Hockey Preview: Eagles Expected to Soar

Written by Jen Dobias Oct 2, 2012

When the Boston College men’s hockey team earned the nation’s preseason No. 1 ranking, it wasn’t any surprise. The defending champs, who also finished last year on a remarkable 19-game winning streak, go into this season as a favorite to win it all again.

“We’re hungry for another national championship, and we expect to win one,” said sophomore forward Danny Linell. “We’re ready to go.”

Nothing is guaranteed, of course, and the players are more than well aware of that. The team won a national championship in 2008, only to miss the NCAA playoffs completely in 2009. After winning it all in 2010, they were shocked by Colorado College in the first round of the playoffs in 2011.

“There’s definitely a pattern there,” said assistant captain Steven Whitney. “I don’t think it has anything to do with a championship hangover or anything like that. Each year is different and we have just as a good a chance as any other year this year if we do the right things and play the right way to win a national championship.”

Inside this edition of The Observer is a breakdown of what will bring BC success this season. There are previews on the forwards, defensemen and goalies, as well as on the Hockey East. There is also a feature on Whitney, who figures to be a key player in the team’s success this year.

Jen Dobias

Jen Dobias hopes to be a sports journalist after graduation and dreams of working for Sports Illustrated or The Hockey News. She has interned at the Courier-Post in the sports department for two summers and even had one of her articles picked up by USA Today. While she is a hockey writer at heart (and a former player), she enjoys covering all sports and especially the athletes who compete in them. It is as Terry McDonell wrote in his article "In My Tribe": "It's not about scores and stats, it's about the stories. The players' skill and athleticism can be mind-blowing, but without the backstories there is no connection. The excitement comes from knowing enough about the athletes to care who makes the shot and who misses...There are no home teams for us. We root for the story."

Jen has written 42 articles for The Observer.