Playing It Close
The Saints may have been accustomed to playing close games — 16 of 34 results this year were of the one-goal or goal-plus-empty-netter variety — but BC opened things up as the game wore on, and on defense eliminated St. Lawrence’s ability to get Schneider moving laterally.
Wicked Hot
The Boston College power play scored for the 11th game in a row, coinciding with its 11-game winning streak. It’s the longest winning tear for the Eagles under Jerry York, and the first time under York that the program hit 11 straight W’s in the same season. (The previous streak spanned the offseason, between the spring of 2001 and the fall after the Eagles’ last NCAA title.) That was just the first of many streaks kept alive by BC. York’s Eagles are now 7-0 in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and 9-0 in their first games of the tourney (going back to when high seeds received first-round byes). With the win, BC is the highest remaining Eastern seed in any regional.
Jerry Finally Measures Up
Just showing up drew York even with some past BC coaches that most would think he’d long ago surpassed: with his ninth qualification, York now has as many appearances with the program as John “Snooks” Kelley and Len Ceglarski did.
Saints Sinning Against Eagles
Boston College can now boast seven games’ worth of dominance over St. Lawrence, and a 10-0-2 record against the Saints in the last dozen meetings between the old ECAC foes dating all the way back to 1983. The Newton institution also improved on what was already the best playoff winning percentage in D-I since 1997-98, with a 47-14 record.
Cory Cruising
Cory Schneider started once more between BC’s pipes. He hasn’t missed a start, getting the nod in all 39 of the Eagles’ games this year. Only Jeff Lerg of Michigan State can boast that achievement. He’s been getting a lot of help down the stretch, as his skaters haven’t been held to fewer than three goals since their last loss — 2-1 in overtime to Boston University in the Beanpot championship back in early February.
Early Exit For The ECACHL
The Saints stumbled in their bid to win the program’s first NCAA game since the epic four-overtime victory over Boston University in Albany in the spring of 2000. The team did qualify for the tournament in 2001, but fell to Colorado College, 3-2, in double-overtime. Ironically, the team that ended the Saints’ run in 2000 was none other than the Boston College Eagles. In this, their 16th NCAA appearance, the 2,000-student school on the Canadian border fell to 5-24 all time. The Saints have never won a national title, but have qualified for nine Frozen Fours. SLU’s loss also marked an early exit for the ECACHL, as top-seeded Clarkson was eschewed from the dance on Friday by upset-happy UMass.
