NU, BC have plenty to play for in final
February, 5, 2013
Feb 5
1:11
AM ET
By Brion O'Connor, Special to ESPNBoston.com
BOSTON -- Talk about two teams with something to play for. When Northeastern University and Boston College square off for the Beanpot championship next Monday night, both will have plenty of incentive.
The Northeastern Huskies (8-13-3), after knocking off Boston University for the first time in 16 Beanpot contests, are looking to end 25 years of frustration and bring their first Beanpot crown to Huntington Avenue since 1988. There's also a measure of revenge, as BC broke the hearts of the Northeastern faithful when it edged the Huskies in overtime 7-6 in the 2011 final.
Rest assured, though, that the Eagles (16-7-2) are aiming to spoil Northeastern's party plans. After bouncing the Harvard Crimson 4-1 in the opening-round nightcap to run their Beanpot record to 7-0, BC's seniors -- including captain Pat Mullane, goaltender Parker Milner, Steve Whitney, Patrick Wey, Patch Alber and Brooks Dyroff -- are looking for their own place in the history books with a rare four-peat as Beanpot champions.
"It would mean a lot to me to win four in a row," said BC's Whitney, of nearby Reading, Mass., after the Eagles brushed aside Harvard. "I grew up watching the Beanpot. It's very special to me. The rest of the seniors feel the same way.
"Northeastern is definitely a very competitive opponent," he said. "They're starting to get hot, and we have to be well prepared for Monday."
Speaking of hot, expect the Eagles to keep special tabs on Northeastern's Kevin Roy, the freshman who almost single-handedly took out the Terriers with a hat trick in the Huskies' 3-2 opening-round victory.
"I think when the pressure is higher, I get the better performance," the Quebec native said. "I was just excited to start and see what it was like. It was a great experience, a great team win. Everyone did what they had to do, and that's why we came up with the win at the end."
Northeastern coach Jim Madigan said the emergence of Roy (15 goals, 15 assists), combined with the team's newfound poise and commitment to defense, is beginning to reap rewards.
"Kevin is a highly skilled player. He's opportunistic," Madigan said. "The bigger the stage is, the bigger the event, he likes to rise to that occasion. So we'll see where he is next Monday."
Perhaps of greatest concern for Northeastern next Monday will be BC's remarkable record of having unsung players step up at just the right moment. On Monday, it was sophomore Quinn Smith, who tallied the first two goals for the Eagles, doubling his production for the season, as they built a 3-0 lead.
"Part of Quinn's role is to bring energy to this team. And he does it every night," Whitney said. "When he scored two goals, it brought even more energy. It was awesome to see."
BC coach Jerry York agreed, saying Quinn was "a good, hard-nosed, checking-type player for us. Anytime he scores goals like tonight, it's an added bonus for us."
"You need some real grinders," York said. "He accepts that role, and he's very good at it. Every game, he gives you an all-out effort. When he scores like tonight, that's a real plus."
Translation? BC is deep, with a capital D. Though Harvard coach Ted Donato was talking about his team's 4-1 loss, he sounded a note of caution for Northeastern, suggesting the Huskies will want to avoid a reprise of the 2011 overtime shootout.
"There aren't many teams that are going to win trading chances with that Boston College team," Donato said. "They have some real firepower."
The statistics back up Donato's claim. The Eagles have nine players with 10 or more points, led by Johnny Gaudreau (13-20-33), Mullane (12-19-31) and Whitney (17-12-29). Whitney leads the nation in third-period goals with 12. To keep that firepower under wraps, Northeastern will need another big game from senior goaltender Chris Rawlings and its young defensive corps (three sophomores and three freshmen).
"Throughout the whole year, obviously we've kind of struggled a little bit, just because we have a young D corps," Rawlings said. "But this week, we really worked on our D zone, protecting the fourth zone, as we call it, and the guys did an awesome job. They did whatever they could to help the team win. They were blocking shots, clearing any second chances, so hats off to them."
Northeastern came into the Beanpot as the only team to play, and beat, the other three squads. However, the Huskies also had to shake off a 9-3 loss to BC on Jan. 19, which came on the heels of a scintillating 6-5 win over BU.
"Anytime we can beat a team like BU, especially before the Beanpot, it's a big confidence-booster," Rawlings said. "But when you think about it, really, it's not what you did before or what you're going to do. It's about now. Any team can win on any given night. That's what coach Madigan talked about. With this tournament, it doesn't matter about wins and losses in Hockey East. It's just whoever wants it most on Monday night, and then the second Monday night."
For Rawlings, the memories of the 2011 overtime loss to BC linger, but he insisted they don't define this year's team.
"Obviously, to get a second chance at BC is awesome," the senior netminder said. "Obviously, I think we're going to give them a better run for their money. As far as preparation, I think it's just like any other game. It might sound boring, but it doesn't matter if it's the first game of the season or the Beanpot final. It doesn't matter. We're going to prepare the same way we prepare for every game."
Madigan did pull one trick from his sleeve this past weekend, bringing former Beanpot MVP Wayne Turner back to Northeastern to encourage his players. However, the Huskies' bench boss insisted he's not going to dwell on the past in the week leading up to the Beanpot final.
"You can go back to the history books, and I know it makes a good story, but I've got to be honest with you: We're just focusing on straight ahead with this team at this time," Madigan said. "The stuff before this isn't good. We don't have a great history. I was fortunate enough to play and coach and have some good teammates in the '80s when we won four, and I was a part of three. I want our players and our team to have that experience moving forward.
"It has nothing to do with the teams in the past," he said. "It's what we're going to do moving forward. We control our own destiny."
The Eagles, no doubt, believe the same.
Brion O'Connor covers college hockey for ESPNBoston.com.
The Northeastern Huskies (8-13-3), after knocking off Boston University for the first time in 16 Beanpot contests, are looking to end 25 years of frustration and bring their first Beanpot crown to Huntington Avenue since 1988. There's also a measure of revenge, as BC broke the hearts of the Northeastern faithful when it edged the Huskies in overtime 7-6 in the 2011 final.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Charles KrupaBC's Steven Whitney, caught in a collision with Harvard's Kyle Criscuolo, has a chance to finish his career unbeaten in the Beanpot.
AP Photo/Charles KrupaBC's Steven Whitney, caught in a collision with Harvard's Kyle Criscuolo, has a chance to finish his career unbeaten in the Beanpot."It would mean a lot to me to win four in a row," said BC's Whitney, of nearby Reading, Mass., after the Eagles brushed aside Harvard. "I grew up watching the Beanpot. It's very special to me. The rest of the seniors feel the same way.
"Northeastern is definitely a very competitive opponent," he said. "They're starting to get hot, and we have to be well prepared for Monday."
Speaking of hot, expect the Eagles to keep special tabs on Northeastern's Kevin Roy, the freshman who almost single-handedly took out the Terriers with a hat trick in the Huskies' 3-2 opening-round victory.
"I think when the pressure is higher, I get the better performance," the Quebec native said. "I was just excited to start and see what it was like. It was a great experience, a great team win. Everyone did what they had to do, and that's why we came up with the win at the end."
Northeastern coach Jim Madigan said the emergence of Roy (15 goals, 15 assists), combined with the team's newfound poise and commitment to defense, is beginning to reap rewards.
"Kevin is a highly skilled player. He's opportunistic," Madigan said. "The bigger the stage is, the bigger the event, he likes to rise to that occasion. So we'll see where he is next Monday."
Perhaps of greatest concern for Northeastern next Monday will be BC's remarkable record of having unsung players step up at just the right moment. On Monday, it was sophomore Quinn Smith, who tallied the first two goals for the Eagles, doubling his production for the season, as they built a 3-0 lead.
"Part of Quinn's role is to bring energy to this team. And he does it every night," Whitney said. "When he scored two goals, it brought even more energy. It was awesome to see."
BC coach Jerry York agreed, saying Quinn was "a good, hard-nosed, checking-type player for us. Anytime he scores goals like tonight, it's an added bonus for us."
"You need some real grinders," York said. "He accepts that role, and he's very good at it. Every game, he gives you an all-out effort. When he scores like tonight, that's a real plus."
Translation? BC is deep, with a capital D. Though Harvard coach Ted Donato was talking about his team's 4-1 loss, he sounded a note of caution for Northeastern, suggesting the Huskies will want to avoid a reprise of the 2011 overtime shootout.
"There aren't many teams that are going to win trading chances with that Boston College team," Donato said. "They have some real firepower."
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Charles KrupaNortheastern freshman Kevin Roy completes his hat trick, beating BU goalie Matt O'Connor.
AP Photo/Charles KrupaNortheastern freshman Kevin Roy completes his hat trick, beating BU goalie Matt O'Connor."Throughout the whole year, obviously we've kind of struggled a little bit, just because we have a young D corps," Rawlings said. "But this week, we really worked on our D zone, protecting the fourth zone, as we call it, and the guys did an awesome job. They did whatever they could to help the team win. They were blocking shots, clearing any second chances, so hats off to them."
Northeastern came into the Beanpot as the only team to play, and beat, the other three squads. However, the Huskies also had to shake off a 9-3 loss to BC on Jan. 19, which came on the heels of a scintillating 6-5 win over BU.
"Anytime we can beat a team like BU, especially before the Beanpot, it's a big confidence-booster," Rawlings said. "But when you think about it, really, it's not what you did before or what you're going to do. It's about now. Any team can win on any given night. That's what coach Madigan talked about. With this tournament, it doesn't matter about wins and losses in Hockey East. It's just whoever wants it most on Monday night, and then the second Monday night."
For Rawlings, the memories of the 2011 overtime loss to BC linger, but he insisted they don't define this year's team.
"Obviously, to get a second chance at BC is awesome," the senior netminder said. "Obviously, I think we're going to give them a better run for their money. As far as preparation, I think it's just like any other game. It might sound boring, but it doesn't matter if it's the first game of the season or the Beanpot final. It doesn't matter. We're going to prepare the same way we prepare for every game."
Madigan did pull one trick from his sleeve this past weekend, bringing former Beanpot MVP Wayne Turner back to Northeastern to encourage his players. However, the Huskies' bench boss insisted he's not going to dwell on the past in the week leading up to the Beanpot final.
"You can go back to the history books, and I know it makes a good story, but I've got to be honest with you: We're just focusing on straight ahead with this team at this time," Madigan said. "The stuff before this isn't good. We don't have a great history. I was fortunate enough to play and coach and have some good teammates in the '80s when we won four, and I was a part of three. I want our players and our team to have that experience moving forward.
"It has nothing to do with the teams in the past," he said. "It's what we're going to do moving forward. We control our own destiny."
The Eagles, no doubt, believe the same.
Brion O'Connor covers college hockey for ESPNBoston.com.
BOSTON -- Boston College earned a shot at its fourth consecutive Beanpot title by beating Harvard, 4-1, in Monday's nightcap at TD Garden.
BC will face Northeastern, in search of its first Beanpot crown since 1988, in next Monday's championship game.
BC's Quinn Smith scored the game's first two goals, and Michael Matheson made it 3-0 at 19:09 of the second period with a power-play goal.
Danny Biega pulled Harvard within 3-1 midway through the third period, but BC iced the win on Steven Whitney's strike with 5:02 to play.
BC improved to 15-7-2 on the season, while Harvard fell to 5-14-1.
BC will face Northeastern, in search of its first Beanpot crown since 1988, in next Monday's championship game.
BC's Quinn Smith scored the game's first two goals, and Michael Matheson made it 3-0 at 19:09 of the second period with a power-play goal.
Danny Biega pulled Harvard within 3-1 midway through the third period, but BC iced the win on Steven Whitney's strike with 5:02 to play.
BC improved to 15-7-2 on the season, while Harvard fell to 5-14-1.
BU feels sting of Huskies' upset
February, 4, 2013
Feb 4
9:25
PM ET
By Brion O'Connor | ESPNBoston.com
BOSTON -- Boston University's quest for Beanpot title No. 30 will have to wait another year, as Kevin Roy and the Huntington Hounds of Northeastern dispatched the Terriers, 3-2, in the opener of the 61st edition of the tournament at TD Garden on Monday.
"It was a big game for our guys," Northeastern coach Jim Madigan said. "Now we have a chance to win the Beanpot. The goal is to get to that second Monday with a chance to win."
It was Northeastern's first Beanpot victory over BU since 1988 -- the last year the Huskies won the famed tournament -- and breaks a 15-game Beanpot losing streak against BU. The loss also means that BU's senior class will be the first since 1965 to graduate without a Beanpot crown.
"It's pretty devastating," said BU's senior captain Wade Megan, barely holding back tears.
Roy, NU's dynamic freshman from Quebec, was hardly fazed by the bright lights of TD Garden, tallying a goal in each period to pace the Huskies (8-13-3) while senior goaltender Chris Rawlings (32 saves) shut the door at the other end to deny the Terriers (13-11-1).
"For sure, it's a bigger stage, but I love to play those games," Roy said.
The squads traded goals in the opening period, with the Huskies lighting the lamp first just two minutes into the contest. After breaking up a BU rush in the neutral zone, former Terrier and current NU captain Vinny Saponari collected the puck and dished it to Roy on the right wing. Roy waltzed in on BU's Matt O'Connor (23 saves), but the big goaltender made a great right pad save. However, Roy and Saponari crashed the net, jarring the puck loose with Roy shoving it in.
BU tied it at 5:53, when freshman Danny O'Regan finished off a spectacular passing play. Megan was sprung on the left side by a super touch pass from Evan Rodriguez, then snapped a perfect cross-ice feed to O'Regan, who tucked a shot past Rawlings' left pad.
The Huskies forged ahead at 12:36 of the second, thanks to a gift from BU's defense. O'Connor, playing the puck behind his net, slipped a pass up to Ben Rosen. The senior defender immediately sent a pass to the slot, where an opportunistic Roy intercepted it, depositing the puck into a vacated net for an unassisted tally -- his second goal of the game -- and a 2-1 NU lead.
Referee Kevin Shea gift-wrapped a present for BU at 18:58 of the middle stanza, seconds after the Huskies killed off an extended two-man Terriers power play, with a questionable boarding call on NU defender Josh Manson. But the Terriers squandered the opportunity.
"We just demoralized ourselves with our power play," said BU coach Jack Parker, whose Terriers went 0-for-6 with the man advantage.
Desperate for the equalizer, BU turned up the heat in the third period (13 shots), but couldn't solve Rawlings. Roy put the game away at 15:22, making a tremendous play on a wild deflection. After Manson's point shot caromed off O'Connor, BU defender Garrett Noonan went to swat the puck into the corner. But Roy redirected the clearing attempt with the shaft of his stick past a startled O'Connor, netting the hat trick (and his 15th goal of the season) while giving the Huskies an insurance marker.
"It wasn't pretty, but when you go to the net, good things happen," Roy said.
The Huskies would need the extra goal. At 18:49, with O'Connor pulled for an extra attacker, BU's Matt Grzelcyk went on a rink-long rush, fired a shot that Rawlings blocked, collected his own rebound, and shoveled it in front. BU's Sahir Gill pounced, stuffing the puck past Rawlings to cut NU's lead to 3-2. But it was the Terriers' final bite, and BU was relegated to next Monday's consolation game.
"We weren't unfortunate tonight," Parker said. "Northeastern was the better team."
"It was a big game for our guys," Northeastern coach Jim Madigan said. "Now we have a chance to win the Beanpot. The goal is to get to that second Monday with a chance to win."
It was Northeastern's first Beanpot victory over BU since 1988 -- the last year the Huskies won the famed tournament -- and breaks a 15-game Beanpot losing streak against BU. The loss also means that BU's senior class will be the first since 1965 to graduate without a Beanpot crown.
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AP Photo/Eric CanhaNortheastern's Josh Manson sticks it to BU's Wade Megan, who won't win a Beanpot title in his time with the Terriers.
AP Photo/Eric CanhaNortheastern's Josh Manson sticks it to BU's Wade Megan, who won't win a Beanpot title in his time with the Terriers.Roy, NU's dynamic freshman from Quebec, was hardly fazed by the bright lights of TD Garden, tallying a goal in each period to pace the Huskies (8-13-3) while senior goaltender Chris Rawlings (32 saves) shut the door at the other end to deny the Terriers (13-11-1).
"For sure, it's a bigger stage, but I love to play those games," Roy said.
The squads traded goals in the opening period, with the Huskies lighting the lamp first just two minutes into the contest. After breaking up a BU rush in the neutral zone, former Terrier and current NU captain Vinny Saponari collected the puck and dished it to Roy on the right wing. Roy waltzed in on BU's Matt O'Connor (23 saves), but the big goaltender made a great right pad save. However, Roy and Saponari crashed the net, jarring the puck loose with Roy shoving it in.
BU tied it at 5:53, when freshman Danny O'Regan finished off a spectacular passing play. Megan was sprung on the left side by a super touch pass from Evan Rodriguez, then snapped a perfect cross-ice feed to O'Regan, who tucked a shot past Rawlings' left pad.
The Huskies forged ahead at 12:36 of the second, thanks to a gift from BU's defense. O'Connor, playing the puck behind his net, slipped a pass up to Ben Rosen. The senior defender immediately sent a pass to the slot, where an opportunistic Roy intercepted it, depositing the puck into a vacated net for an unassisted tally -- his second goal of the game -- and a 2-1 NU lead.
Referee Kevin Shea gift-wrapped a present for BU at 18:58 of the middle stanza, seconds after the Huskies killed off an extended two-man Terriers power play, with a questionable boarding call on NU defender Josh Manson. But the Terriers squandered the opportunity.
"We just demoralized ourselves with our power play," said BU coach Jack Parker, whose Terriers went 0-for-6 with the man advantage.
Desperate for the equalizer, BU turned up the heat in the third period (13 shots), but couldn't solve Rawlings. Roy put the game away at 15:22, making a tremendous play on a wild deflection. After Manson's point shot caromed off O'Connor, BU defender Garrett Noonan went to swat the puck into the corner. But Roy redirected the clearing attempt with the shaft of his stick past a startled O'Connor, netting the hat trick (and his 15th goal of the season) while giving the Huskies an insurance marker.
"It wasn't pretty, but when you go to the net, good things happen," Roy said.
The Huskies would need the extra goal. At 18:49, with O'Connor pulled for an extra attacker, BU's Matt Grzelcyk went on a rink-long rush, fired a shot that Rawlings blocked, collected his own rebound, and shoveled it in front. BU's Sahir Gill pounced, stuffing the puck past Rawlings to cut NU's lead to 3-2. But it was the Terriers' final bite, and BU was relegated to next Monday's consolation game.
"We weren't unfortunate tonight," Parker said. "Northeastern was the better team."
BOSTON -- Kevin Roy had a hat trick, scoring one goal in each period, to boost Northeastern to a 3-2 win over Boston University in the opening semifinal of the 61st Beanpot tournament at TD Garden.
The win snapped Northeastern's 15-game losing streak, spanning 25 years, to the Terriers in the Beanpot.
NU's Chris Rawlings had 32 saves in picking up the win, while Garrett Vermeersch contributed two assists for the Huskies.
Sahir Gill pulled BU within a goal with 1:11 to play, but NU was able to hold on. Danny O'Regan scored the first BU goal, tying the game at 1-1, at 5:53 of the first period.
Northeastern, with just four Beanpot titles, hasn't won the tournament since 1988. The Huskies have lost six championship games since their last title. BU has captured 29 Beanpot crowns, but hasn't won since 2009.
The win snapped Northeastern's 15-game losing streak, spanning 25 years, to the Terriers in the Beanpot.
NU's Chris Rawlings had 32 saves in picking up the win, while Garrett Vermeersch contributed two assists for the Huskies.
Sahir Gill pulled BU within a goal with 1:11 to play, but NU was able to hold on. Danny O'Regan scored the first BU goal, tying the game at 1-1, at 5:53 of the first period.
Northeastern, with just four Beanpot titles, hasn't won the tournament since 1988. The Huskies have lost six championship games since their last title. BU has captured 29 Beanpot crowns, but hasn't won since 2009.
61st Beanpot full of uncertainty
February, 3, 2013
Feb 3
11:49
PM ET
By Brion O'Connor | ESPNBoston.com
You could hardly blame the casual college hockey fan for looking past Monday's opening round of the Beanpot. Most observers expect to see Boston College and Boston University squaring off in the finals for the 22nd time in the 61 years of the storied tournament. That's the scenario that the rotating schedule presents, with BU taking on Northeastern in the opener, and BC battling the Crimson of Harvard in the nightcap.
The reality, however, is that this year's edition of the most parochial of tournaments is rife with uncertainty. No. 5 Boston College (15-7-2; 17 Beanpot crowns), in an almost eerie encore of last season, is stumbling after the semester break, having lost five of its last nine games, including a two-game debacle at home against Maine. In fact, little has seemed predictable at The Heights since coach Jerry York recorded his record-setting 925th career win against Alabama-Huntsville in late December.
Since then, the Eagles have been in a rut, going 3-5-1, winning occasionally (5-2 at home against New Hampshire, and a 9-3 spanking of Northeastern) but losing with alarming regularity (an 8-1 rout by Minnesota, a 5-2 home defeat to Massachusetts, and two to suddenly resurgent Maine). It's almost as if York's squad lost its focus at the same time the head coach required surgery for a detached retina, and the high-powered offense (3.42 goals a game; fourth in the country) has sputtered.
Even York's return to the bench has done little to stem the tide, as the Eagles fell twice at Conte Forum to the Black Bears, 4-1 and 3-1. It was precisely the same two-game set last season that spurred the Eagles' remarkable 19-game winning streak on their way to the 2012 national title. However, the losses on their home sheet had to hit the Eagles hard.
York's squad did take a step in the right direction with a 4-1 win on Friday against Vermont, but the Catamounts aren't considered top-tier competition. A spot in the Beanpot final might be just the thing to kick start another Eagles run this year.
BC's opponent in the nightcap, Harvard (5-14-1; 10 Beanpot crowns), has struggled to find any kind of consistency in the wake of losing at least four players as a result of a widespread campus cheating scandal (including highly touted sophomore goaltender Steve Michalek and three defensemen). While Ted Donato's team appeared poised to produce something special after a terrific run in the ECAC playoffs last season, the feel-good storyline of last March appears to be a distant memory. Which is what you'd expect from a team ranked 12th in the ECAC in scoring (2.05 goals per game) with two freshmen and a sophomore as its leading scorers.
Still, the Crimson have shown moments of brilliance and the ability to win big games, such as the 4-1 triumph over Cornell on Nov. 16 and the 6-5 overtime victory against BU on Jan. 9. The bad news? Harvard has dropped seven straight since that epic win over the Terriers. Unless junior goaltender Raphael Girard (3.35 GAA; .902 save percentage) can pull off a minor miracle on Monday night, the Crimson's chances of playing the late game the following Monday appear slim.
Like BC, No. 11 Boston University (13-10-1; 29 Beanpot crowns) has been erratic of late, going 3-5-1 since Christmas. That stretch includes heartbreaking losses to Harvard (6-5 in overtime) and Northeastern (6-5) within a nine-day span in January, a 6-0 whitewashing at the hands of Denver in the Hall of Fame Game on Dec. 29, and a 5-1 loss at UMass on Friday.
Freshman goaltenders Matt O'Connor (2.90; .910) and Sean Maguire (2.62; .915) have looked like the second coming of Kieran Millan on some nights, and the second coming of the Beatles' "Day in a Life" ("Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire") on others. Neither can afford an off night in the Beanpot.
Up front, BU is loaded. Except for the shutout against Denver and Friday night loss in Amherst, the Terriers have been able to put the puck in the net. Leading the offensive charge for Jack Parker's crew is sophomore Cason Hohmann (6-17-23), freshman Danny O'Regan (9-13-22) and senior captain Wade Megan (12-7-19), but the Terriers have six more players with 12 or more points on the season. Northeastern's goaltender -- either senior Chris Rawlings (2.88; .910) or senior Bryan Mountain (3.47; .902) -- will need to be sharp to prevent BU from advancing to the final.
Northeastern (7-13-3; four Beanpot crowns) could prove to be this year's dark horse. Jim Madigan's team already has registered wins this season over all three potential Beanpot opponents, downing BC 3-1 in the season opener, bruising Harvard by a 5-1 margin on Dec. 29, and edging BU in a wild 6-5 affair on Jan. 18. On the flip side, the Huskies recently got manhandled by the Eagles (a 9-3 drubbing, the day after NU squeaked by BU) and don't have a win in their last four games (0-2-2).
Plus, the Terriers have history on their side, holding a 31-7 Beanpot advantage, including wins in the last 15 meetings. BU, as its 29 Beanpot crowns attest, has proven it can handle the big stage. Whether the Huskies can take a page from Coach Madigan's playbook (two Beanpot crowns as a player in 1984 and '85, and one as an assistant coach in 1988) and advance to next Monday's final remains to be seen. Keep an eye on former Terrier Vinny Saponari. Northeastern's captain has scored the Huntington Hounds' last two game-winning goals against his former club.
The reality, however, is that this year's edition of the most parochial of tournaments is rife with uncertainty. No. 5 Boston College (15-7-2; 17 Beanpot crowns), in an almost eerie encore of last season, is stumbling after the semester break, having lost five of its last nine games, including a two-game debacle at home against Maine. In fact, little has seemed predictable at The Heights since coach Jerry York recorded his record-setting 925th career win against Alabama-Huntsville in late December.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Charles KrupaFor the second straight year, Jerry York's BC squad enters the Beanpot with some uneven play.
AP Photo/Charles KrupaFor the second straight year, Jerry York's BC squad enters the Beanpot with some uneven play.Even York's return to the bench has done little to stem the tide, as the Eagles fell twice at Conte Forum to the Black Bears, 4-1 and 3-1. It was precisely the same two-game set last season that spurred the Eagles' remarkable 19-game winning streak on their way to the 2012 national title. However, the losses on their home sheet had to hit the Eagles hard.
York's squad did take a step in the right direction with a 4-1 win on Friday against Vermont, but the Catamounts aren't considered top-tier competition. A spot in the Beanpot final might be just the thing to kick start another Eagles run this year.
BC's opponent in the nightcap, Harvard (5-14-1; 10 Beanpot crowns), has struggled to find any kind of consistency in the wake of losing at least four players as a result of a widespread campus cheating scandal (including highly touted sophomore goaltender Steve Michalek and three defensemen). While Ted Donato's team appeared poised to produce something special after a terrific run in the ECAC playoffs last season, the feel-good storyline of last March appears to be a distant memory. Which is what you'd expect from a team ranked 12th in the ECAC in scoring (2.05 goals per game) with two freshmen and a sophomore as its leading scorers.
Still, the Crimson have shown moments of brilliance and the ability to win big games, such as the 4-1 triumph over Cornell on Nov. 16 and the 6-5 overtime victory against BU on Jan. 9. The bad news? Harvard has dropped seven straight since that epic win over the Terriers. Unless junior goaltender Raphael Girard (3.35 GAA; .902 save percentage) can pull off a minor miracle on Monday night, the Crimson's chances of playing the late game the following Monday appear slim.
Like BC, No. 11 Boston University (13-10-1; 29 Beanpot crowns) has been erratic of late, going 3-5-1 since Christmas. That stretch includes heartbreaking losses to Harvard (6-5 in overtime) and Northeastern (6-5) within a nine-day span in January, a 6-0 whitewashing at the hands of Denver in the Hall of Fame Game on Dec. 29, and a 5-1 loss at UMass on Friday.
Freshman goaltenders Matt O'Connor (2.90; .910) and Sean Maguire (2.62; .915) have looked like the second coming of Kieran Millan on some nights, and the second coming of the Beatles' "Day in a Life" ("Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire") on others. Neither can afford an off night in the Beanpot.
Up front, BU is loaded. Except for the shutout against Denver and Friday night loss in Amherst, the Terriers have been able to put the puck in the net. Leading the offensive charge for Jack Parker's crew is sophomore Cason Hohmann (6-17-23), freshman Danny O'Regan (9-13-22) and senior captain Wade Megan (12-7-19), but the Terriers have six more players with 12 or more points on the season. Northeastern's goaltender -- either senior Chris Rawlings (2.88; .910) or senior Bryan Mountain (3.47; .902) -- will need to be sharp to prevent BU from advancing to the final.
Northeastern (7-13-3; four Beanpot crowns) could prove to be this year's dark horse. Jim Madigan's team already has registered wins this season over all three potential Beanpot opponents, downing BC 3-1 in the season opener, bruising Harvard by a 5-1 margin on Dec. 29, and edging BU in a wild 6-5 affair on Jan. 18. On the flip side, the Huskies recently got manhandled by the Eagles (a 9-3 drubbing, the day after NU squeaked by BU) and don't have a win in their last four games (0-2-2).
Plus, the Terriers have history on their side, holding a 31-7 Beanpot advantage, including wins in the last 15 meetings. BU, as its 29 Beanpot crowns attest, has proven it can handle the big stage. Whether the Huskies can take a page from Coach Madigan's playbook (two Beanpot crowns as a player in 1984 and '85, and one as an assistant coach in 1988) and advance to next Monday's final remains to be seen. Keep an eye on former Terrier Vinny Saponari. Northeastern's captain has scored the Huntington Hounds' last two game-winning goals against his former club.
Harvard rallies, holds off Yale
February, 1, 2013
Feb 1
10:53
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The first few minutes of Friday's Yale-Harvard game fit host Harvard like a cheap suit. The visitors from New Haven, meanwhile, came out looking crisp.
But is that really a surprise, considering the Bulldogs were led by a sophomore guard named Armani Cotton?
The Yale sophomore was smooth as silk early Friday night, nailing two quick 3-pointers and converting two layups to help the Bulldogs leap out to a 10-2 lead after just 2:46.
That's when Harvard coach Tommy Amaker called timeout, and let his team know something needed to change -- and fast -- or it would be a long night.
"We have to play everyone honestly, and I thought we were, I don't know, daring people to take the shot," Amaker said. "And the kid Cotton came out right away and I think he buried two 3s right away. … I was just disappointed that we weren't more alert and aware at the very beginning.
"It seemed like we were trying to work our way into it or feel our way through it and [the Bulldogs] jumped right into it. So I thought we needed to stop the momentum."
Steve Moundou-Missi hadn't checked into the game yet, but he saw the same thing that Amaker did.
"The game plan is always to start right but we didn't do that," Moundou-Missi said. "We were all mad we didn't start right. We gotta start right to finish right."
Luckily for the Crimson, things changed after that.
Wesley Saunders skipped a pass across court to Laurent Rivard for a 3. Saunders got fouled on a drive after a Yale turnover and made both freebies. Then Siyani Chambers pushed hard after a Bulldogs miss, gave it to Christian Webster in the corner and got it right back when his man left him to defend the pass.
Wide open, Chambers' shot hit nothing but net and the game was all knotted up.
From there, the Crimson were off and running.
"Yale's a good team," Saunders said. "They come out hungry to beat us every time. I think we just needed to match their intensity.
Nick Victor had a dunk attempt clang off the rim, and Saunders fed the ball ahead to Steve Moundou-Missi for a layup. Later Victor dove to pick off a pass and missed, leaving Saunders to find Moundou-Missi again for an easy layup. A couple of possessions later, Saunders crossed over a defender, drew help and found Rivard open for a 3 in the right corner.
The Crimson made good use of the 3 on the night, shooting 61.5 percent. Yale shot just 40 percent from deep.
And while Harvard rebounded from the slow start to lead by as many as 15 points in the first half, the lead was far from safe in the second 20 minutes.
"We weren't very disciplined, I thought, in the second half defensively," Amaker said. "And you give a lot of credit to Yale. … They started their run right away."
The Bulldogs opened the second half with a 10-5 run to cut into the Crimson's cushion, and applied pressure the rest of the way.
With a little less than 14 minutes to go, Chambers picked up his fourth foul and headed to the bench. He didn't return until there was 3:29 left, and the lead was just six.
It was a quiet night statistically for Chambers (11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists), but Rivard and Saunders picked up the slack, their 15 points each accounting for just less than half of the Crimson's final tally. Saunders' 11 assists were more than half the team total of 17.
But when the lead perhaps felt the most tenuous, it was neither Rivard nor Saunders who stepped to the line with a chance to give the Crimson a little breathing room.
It was Moundou-Missi, who got fouled after the Crimson inbounded the ball into the Bulldogs' press.
He toed the stripe with 18 seconds to go, his team up just 3. So, Steve, what was going through your head?
"We got pretty close in the game and I felt like I had to make my free throws in order for us to keep the lead," he said. "I know there's pressure, but I missed my first four free throws and I just tried to make those last two."
The ref passed him the ball for the first, and a hush fell over what had been a loud Lavietes. He took one dribble, set himself and swished the freebie. Again the ref passed him the ball, again a hush. He dribbled, set himself and let it fly. The ball hit the rim, spun around the cylinder, kicked up onto the backboard, high on the square, and then fell softly back in.
Moundou-Missi felt a wave of relief wash over him, along with the delighted cheers of the capacity crowd.
That second free throw, Moundou-Missi's 12th point of the night, proved to be the difference in Harvard's 67-64 win.
"I thought it was going out and I was really thrilled when it went in," he said with a smile.
And on a night when two of his team's stalwarts (Rivard and Chambers) were plagued by foul trouble, it was the reserve big man who turned out to be the perfect fit for a pressure-packed spot.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
But is that really a surprise, considering the Bulldogs were led by a sophomore guard named Armani Cotton?
The Yale sophomore was smooth as silk early Friday night, nailing two quick 3-pointers and converting two layups to help the Bulldogs leap out to a 10-2 lead after just 2:46.
That's when Harvard coach Tommy Amaker called timeout, and let his team know something needed to change -- and fast -- or it would be a long night.
"We have to play everyone honestly, and I thought we were, I don't know, daring people to take the shot," Amaker said. "And the kid Cotton came out right away and I think he buried two 3s right away. … I was just disappointed that we weren't more alert and aware at the very beginning.
"It seemed like we were trying to work our way into it or feel our way through it and [the Bulldogs] jumped right into it. So I thought we needed to stop the momentum."
Steve Moundou-Missi hadn't checked into the game yet, but he saw the same thing that Amaker did.
"The game plan is always to start right but we didn't do that," Moundou-Missi said. "We were all mad we didn't start right. We gotta start right to finish right."
Luckily for the Crimson, things changed after that.
Wesley Saunders skipped a pass across court to Laurent Rivard for a 3. Saunders got fouled on a drive after a Yale turnover and made both freebies. Then Siyani Chambers pushed hard after a Bulldogs miss, gave it to Christian Webster in the corner and got it right back when his man left him to defend the pass.
Wide open, Chambers' shot hit nothing but net and the game was all knotted up.
From there, the Crimson were off and running.
"Yale's a good team," Saunders said. "They come out hungry to beat us every time. I think we just needed to match their intensity.
Nick Victor had a dunk attempt clang off the rim, and Saunders fed the ball ahead to Steve Moundou-Missi for a layup. Later Victor dove to pick off a pass and missed, leaving Saunders to find Moundou-Missi again for an easy layup. A couple of possessions later, Saunders crossed over a defender, drew help and found Rivard open for a 3 in the right corner.
The Crimson made good use of the 3 on the night, shooting 61.5 percent. Yale shot just 40 percent from deep.
And while Harvard rebounded from the slow start to lead by as many as 15 points in the first half, the lead was far from safe in the second 20 minutes.
"We weren't very disciplined, I thought, in the second half defensively," Amaker said. "And you give a lot of credit to Yale. … They started their run right away."
The Bulldogs opened the second half with a 10-5 run to cut into the Crimson's cushion, and applied pressure the rest of the way.
With a little less than 14 minutes to go, Chambers picked up his fourth foul and headed to the bench. He didn't return until there was 3:29 left, and the lead was just six.
It was a quiet night statistically for Chambers (11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists), but Rivard and Saunders picked up the slack, their 15 points each accounting for just less than half of the Crimson's final tally. Saunders' 11 assists were more than half the team total of 17.
But when the lead perhaps felt the most tenuous, it was neither Rivard nor Saunders who stepped to the line with a chance to give the Crimson a little breathing room.
It was Moundou-Missi, who got fouled after the Crimson inbounded the ball into the Bulldogs' press.
He toed the stripe with 18 seconds to go, his team up just 3. So, Steve, what was going through your head?
"We got pretty close in the game and I felt like I had to make my free throws in order for us to keep the lead," he said. "I know there's pressure, but I missed my first four free throws and I just tried to make those last two."
The ref passed him the ball for the first, and a hush fell over what had been a loud Lavietes. He took one dribble, set himself and swished the freebie. Again the ref passed him the ball, again a hush. He dribbled, set himself and let it fly. The ball hit the rim, spun around the cylinder, kicked up onto the backboard, high on the square, and then fell softly back in.
Moundou-Missi felt a wave of relief wash over him, along with the delighted cheers of the capacity crowd.
That second free throw, Moundou-Missi's 12th point of the night, proved to be the difference in Harvard's 67-64 win.
"I thought it was going out and I was really thrilled when it went in," he said with a smile.
And on a night when two of his team's stalwarts (Rivard and Chambers) were plagued by foul trouble, it was the reserve big man who turned out to be the perfect fit for a pressure-packed spot.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
BC's defense can't slow Tar Heels
January, 30, 2013
Jan 30
12:14
AM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
NEWTON, Mass. -- With a famous opponent gracing the hardwood in Conte Forum on Tuesday night, TV cameras beaming the contest across the nation, the Eagles would have been hard pressed to start much better.
North Carolina won the opening tip, but it was all Boston College immediately after that.
The Tar Heels missed their first shot, and Ryan Anderson nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the other end. The Heels turned the ball over, and Anderson slipped out ahead of the racing defenders and finished with an easy dunk.
Add in an Andrew Van Nest 3 and suddenly the hosts were 3-for-3 from the field and up 8-2 almost four minutes in.
But just as the 7,062 in attendance began to think they might have a competitive game on their hands, the good times stopped.
After the teams traded missed opportunities, the Tar Heels found P.J. Hairston open in front of the BC bench for a 3. Then they found him again.
“I think we let him loose early, and then he hits two or three more right in a row,” BC coach Steve Donahue said of Hairston. “I think he’s a McDonald’s All-American. You’re talking about a kid who I thought when I saw him in high school -- he’s an NBA player. And we gave him some air and he made us pay for it.”
Next thing the home fans knew it, the Tar Heels had ripped off a 23-7 run to open a 25-15 lead. The Eagles would get no closer than seven the rest of the way, and that was on the very next possession when Patrick Heckmann hit a 3, as North Carolina finished with an 82-70 win.
The Tar Heels made just one of their first seven shots, but then the Eagles’ Achilles’ heel presented itself again and the ball started finding the mark. The visitors hit 17 of the next 27 (62.9 percent).
“We played poor defense in the first half,” Olivier Hanlan bluntly said.
“Obviously we’re poor defensively,” Donahue said. “And that bothers me, trust me. It’s an awful feeling. As much as people talk probably in the past about my teams and their offense and their skill, we’ve always had really good, tough, solid defensive teams. These guys aren’t there yet, but I’m convinced that as they get older and they understand it more, we’re going to defend.”
Not everything went UNC’s way Tuesday, as there were some scary minutes late in the first half after a collision under the basket on a Heckmann drive left Hairston down for several minutes. Coach Roy Williams and the medical staff attended to him, and after a little while the sophomore tried to stand. But even with two teammates supporting him, Hairston was extremely shaky on his feet and had to sit back down.
The medical staff then called for a stretcher, and Hairston eventually was helped onto it and wheeled off. He was later diagnosed with a concussion, according to the team Twitter account.
Hairston had been on fire for the Tar Heels, shooting 4-for-5 from the floor (4-for-4 on 3s) and 2-for-3 from the free throw line to lead all scorers with 14 points at the time of the injury.
But UNC (14-6, 4-3 ACC) had more than enough to withstand the loss. Four times the Eagles cut the visitors’ lead to 11 in the second half, and each time the Tar Heels answered.
BC didn’t get closer than 11 until the final minutes, when the game was all but decided.
The loss was the fifth in a row for BC, and dropped the hosts to 9-11 (1-6 ACC). That leaves the Eagles right where they were last season, squarely in the basement of the league standings.
And while Hanlan’s performance was a bright spot (game-high 22 points) Tuesday night primarily served as one more reminder that while things are perhaps trending up in Chestnut Hill, these Eagles still aren’t ready for prime time.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
North Carolina won the opening tip, but it was all Boston College immediately after that.
The Tar Heels missed their first shot, and Ryan Anderson nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the other end. The Heels turned the ball over, and Anderson slipped out ahead of the racing defenders and finished with an easy dunk.
Add in an Andrew Van Nest 3 and suddenly the hosts were 3-for-3 from the field and up 8-2 almost four minutes in.
But just as the 7,062 in attendance began to think they might have a competitive game on their hands, the good times stopped.
[+] Enlarge
Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY SportsAfter a slow start, North Carolina hit 17 of 27 shots to pull away from BC. James Michael McAdoo led the Heels with 17 points.
Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY SportsAfter a slow start, North Carolina hit 17 of 27 shots to pull away from BC. James Michael McAdoo led the Heels with 17 points.“I think we let him loose early, and then he hits two or three more right in a row,” BC coach Steve Donahue said of Hairston. “I think he’s a McDonald’s All-American. You’re talking about a kid who I thought when I saw him in high school -- he’s an NBA player. And we gave him some air and he made us pay for it.”
Next thing the home fans knew it, the Tar Heels had ripped off a 23-7 run to open a 25-15 lead. The Eagles would get no closer than seven the rest of the way, and that was on the very next possession when Patrick Heckmann hit a 3, as North Carolina finished with an 82-70 win.
The Tar Heels made just one of their first seven shots, but then the Eagles’ Achilles’ heel presented itself again and the ball started finding the mark. The visitors hit 17 of the next 27 (62.9 percent).
“We played poor defense in the first half,” Olivier Hanlan bluntly said.
“Obviously we’re poor defensively,” Donahue said. “And that bothers me, trust me. It’s an awful feeling. As much as people talk probably in the past about my teams and their offense and their skill, we’ve always had really good, tough, solid defensive teams. These guys aren’t there yet, but I’m convinced that as they get older and they understand it more, we’re going to defend.”
Not everything went UNC’s way Tuesday, as there were some scary minutes late in the first half after a collision under the basket on a Heckmann drive left Hairston down for several minutes. Coach Roy Williams and the medical staff attended to him, and after a little while the sophomore tried to stand. But even with two teammates supporting him, Hairston was extremely shaky on his feet and had to sit back down.
The medical staff then called for a stretcher, and Hairston eventually was helped onto it and wheeled off. He was later diagnosed with a concussion, according to the team Twitter account.
Hairston had been on fire for the Tar Heels, shooting 4-for-5 from the floor (4-for-4 on 3s) and 2-for-3 from the free throw line to lead all scorers with 14 points at the time of the injury.
But UNC (14-6, 4-3 ACC) had more than enough to withstand the loss. Four times the Eagles cut the visitors’ lead to 11 in the second half, and each time the Tar Heels answered.
BC didn’t get closer than 11 until the final minutes, when the game was all but decided.
The loss was the fifth in a row for BC, and dropped the hosts to 9-11 (1-6 ACC). That leaves the Eagles right where they were last season, squarely in the basement of the league standings.
And while Hanlan’s performance was a bright spot (game-high 22 points) Tuesday night primarily served as one more reminder that while things are perhaps trending up in Chestnut Hill, these Eagles still aren’t ready for prime time.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
Harvard TE leaves Senior Bowl hopeful
January, 28, 2013
Jan 28
3:37
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
For many college football players, being invited to the Senior Bowl is more than just a final honor -- it’s the informal job interview that could just get them the real job interview.
That’s how Harvard’s Kyle Juszczyk saw it. The two-time All-American tight end was thrilled to get an invitation to the game -- and to the week of practices leading up to it, in Mobile, Ala. It would give the Ohio native one more chance to perform for scouts and NFL front-office personnel, to prove that his skills can translate to the next level.
“It’s been a great experience,” Juszczyk said by phone during the week. “It’s been a great opportunity for me to come out here and kind of prove myself and play with the best of the best.”
After finishing his career as Harvard’s all-time leader in receptions (125), receiving yards (1,576) and touchdown catches (22) by a tight end, Juszczyk’s quest to continue his football career likely means transitioning to a new position, fullback. He played there some for the Crimson, so it isn’t completely foreign territory for him.
That said, there has been a learning curve.
“The hardest part is kinda getting used to being in the backfield and kinda being the eyes of the running back at times,” he said. “As the fullback you have to make that initial read and find the hole for the running back and lead him up there. That’s something I don’t have a lot of experience doing.
“But it’s something that I feel I’ve been able to grasp pretty quickly,” he added.
Prior to the Senior Bowl, Juszczyk (pronounced USE-check) prepared at TEST Football Academy. TEST founder and CEO Brian Martin said they are working with more than 60 prospects this season, helping prepare them for the NFL combine or for free-agent workouts if they aren’t invited to the big league prod-and-test session.
“We basically go six days a week for six to eight weeks,” Martin said of the typical TEST program. “We focus heavily on flexibility and mobility. Once they’re healthy and have a strong foundation, we get into a lot of strength training and power training, but our main focus is on speed training and positional work.”
Martin praised Juszczyk’s work ethic and said teams love his Harvard background. While Martin believes Juszczyk should get drafted, as of Monday the 6-foot-1, 242-pounder ranked 10th at the fullback position with a grade of 30 from Scouts Inc. That labels him a borderline draft prospect.
Scouts Inc.’s Steve Muench saw Juszczyk practice on Tuesday of Senior Bowl week, and said that while the odds are stacked against a fullback from Harvard because of positional value and competition level, Juszczyk did some good things in that practice.
Muench said he thinks Juszczyk is a bit short to play tight end in the NFL, but that he caught the ball fairly well and appeared to be a tough blocker in both the run game and in pass protection.
“I still would be surprised if he gets drafted any earlier than late sixth or seventh [round], but I do think a team will bring him in and give him a shot to make the roster during training camp if he goes undrafted,” Muench said in an e-mail. “The key for him -- and this is the case for most fringe NFL roster prospects -- will be his ability to contribute on special teams. He has to show he can help in that area if he’s to make an opening-day roster.”
For his part, Juszczyk believes his skill set will translate.
“I’ve always prided myself as a physical player, so the fullback position fits that description perfectly,” he said. “I definitely feel like I can be an effective fullback at the next level. But I also feel like other parts of my skill set can still be used. I’ve gotten that opportunity as well here. I haven’t strictly played fullback, I’ve been in the slot. I’ve been able to show I can do that, as well.”
It only takes one team to get drafted, and Juszczyk hopes he did enough this week and on Saturday, when he had four carries for 9 yards in the North’s 21-16 loss to the South, to get a combine invite so he can further his case.
And if that invite doesn’t come and he doesn’t hear his name called during April’s draft?
“If I don’t get drafted, hopefully I’ll get a phone call right afterwards and be a free agent,” Juszczyk said.
Juszczyk can always return to Harvard and finish up his degree in economics (he’s four classes short of graduation). But he’s not thinking about that at the moment.
“At this point I don’t really have a backup plan,” he said. “Hopefully I won’t need one.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
That’s how Harvard’s Kyle Juszczyk saw it. The two-time All-American tight end was thrilled to get an invitation to the game -- and to the week of practices leading up to it, in Mobile, Ala. It would give the Ohio native one more chance to perform for scouts and NFL front-office personnel, to prove that his skills can translate to the next level.
[+] Enlarge
Michael Chang/Getty Images"It's been a great opportunity for me to come out here and kind of prove myself and play with the best of the best," Kyle Juszczyk said of Senior Bowl week.
Michael Chang/Getty Images"It's been a great opportunity for me to come out here and kind of prove myself and play with the best of the best," Kyle Juszczyk said of Senior Bowl week.After finishing his career as Harvard’s all-time leader in receptions (125), receiving yards (1,576) and touchdown catches (22) by a tight end, Juszczyk’s quest to continue his football career likely means transitioning to a new position, fullback. He played there some for the Crimson, so it isn’t completely foreign territory for him.
That said, there has been a learning curve.
“The hardest part is kinda getting used to being in the backfield and kinda being the eyes of the running back at times,” he said. “As the fullback you have to make that initial read and find the hole for the running back and lead him up there. That’s something I don’t have a lot of experience doing.
“But it’s something that I feel I’ve been able to grasp pretty quickly,” he added.
Prior to the Senior Bowl, Juszczyk (pronounced USE-check) prepared at TEST Football Academy. TEST founder and CEO Brian Martin said they are working with more than 60 prospects this season, helping prepare them for the NFL combine or for free-agent workouts if they aren’t invited to the big league prod-and-test session.
“We basically go six days a week for six to eight weeks,” Martin said of the typical TEST program. “We focus heavily on flexibility and mobility. Once they’re healthy and have a strong foundation, we get into a lot of strength training and power training, but our main focus is on speed training and positional work.”
Martin praised Juszczyk’s work ethic and said teams love his Harvard background. While Martin believes Juszczyk should get drafted, as of Monday the 6-foot-1, 242-pounder ranked 10th at the fullback position with a grade of 30 from Scouts Inc. That labels him a borderline draft prospect.
Scouts Inc.’s Steve Muench saw Juszczyk practice on Tuesday of Senior Bowl week, and said that while the odds are stacked against a fullback from Harvard because of positional value and competition level, Juszczyk did some good things in that practice.
Muench said he thinks Juszczyk is a bit short to play tight end in the NFL, but that he caught the ball fairly well and appeared to be a tough blocker in both the run game and in pass protection.
“I still would be surprised if he gets drafted any earlier than late sixth or seventh [round], but I do think a team will bring him in and give him a shot to make the roster during training camp if he goes undrafted,” Muench said in an e-mail. “The key for him -- and this is the case for most fringe NFL roster prospects -- will be his ability to contribute on special teams. He has to show he can help in that area if he’s to make an opening-day roster.”
For his part, Juszczyk believes his skill set will translate.
“I’ve always prided myself as a physical player, so the fullback position fits that description perfectly,” he said. “I definitely feel like I can be an effective fullback at the next level. But I also feel like other parts of my skill set can still be used. I’ve gotten that opportunity as well here. I haven’t strictly played fullback, I’ve been in the slot. I’ve been able to show I can do that, as well.”
It only takes one team to get drafted, and Juszczyk hopes he did enough this week and on Saturday, when he had four carries for 9 yards in the North’s 21-16 loss to the South, to get a combine invite so he can further his case.
And if that invite doesn’t come and he doesn’t hear his name called during April’s draft?
“If I don’t get drafted, hopefully I’ll get a phone call right afterwards and be a free agent,” Juszczyk said.
Juszczyk can always return to Harvard and finish up his degree in economics (he’s four classes short of graduation). But he’s not thinking about that at the moment.
“At this point I don’t really have a backup plan,” he said. “Hopefully I won’t need one.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
Former University of Massachusetts pitcher and Pittsfield, Mass., native Matt Torra, a 28-year-old minor leaguer still working at earning a shot in the bigs, hopes to open some eyes while pitching for Italy in the World Baseball Classic next month.
Torra's paternal great-grandfather was born in Italy, which makes him eligible for that country's team in the WBC.
"I'm really looking forward to that opportunity," Torra told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. "I think it's going to be a great experience."
Torra, who was a sandwich pick (between the first and second round) in the 2005 MLB draft, signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in December and expects to be assigned to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
"As I'm getting later in my career as a minor leaguer, joining the Nationals is hopefully going to give me that boost that I need," Torra told the Gazette. "Hopefully something positive comes of it."
Torra was profiled last summer in a feature story by ESPNBoston.com contributor Marty Dobrow (CLICK HERE).
Torra's paternal great-grandfather was born in Italy, which makes him eligible for that country's team in the WBC.
"I'm really looking forward to that opportunity," Torra told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. "I think it's going to be a great experience."
Torra, who was a sandwich pick (between the first and second round) in the 2005 MLB draft, signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals in December and expects to be assigned to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
"As I'm getting later in my career as a minor leaguer, joining the Nationals is hopefully going to give me that boost that I need," Torra told the Gazette. "Hopefully something positive comes of it."
Torra was profiled last summer in a feature story by ESPNBoston.com contributor Marty Dobrow (CLICK HERE).
UMass' Morgan (knee) done for season
January, 15, 2013
Jan 15
6:03
PM ET
By Steve Richards | ESPNBoston.com
The University of Massachusetts' hopes to make the NCAA men's basketball tournament for the first time since 1998 have taken a major hit with news that junior guard Jesse Morgan will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
Morgan, the Minutemen's starting shooting guard and their second leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, was injured in Thursday's 70-62 loss at St. Louis. Morgan's right knee buckled as he drove to the hoop and he howled in pain while being tended to by team trainers.
The initial diagnosis was a sprain, but after Morgan was seen by doctors on Tuesday, the tear was discovered. He is expected to have surgery next month.
The Minutemen are 11-4, 1-1 in the Atlantic 10.
Coach Derek Kellogg likely will use senior Freddie Riley in Morgan's place, as he did in Sunday's 77-73 win at Fordham. In that game, Kellogg also used regular point guard Chaz Williams in the off-guard slot with freshman Trey Davis playing the point.
“I feel bad for Jesse obviously,” Kellogg told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. “He’s worked really hard to be one of our team leaders and one of our better players. To have an injury like that cost him the rest of his junior year is tough for him. It’s tough for our team to a certain extent. We have some other guys that are ready to step up and play for Jesse.”
In addition to being an explosive scorer, as evidenced by his 35-point effort against Ohio on Dec. 19, Morgan is UMass' top perimeter defender and a key 3-point threat, which is a big part of the Minutemen's offense.
While Riley has been a solid contributor both offensively and defensively over the last half-dozen games, averaging just over 11 points, he's been a bench player most of his career. Even if Riley approaches Morgan's production, the loss in depth figures to hinder the aggressive, pressing defense the Minutemen have used with good results the last couple of seasons.
Davis had the best game of his career against Fordham with 12 points and 4 assists in 21 minutes.
Morgan, the Minutemen's starting shooting guard and their second leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, was injured in Thursday's 70-62 loss at St. Louis. Morgan's right knee buckled as he drove to the hoop and he howled in pain while being tended to by team trainers.
The initial diagnosis was a sprain, but after Morgan was seen by doctors on Tuesday, the tear was discovered. He is expected to have surgery next month.
The Minutemen are 11-4, 1-1 in the Atlantic 10.
Coach Derek Kellogg likely will use senior Freddie Riley in Morgan's place, as he did in Sunday's 77-73 win at Fordham. In that game, Kellogg also used regular point guard Chaz Williams in the off-guard slot with freshman Trey Davis playing the point.
“I feel bad for Jesse obviously,” Kellogg told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. “He’s worked really hard to be one of our team leaders and one of our better players. To have an injury like that cost him the rest of his junior year is tough for him. It’s tough for our team to a certain extent. We have some other guys that are ready to step up and play for Jesse.”
In addition to being an explosive scorer, as evidenced by his 35-point effort against Ohio on Dec. 19, Morgan is UMass' top perimeter defender and a key 3-point threat, which is a big part of the Minutemen's offense.
While Riley has been a solid contributor both offensively and defensively over the last half-dozen games, averaging just over 11 points, he's been a bench player most of his career. Even if Riley approaches Morgan's production, the loss in depth figures to hinder the aggressive, pressing defense the Minutemen have used with good results the last couple of seasons.
Davis had the best game of his career against Fordham with 12 points and 4 assists in 21 minutes.
Harvard basketball players Wesley Saunders and Siyani Chambers were honored again this week.
Chambers, a sophomore, was named Ivy League Co-Player of the Week, while freshman guard Chambers was honored as Ivy Rookie of the Week
Saunders and Chambers also swept the Ivy awards Dec. 3.
Chambers, a sophomore, was named Ivy League Co-Player of the Week, while freshman guard Chambers was honored as Ivy Rookie of the Week
Saunders and Chambers also swept the Ivy awards Dec. 3.
Gaudreau stars as BC bests UNH
January, 12, 2013
Jan 12
12:32
AM ET
By Brion O'Connor | ESPNBoston.com
CHESTNUT HILL -- After a three-game hiatus, the Johnny Gaudreau Show returned to Boston College on Friday, as the superb sophomore led the Eagles to a convincing 5-2 win over Hockey East rival No. 4 New Hampshire before a crowd of 7,884 at Conte Forum.
It's been an uneven semester break for the No. 3 Eagles (13-3-2; 10-2-1 Hockey East), full of highs and lows. Head coach Jerry York secured the all-time wins record on Dec. 29, only to see his Eagles manhandled the next night as they lost, 8-1, to Minnesota. A 3-3 tie against the Yale Bulldogs at home on Jan. 4 did little to rally the BC faithful before Friday's marquee matchup with New Hampshire (13-4-2; 8-3-1 HE).
And just when BC got some reinforcement in the form of Gaudreau, fresh off his gold-medal performance in the World Junior Championships in Russia (where he was Team USA's leading scorer with seven goals), the Eagles lost York for the weekend due to outpatient eye surgery. However, York has always maintained that players win games, and it was Gaudreau who played the pivotal role in BC's thumping win, collecting three points on a goal (the game-winner) and two assists as the game's No. 1 star.
"It's pretty nice to have him back," said BC captain Pat Mullane, the recipient of two seeing-eye passes by Gaudreau that led directly to goals. "He makes some special plays. He sees the ice better than just about anyone I've ever played with.
"When I give him the puck, it's my job to get open, and find those lanes, and if I do my job, Johnny's just so good at making those special passes," Mullane continued. "And he did that tonight."
BC associate head coach Mike Cavanaugh, who along with associate head coach Greg Brown ran the BC bench in York's absence, said the influence Gaudreau has on the Eagles can't be discounted.
"Johnny is about as humble a superstar as you're going to find," Cavanaugh said. "He'll probably be upset that I called him a superstar, but he just wants to be one of the guys. That's his really unique trait. He's such a fun hockey player to watch, but he really just wants to be one of the guys, and he gets so much respect from our players. He clearly lifts our team when he's playing."
York had a hunch that New Hampshire would be a contender this season, casting his preseason coaches' poll ballot in favor of the Wildcats. The early-season success of Dick Umile's squad has proven York's vote prophetic, riding the nation's fifth-best offense and sixth-best defense to a No. 4 ranking in both national polls. On Friday, the Cats jumped out of the gate quickly. Junior Dalton Speelman ripped a wrister off the right wing at the 3-minute mark that beat BC's Parker Milner cleanly but clanked off the post.
At 8:54, UNH broke the ice. Matt Willows forced BC defender Patrick Wey into a turnover behind the Eagles' net, and quickly slipped the puck in front to linemate Jay Camper, who tucked it past Milner for his second on the year and a 1-0 Wildcat lead.
The Eagles got level at 13:29. Forward Bill Arnold (like Gaudreau, a Calgary Flame draft choice) swung wide behind the UNH net before feathering a pass into the slot to a waiting Kevin Hayes, and the junior from Dorchester sizzled a shot past Casey DeSmith's glove. Milner (31 saves) kept the score tied with a dandy right pad stop on UNH's Austin Block at 16:20.
A minute later, Gaudreau began to put his imprint on the game, recording points on the next three goals. With a UNH defender draped on his back, Gaudreau slipped a slick backhand pass to Mullane, who wasted no time in roofing the puck over DeSmith's right shoulder for a 2-1 BC lead.
"He's a very cerebral player," said BC's Brown. "He really sees things a little earlier than everyone else. Some guys have anticipation; his anticipation is a little quicker than everyone else's. So he puts himself in terrific positions, and then he's got the skill level to carry it through once he does get the puck."
BC stretched its lead to 3-1 at 5:01 of the second. Moments after Mullane missed a tip-in at the left post, Gaudreau was sent in alone by a nice touch pass from BC's Destry Straight. Before UNH defender Brett Pesce could close him down, Gaudreau went to his backhand and went top shelf over DeSmith's glove for his 12th goal of the season.
"Coming back here (after the Worlds), playing with Steve (Whitney) and Pat, I think we've got a pretty good connection, and a pretty good feel for each other," Gaudreau said. "So it was pretty exciting to get back to see if we still had it."
They did. The Eagles effectively salted the game away at 15:43, with Gaudreau again the catalyst. Gathering a loose puck from Whitney deep in the right corner, Gaudreau spun around and rifled a perfect pass past two UNH players to Mullane at the doorstep, and the senior from Connecticut tapped it past DeSmith for a commanding 4-1 lead.
"Obviously, they're a real good hockey team," Umile said. "We can't give them odd-man rushes, and when you do, that's what they do. They bury them."
With less than 15 seconds left in the middle stanza, Arnold (two points on a goal and an assist) took a behind-the-net feed from Hayes and stuffed the puck past DeSmith to put the game out of reach.
New Hampshire cut the lead to three just 37 seconds into the third period, when junior Kevin Goumas took a feed from Pesce and snapped a low shot between Milner and the right post. But the Wildcats weren't able to build any momentum off the strike, and BC's counterattack kept them off balance and off the score sheet. UNH's Jeff Wyer finished with eight saves in relief of DeSmith, who stopped 12 BC shots.
York will get credit for career win No. 926, even though he wasn't on the bench (Cavanaugh reported the 67-year-old coach was resting comfortably). The Eagles will look to deliver York win No. 927 when the two teams square off again Saturday night at UNH's Olympic-size rink at the Whittemore Center. And, in a strange twist, the larger ice surface could spell trouble for the Wildcats.
Earlier in the week, when asked what was one of the major differences he found playing in the World Junior Championships, Gaudreau replied: "I think the bigger ice. I can use it to my advantage. We're playing at UNH this weekend, and they have a pretty big sheet of ice, and hopefully I can use that to my advantage like I did out in Russia."
Not exactly a prospect that the Wildcats will be looking forward to, considering what Gaudreau did to them on the smaller ice surface at Kelley Rink. But Goumas said he's looking forward to the challenge.
"Anytime you have a home-and-home series against a team, especially them, atop (Hockey) East and the nation, it's good to get them back at your place if things like tonight don't go well," he said.
"We didn't play our best game tonight, especially defensively, and we better wake up tomorrow night," Umile said.
It's been an uneven semester break for the No. 3 Eagles (13-3-2; 10-2-1 Hockey East), full of highs and lows. Head coach Jerry York secured the all-time wins record on Dec. 29, only to see his Eagles manhandled the next night as they lost, 8-1, to Minnesota. A 3-3 tie against the Yale Bulldogs at home on Jan. 4 did little to rally the BC faithful before Friday's marquee matchup with New Hampshire (13-4-2; 8-3-1 HE).
And just when BC got some reinforcement in the form of Gaudreau, fresh off his gold-medal performance in the World Junior Championships in Russia (where he was Team USA's leading scorer with seven goals), the Eagles lost York for the weekend due to outpatient eye surgery. However, York has always maintained that players win games, and it was Gaudreau who played the pivotal role in BC's thumping win, collecting three points on a goal (the game-winner) and two assists as the game's No. 1 star.
"It's pretty nice to have him back," said BC captain Pat Mullane, the recipient of two seeing-eye passes by Gaudreau that led directly to goals. "He makes some special plays. He sees the ice better than just about anyone I've ever played with.
"When I give him the puck, it's my job to get open, and find those lanes, and if I do my job, Johnny's just so good at making those special passes," Mullane continued. "And he did that tonight."
BC associate head coach Mike Cavanaugh, who along with associate head coach Greg Brown ran the BC bench in York's absence, said the influence Gaudreau has on the Eagles can't be discounted.
"Johnny is about as humble a superstar as you're going to find," Cavanaugh said. "He'll probably be upset that I called him a superstar, but he just wants to be one of the guys. That's his really unique trait. He's such a fun hockey player to watch, but he really just wants to be one of the guys, and he gets so much respect from our players. He clearly lifts our team when he's playing."
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Douglas Jones/USA TODAY SportsJohnny Gaudreau, pictured above after scoring a goal in BC's 2012 Frozen Four championship win over Ferris State, didn't miss a beat upon rejoining the Eagles after the World Junior Championships.
Douglas Jones/USA TODAY SportsJohnny Gaudreau, pictured above after scoring a goal in BC's 2012 Frozen Four championship win over Ferris State, didn't miss a beat upon rejoining the Eagles after the World Junior Championships.At 8:54, UNH broke the ice. Matt Willows forced BC defender Patrick Wey into a turnover behind the Eagles' net, and quickly slipped the puck in front to linemate Jay Camper, who tucked it past Milner for his second on the year and a 1-0 Wildcat lead.
The Eagles got level at 13:29. Forward Bill Arnold (like Gaudreau, a Calgary Flame draft choice) swung wide behind the UNH net before feathering a pass into the slot to a waiting Kevin Hayes, and the junior from Dorchester sizzled a shot past Casey DeSmith's glove. Milner (31 saves) kept the score tied with a dandy right pad stop on UNH's Austin Block at 16:20.
A minute later, Gaudreau began to put his imprint on the game, recording points on the next three goals. With a UNH defender draped on his back, Gaudreau slipped a slick backhand pass to Mullane, who wasted no time in roofing the puck over DeSmith's right shoulder for a 2-1 BC lead.
"He's a very cerebral player," said BC's Brown. "He really sees things a little earlier than everyone else. Some guys have anticipation; his anticipation is a little quicker than everyone else's. So he puts himself in terrific positions, and then he's got the skill level to carry it through once he does get the puck."
BC stretched its lead to 3-1 at 5:01 of the second. Moments after Mullane missed a tip-in at the left post, Gaudreau was sent in alone by a nice touch pass from BC's Destry Straight. Before UNH defender Brett Pesce could close him down, Gaudreau went to his backhand and went top shelf over DeSmith's glove for his 12th goal of the season.
"Coming back here (after the Worlds), playing with Steve (Whitney) and Pat, I think we've got a pretty good connection, and a pretty good feel for each other," Gaudreau said. "So it was pretty exciting to get back to see if we still had it."
They did. The Eagles effectively salted the game away at 15:43, with Gaudreau again the catalyst. Gathering a loose puck from Whitney deep in the right corner, Gaudreau spun around and rifled a perfect pass past two UNH players to Mullane at the doorstep, and the senior from Connecticut tapped it past DeSmith for a commanding 4-1 lead.
"Obviously, they're a real good hockey team," Umile said. "We can't give them odd-man rushes, and when you do, that's what they do. They bury them."
With less than 15 seconds left in the middle stanza, Arnold (two points on a goal and an assist) took a behind-the-net feed from Hayes and stuffed the puck past DeSmith to put the game out of reach.
New Hampshire cut the lead to three just 37 seconds into the third period, when junior Kevin Goumas took a feed from Pesce and snapped a low shot between Milner and the right post. But the Wildcats weren't able to build any momentum off the strike, and BC's counterattack kept them off balance and off the score sheet. UNH's Jeff Wyer finished with eight saves in relief of DeSmith, who stopped 12 BC shots.
York will get credit for career win No. 926, even though he wasn't on the bench (Cavanaugh reported the 67-year-old coach was resting comfortably). The Eagles will look to deliver York win No. 927 when the two teams square off again Saturday night at UNH's Olympic-size rink at the Whittemore Center. And, in a strange twist, the larger ice surface could spell trouble for the Wildcats.
Earlier in the week, when asked what was one of the major differences he found playing in the World Junior Championships, Gaudreau replied: "I think the bigger ice. I can use it to my advantage. We're playing at UNH this weekend, and they have a pretty big sheet of ice, and hopefully I can use that to my advantage like I did out in Russia."
Not exactly a prospect that the Wildcats will be looking forward to, considering what Gaudreau did to them on the smaller ice surface at Kelley Rink. But Goumas said he's looking forward to the challenge.
"Anytime you have a home-and-home series against a team, especially them, atop (Hockey) East and the nation, it's good to get them back at your place if things like tonight don't go well," he said.
"We didn't play our best game tonight, especially defensively, and we better wake up tomorrow night," Umile said.
Eye surgery sidelines BC coach York
January, 10, 2013
Jan 10
4:39
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
Jerry York, with 925 wins the winningest college hockey coach in history, will miss No. 2 Boston College’s two games against No. 4 New Hampshire this weekend after undergoing outpatient eye surgery on Thursday.
After complaining of slightly blurred vision, York consulted an ophthalmologist Thursday morning, was diagnosed with a detached retina and immediately had surgery to repair the problem, according to a team spokesman. The coach is resting comfortably at home after having the procedure performed by Dr. Jeffrey Heier at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston.
York will be re-evaluated on Friday.
Associate head coaches Mike Cavanaugh and Greg Brown will coach the team while York recuperates.
The home-and-home series with UNH begins Friday night at Kelley Rink (7 ET, NESN) and ends Saturday night in Durham, N.H.
York passed Ron Mason (924 wins) for sole possession of the most wins in college hockey history with a 5-2 win over Alabama-Huntsville on Dec. 29. Since that win, the Eagles (12-3-2) are 0-1-1 with an 8-1 loss to Minnesota and a 3-3 tie with Yale.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
After complaining of slightly blurred vision, York consulted an ophthalmologist Thursday morning, was diagnosed with a detached retina and immediately had surgery to repair the problem, according to a team spokesman. The coach is resting comfortably at home after having the procedure performed by Dr. Jeffrey Heier at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston.
York will be re-evaluated on Friday.
Associate head coaches Mike Cavanaugh and Greg Brown will coach the team while York recuperates.
The home-and-home series with UNH begins Friday night at Kelley Rink (7 ET, NESN) and ends Saturday night in Durham, N.H.
York passed Ron Mason (924 wins) for sole possession of the most wins in college hockey history with a 5-2 win over Alabama-Huntsville on Dec. 29. Since that win, the Eagles (12-3-2) are 0-1-1 with an 8-1 loss to Minnesota and a 3-3 tie with Yale.
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
Freshmen making impact for BC, Harvard
January, 8, 2013
Jan 8
12:13
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
At first glance, they might not seem to have much in common. One is a point guard, one is a shooting guard. One is from Minnesota, one is from California.
But Siyani Chambers and Joe Rahon have more in common than that cursory look might suggest. For instance, they’re both freshmen who have started every game so far for their teams (Chambers for Harvard, Rahon for Boston College) and they’re both making major contributions right from the start.
On Monday, Chambers was named Ivy League rookie of the week for the third time this season, while Rahon was named ACC rookie of the week for the first time.
Chambers averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 assists in two games over the past week, with 16 points and 7 assists against Saint Mary’s and 14 points and a career-high 10 assists against Rice.
Rahon averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two games for BC, with a career-high 24 points and 5 assists against Dartmouth and 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists against No. 23 NC State.
After the Eagles nearly upset the Wolfpack, coach Steve Donahue said he didn’t think anyone should be surprised at the play of his 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard at this point.
“That’s what he does. You know what you’re gonna get,” Donahue said. “He’s as good a player at that age in this league -- I don’t think there’s a better freshman guard. ... Joe probably had one or two decisions he’d like to have back -- that one shot he took was a difficult one. But he’ll learn from that.”
The one shot was a potential game-tying shot, on which Rahon drove across the lane and tried to throw up a tear-drop floater over the outstretched arms of a defender. It was a very difficult shot, and didn’t have much of a chance of going in.
But that shot attempt was one of the only things Rahon didn’t do well against the Wolfpack, as he repeatedly rallied the Eagles back into the game.
“I don’t know if NC State realized how good Joe Rahon is,” Donahue said.
Mark Gottfried & Co. left impressed by the talent Donahue has assembled in Chestnut Hill, telling reporters that the Eagles will be a handful in the ACC slate.
Opponents have been similarly impressed with Chambers and the Crimson. Tommy Amaker has had to lean heavily on Chambers this season, since he lost his point guard and would-be captain Brandyn Curry for the season when he withdrew from school after being implicated in an academic cheating scandal.
Chambers ranks second in the Ivy League in minutes per game, at 37.4, and leads the league in assists per game (6.0) and free throw shooting (89.8 percent). Rahon, meanwhile, is second among ACC freshmen in assists per game (4.1 -- seventh overall in the ACC).
Both Donahue and Amaker have had many occasions to praise their talented rookies this season, and that doesn’t figure to change anytime soon.
“The thing I’m most pleased with those guys is they’re just genuinely really hardworking kids that want to get better,” Donahue said of Rahon and teammate Olivier Hanlan on Saturday after the loss to NC State. “And there’s no BS. They’re in the gym, they want to be good and they want our team to win. And for young kids to have that kind of maturity already, it’s pretty remarkable.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
But Siyani Chambers and Joe Rahon have more in common than that cursory look might suggest. For instance, they’re both freshmen who have started every game so far for their teams (Chambers for Harvard, Rahon for Boston College) and they’re both making major contributions right from the start.
On Monday, Chambers was named Ivy League rookie of the week for the third time this season, while Rahon was named ACC rookie of the week for the first time.
Chambers averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 assists in two games over the past week, with 16 points and 7 assists against Saint Mary’s and 14 points and a career-high 10 assists against Rice.
Rahon averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two games for BC, with a career-high 24 points and 5 assists against Dartmouth and 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists against No. 23 NC State.
After the Eagles nearly upset the Wolfpack, coach Steve Donahue said he didn’t think anyone should be surprised at the play of his 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard at this point.
“That’s what he does. You know what you’re gonna get,” Donahue said. “He’s as good a player at that age in this league -- I don’t think there’s a better freshman guard. ... Joe probably had one or two decisions he’d like to have back -- that one shot he took was a difficult one. But he’ll learn from that.”
The one shot was a potential game-tying shot, on which Rahon drove across the lane and tried to throw up a tear-drop floater over the outstretched arms of a defender. It was a very difficult shot, and didn’t have much of a chance of going in.
But that shot attempt was one of the only things Rahon didn’t do well against the Wolfpack, as he repeatedly rallied the Eagles back into the game.
“I don’t know if NC State realized how good Joe Rahon is,” Donahue said.
Mark Gottfried & Co. left impressed by the talent Donahue has assembled in Chestnut Hill, telling reporters that the Eagles will be a handful in the ACC slate.
Opponents have been similarly impressed with Chambers and the Crimson. Tommy Amaker has had to lean heavily on Chambers this season, since he lost his point guard and would-be captain Brandyn Curry for the season when he withdrew from school after being implicated in an academic cheating scandal.
Chambers ranks second in the Ivy League in minutes per game, at 37.4, and leads the league in assists per game (6.0) and free throw shooting (89.8 percent). Rahon, meanwhile, is second among ACC freshmen in assists per game (4.1 -- seventh overall in the ACC).
Both Donahue and Amaker have had many occasions to praise their talented rookies this season, and that doesn’t figure to change anytime soon.
“The thing I’m most pleased with those guys is they’re just genuinely really hardworking kids that want to get better,” Donahue said of Rahon and teammate Olivier Hanlan on Saturday after the loss to NC State. “And there’s no BS. They’re in the gym, they want to be good and they want our team to win. And for young kids to have that kind of maturity already, it’s pretty remarkable.”
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.
BC's upset bid falls short vs. NC State
January, 5, 2013
Jan 5
7:40
PM ET
By Jack McCluskey | ESPNBoston.com
NEWTON, Mass. -- When trying to upset a Top-25 team on your home floor, there are certain things you just can't do:
- You can't take bad shots, heaving up deep 3s like you're playing "NBA Jam" and a hot spot just appeared beneath your feet.
- You can't miss free throws, giving up chances at unhindered points.
- You can't commit bad fouls, such as running into the ball handler 60-odd feet from the rim with your team in the penalty.
- And you can't suddenly go cold from the floor, failing to score for minutes at a time.
History tells us you can't do those things and win. Yet the Eagles did all that and still had a chance to upset No. 23 NC State in a nationally televised game Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles didn't always take smart shots, shot 64.9 percent from the foul line, committed bad fouls and went long stretches without scoring but still found themselves neck-and-neck with the Wolfpack late in the second half.
After Joe Rahon hit the first of two free throws to tie the game at 59, his second shot bounced long and Ryan Anderson tipped it to Patrick Heckmann to give BC another shot. Lonnie Jackson converted, nailing a 3 to put the Eagles up 62-59 with less than six minutes to play.
That was a glimpse of the good things the young Eagles did, and the 3 got the crowd fired up. But the next possession was a glimpse of the bad, as Rodney Purvis wound up wide open off an inbounds pass and hit a 3 to tie the game.
BC wouldn't lead again. With time running down late, trailing by three, Rahon had a good look at a game-tying 3 but the shot fell short, clanging off the front iron. NC State got the rebound and held on for a 78-73 win.
"As I told the guys, I thought we did a lot of things really well in terms of things that you're gonna need to do to win the game," BC coach Steve Donahue said. "I thought we were tough and physical and competed and took care of the basketball, fought through adversity with foul trouble.
"But to win a game against as talented a team as that, we gotta do certain things that we typically do. One of them is shoot foul shots. We're a better foul shooting team than that."
The Eagles came into the game shooting 74 percent from the line. Hitting that average might not have made the difference Saturday, but it would have helped.
"Hopefully it was just one of those fluke things," Anderson said. "We have great shooters on this team throughout the whole roster. Hopefully we just move on to the next game, and I think they'll drop in the next one."
"When it comes to game time, we've gotta knock them in," Rahon said. "There's no excuse for missing them."
The game was entertaining, seesawing back and forth throughout.
BC ripped off a 10-1 run in the first; NC State answered with a 12-2 run. NC State opened the second half with an 8-2 run to take a seven-point lead before BC answered with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 39.
The Eagles (8-6, 0-1 ACC), winners of five straight entering the game, weren't surprised to be hanging with the Wolfpack (12-2, 1-0), winners of seven straight coming in and eight straight going out.
"We know we can play with anybody," Rahon said. "So staying close with NC State -- maybe should have beaten NC State -- we expect to be in that situation. … Just being in those kind of situations, in the future down the road it will prove to have helped us.
"But right now we're just disappointed we didn't come through."
Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.