THE HEIGHTS
EDITORS’ EDITORS’PICKS PICKS
Thursday, October 17, 2013 The Week Ahead
Standings
Men’s hockey hosts No. 6 Wisconsin tomorrow night in a rematch of the 2010 Frozen Four championship game. Women’s hockey faces Yale on Saturday. Men’s soccer plays Duke Friday night while women’s soccer goes up against Miami on Sunday. The 2013 World Series starts next week.
Chris Grimaldi
18-12
Marly Morgus
16-14
Heights Staff
16-14
Austin Tedesco
15-15
A9
Recap from Last Week
Game of the Week
Men’s hockey lost its season opener on the road at Michigan. Field hockey dropped a nail-biter to UVA. St. Lawrence was swept by women’s hockey. North Carolina edged men’s soccer 2-1 last Saturday. LSU stayed in the SEC Championship hunt with a win over Florida at Death Valley.
Men’s Soccer
Guest Editor: David Cote
Duke
Editor-in-Chief
On Friday night, Boston College will host Duke as it heads into the final stretch of the season. With four conference games remaining, the Eagles sit in fifth place in the ACC with a 3-3-1 record in the conference 5-4-2 overall. Duke has not fared as well in the ACC this season as it currently sits at 11th overall out of 12 teams. The Blue Devils have no outright wins in the conference. They have suffered three losses and have come to a draw with their opponents on three occasions. Duke has seen more success outside of the conference with an overall record of 4-4-5, but BC will be a big challenge as the team hopes to find its first ACC win.
“They killed Mufasa...”
This Week’s Games
Austin Tedesco Sports Editor
Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor
Men’s Hockey: No. 6 BC vs. No. 2 Wisconsin
Marly Morgus Asst. Sports Editor
David Cote Editor-in-Chief
Wisconsin
BC
BC
BC
Women’s Hockey: No. 2 BC vs. Yale
BC
BC
BC
BC
Men’s Soccer: BC vs. Duke
BC
BC
BC
BC
Women’s Soccer: BC vs. Miami
BC
Miami
Miami
BC
Tigers vs. Cardinals
Red Sox vs. Cardinals
Red Sox vs. Dodgers
Red Sox vs. Cardinals
Who will play in the World Series?
Boston College
Friday at 7:00 p.m.
POINT COUNTERPOINT
WILL A BC TEAM MAKE THE FROZEN FOUR? At least one squad will have enough BY PAT COYNE Heights Staff
Despite the fact that fall has just begun and that both the men’s and women’s hockey teams’ respective seasons are just now underway, it’s difficult to think about these teams without already considering their postseason expectations. Heading into this season, there are several key reasons why BC should expect nothing less than one of its hockey teams to reach the Frozen Four in the spring. While in many cases it would be far from prudent to have such high expectations for any program, here at BC, fans are spoiled when it comes to hockey. For years now, the hockey teams have been serious contenders to win not only their conferences but also a national title. This year is no different. Heading into the season, the women’s team has the best chance of the two to make it to the Frozen Four, which is scheduled to be played at Qunnipiac University in March. During the preseason, USA Today ranked the team No. 1 in Hockey East and No. 2 in the nation. They were only ranked behind the University of Minnesota—the same team that beat the Eagles in the semifinals of the Frozen Four last year before eventually winning the national title. One must think that this year’s squad will come highly motivated to not only return to the tournament but also to win the national title. So far, the women’s team has been on the right track. The Eagles are undefeated through four games this year. Perhaps one of the most resounding factors heading into the season is the team’s overall experience. BC has made the last three Frozen Fours, making this year’s unit one that is more than familiar with what it takes to succeed. Although the Eagles lost one of their best players, Alex Carpenter, to the U.S. Olympic team, their roster this year consists of six seniors and five juniors with Frozen Four experience. If planning to follow the team this season, expect nothing short of a Frozen Four appearance. This is a hungry and experienced squad that has consistently shown what it can achieve on the national stage. Whether or not the women’s team returns to the championship, it is not unreasonable to believe that the men’s team will make it to its own Frozen Four. The recent success of the men’s hockey team is no secret—the team made it to the Frozen Four in 2008, 2010, and 2012, and won it in each of those years. The disappointment that last season ended with is also no secret. The Eagles were a heavy favorite to make it deep in the tournament and were upset—some may go as far as to say embarrassed—by Union 5-1 in the first round of the regionals. Much like the women’s team, expect this squad to return hungry. This year’s team was tied for first place in the Hockey East preseason polls and was ranked No. 8 nationally, so while this season’s expectations have been relatively tempered from a year ago when BC was atop the poll headed into the season, they still remain justifiably high.
Though the team lost key contributors from a season ago, a strong freshman class will take to the ice this year, and some of its most dangerous weapons are returning, including seniors Kevin Hayes and Bill Arnold, who will provide leadership to the youthful squad. Although Parker Milner, who is now in the New York Islanders’ system, will no longer be in net, Johnny Gaudreau, one of the most dangerous offensive talents in the league, will return despite speculation that he could have begun to pursue an NHL career. One of the main factors in his decision was the draw to play alongside his brother, Matthew, a freshman defenseman. With an expectation for excellence in BC’s hockey programs, both teams return hungry this year after disappointing ends to last season. While each team has lost some key weapons, they are each, especially the men’s team, supplemented by strong freshman classes. Expect nothing less than at least one Frozen Four appearance between these two teams.
m. swimming
scoreboard
BC 165 Bryant 92 w. swimming
123 BC bryant 139
Eagles have lost too much talent BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor
When a school boasts two of the country’s premiere hockey programs, it seems unreasonable to bet against their chances of reaching Frozen Four competition. Both the Boston College men’s and women’s hockey teams are well-oiled machines, blessed with legendary coaching and a constant cycle of top-tier talent. Yet each squad’s absence from NCAA championship competition in March will not be a consequence of what it currently has, but rather of what it has lost. Take a look at the men’s team, and you see another rookie class with impressive credentials. BC’s future was on display in full force in last Sunday’s home opener, as freshmen combined for three goals and seven points while rookie standout Thatcher Demko notched a win between the pipes. With a youth movement that includes
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS STAFF
Smithfield, RI 10/11
Field Hockey
BC: first place in BC 11 of 14 events UVA smithfield, ri 10/12
0 1
m. soccer
BC: First place in BC six of 14 events unc
1 2
Demko, Steve Santini, and Ryan Fitzgerald—all of whom are under the tutelage of head coach Jerry York—there’s every reason to believe the 2013-14 Eagles will be exciting contenders. But if last year’s BC squad is any indication, even great teams are vulnerable to early exits from the NCAA Tournament. Each season has its share of Union Colleges or Yales, small-market teams that catch fire toward season’s end and play the role of postseason spoiler. Their quintessential casualties are young opponents unfamiliar with navigating through a six-month marathon to the Frozen Four. While BC is youthful, quick, and athletic, it lacks the core veteran leadership of years past. Not only did the Eagles lose a Class of 2013 that brought home hardware every season, but also players who were skilled at leading teammates through the adversity-ridden journey of a collegiate hockey campaign. Up until last year, they were the figureheads whom everyone else looked to—including this year’s veterans. That’s no knock to Patrick Brown, Bill Arnold, Isaac MacLeod, and other centerpieces on this year’s team. Each has rightfully earned the letter on his jersey. Yet the responsibility of guiding the nation’s youngest team is a daunting task for any group of seniors, let alone one coping with the void of losing one of the most successful classes in program history. Without a doubt, this year’s BC team has the makings of another dynasty if early departures to the NHL can be delayed—but the future is going to need a season to learn the ropes and come back next year primed for a championship run. On the other end of the ice, BC’s women’s squad is running into a similar predicament. Of course, the leadership that head coach Katie King-Crowley brings to the table and the dependability that vet Corinne Boyle exudes between the pipes are nothing to scoff at. But neither is losing the team’s best player to the Winter Olympics. Coming off a sophomore season in which she tallied 70 points, Alex Carpenter joined Team USA’s ranks to compete for a gold medal during this year’s Olympic Games in Russia. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Carpenter’s selection to the sporting world’s greatest stage means she’ll miss the 2013-14 season. Although one person rarely makes or breaks a team, Carpenter is no average college athlete. Accounting for over 20 percent of BC’s scoring output, she was a driving force behind last year’s Frozen Four run and near upset over powerhouse Minnesota. Regardless of how much talent Crowley’s squad has gained and retained, it will have trouble filling the void left behind by Carpenter’s 32 goals and 38 assists from a year ago. Expect the 85-goal margin that BC owned over last year’s opponents to dwindle as a result. Even with Boyles in goal, closer games bring the potential for more losses—a mark that the Eagles can’t afford on a NCAA tournament resume. In truth, both BC hockey squads will be good—even great—in 2013. Yet even for national powerhouses with impressive track records, the rigors of college hockey offer no guarantees.
clemson, sc 10/12
m. tennis
14 settipane 9 sv BC leblanc 1 g clem 24
amidon 121 yds watkins 101 yds
west point shootout
newton, ma 10/11 sailing
bowdoin, me 10/12
w. tennis
charlottesville, va 10/11 football
normesinu 1 g nicholas barnett engel 1 g Regatta
first place yale invitational
west point,Many11/11 10/9 Boston,
3-2 doubles 5-5 singles Newton, MA 11/09 new haven, ct 10/4-10/6
18-14 overall 5-1 vs. purdue