 19 points.

With Stephen now a senior, the Gionta family is in the midst of its eighth season with BC hockey. Brian is still with the Devils, and Stephen is playing on the same line as fellow Rochester native and assistant captain, Chris Collins.

"When you have played with a guy for almost two and a half years on the same line you pick up on his tendencies," Gionta said. "You kind of know when he is going to be some place."

The two are roommates and battle on the ice as well as off it, usually with a video game controller in their hands.

"Stephen needs to step his game up a little bit," Collins said, of Gionta's video game performance.

Gionta's thoughts?

"Yeah, I guess you can say I need to get it up to par."

In fact, one of the games that the two play is Tiger Woods Golf. In the game, they created players and Gionta created his dad.

"I'm just trying to make Sam hit some more pars," Gionta said.

The real Sam has not missed a BC game in eight years. That's two sons, eight years of BC hockey, and not one game, on the road or at home, that the father has not been in attendance.

"We're a pretty tight knit family," the Gionta patriarch said.

On game days the father leaves work in Rochester, N.Y., drives six hours to BC - if it's a home game - watches the game, goes out to dinner with Stephen afterward to either the Ground Round, when it was still located in Cleveland Circle, or another area restaurant.

"Maybe we will have to check out the new Applebee's," Stephen said.

After eating, Sam takes off, hitting the road for another six-hour stretch. He arrives back home around 6:30 a.m., showers, and then is ready for work.

No kids to see coming through the door during the winter, though - they're off putting their summer's hard work to use.