The BC Women’s Rugby team is very excited to get to be a part of the postseason tournament, especially coming after the first season in Division 1. The BC Women’s Rugby team moved up to Division 1 for the 2011 fall season. Their opponents included rival BU and rugby powerhouse Army. BC’s strong showing in their first Division 1 season earns them a trip to Texas for a chance at the sevens championship.

When BCWRFC heads to Texas, they will be taking part in the first ever USA Rugby Women’s College Sevens National Championship.

The difference in this tournament is that teams will be playing 7v7 rather than 15v15. Eleven women’s rugby teams, all of which were selected by a committee, will take part in the championship tournament. They are divided into four pools, each with three teams. Boston College is in a pool with Virginia and Arizona State. Other teams taking part in the inaugural sevens championship include Princeton, Texas, Indiana, and Oregon State.

The BC athletes have a chance to showcase their talents on the national stage. Scouts for the USA rugby team will be in attendance to recruit athletes for the 2016 Olympics. Rugby sevens is being added to the list of Olympic sports for the first time in 2016.

Student-athletes participating the College Sevens Championship will have a chance showoff their talents and be chosen to compete on an even bigger stage.

As a team, BCWRFC hopes to have a strong showing at nationals, following up a great season of hard work and dedication.

Q: How do you think you were able to come here and make such a big difference as a freshman?

A: I think a lot of what contributed to it was, coming in as a freshman, all the guys on the team were really accepting and made everyone feel like they were part of the team right away and made sure you were comfortable and felt like one of the guys. When that happens, it gives you a little bit of confidence and you feel more at home, and that’s just a testament to all the teammates and the leadership that we have on our team. We try to do that, and it teaches me because I know how good it felt to feel accepted right off the bat so I’m going to bring that with me this year to the freshman and for the next two years that I’m here. It’s just part of the BC hockey culture.

Q: How has that success translated into this year?

A: I think that it definitely helps getting a full year under your belt in terms of confidence and learning the systems and the coaches. I think that getting that full year of playing experience and learning that there’s the things you have to do every day to make sure that you’re prepared to win games and get better. It helps this year because you know how hard you have to work and how hard it is to win games and be successful.

Q: What’s it like playing with Kreider and Hayes?

A: I played with Kevin in high school, and I played with Kreider for the beginning of the year this year so when Coach [York] put us together it was immediate chemistry. They’re both unbelievable players—speed, strength, knowing where each other are. I feel like we fit really well together, and it’s a lot of fun to play with those guys.

Q: What does it mean for you to be able to play with Hayes again and be on his line here at BC?  [Arnold played with Hayes at Noble and Greenough]

A: Well, we always joked around when we were freshmen that we both wanted to go to BC and how cool it would be. It’s kind of surreal that it actually happened, and we both ended up in the same class; we’re both roommates, and we’ve been best friends for a while now, and it’s something incredible. I’ll never forget playing with him and getting to spend so much time with him. It’s incredible, a lot of fun.

Q: What did it mean to you to be drafted by the Calgary Flames? [Arnold was drafted in the 4th round, 108th overall in the 2010 draft]

A: It’s kind of like a dream come true. You grow up thinking about getting drafted, playing in the NHL. But it’s just kind of the first step because the day after the draft everybody’s back on the same level and you just got to keep working hard. It’s still a few years away because I’m here at Boston College so I keep it in the back of my head and try not to think about it too much.

Q: What do you think Calgary sees in you and makes you such an effective player?

A: I’d like to think they see a big, strong, two-way forward who has defensive responsibilities, takes pride in both ends of the ice, and can also score and make plays to help win. The coaches here put a lot of effort into making sure that guys know that if you’re a forward you can’t be one dimensional. You’re not only supposed to score goals, you also have to play defense and block shots and back check and all that stuff. I think that’s part of the reason that we’re so successful because guys buy into that and are willing to sacrifice some of their goal production to help the team win.

Q: Johnny Gaudreau was also drafted by the Flames [4th round, 104th overall in the 2011 draft]. What does it mean for you to potentially be able to play with him at the next level?

A: It’s definitely a cool idea, something cool to think about. I actually met him out in Calgary over the past summer out at the camp. He hadn’t committed to BC yet though but I talked to him a little about what it was like. So it’s definitely cool knowing someone else that was drafted by Calgary that I can have a connection with hopefully someday down the road out there if we’re both fortunate enough.

Q: Did you help influence his decision to come here?

A: I tried to. I’m not sure if he was decommitted from Northeastern yet, but I talked to him about BC and what the culture is all about here, and then I got the chance to give him his official visit here later on in the summer. I like to think I’m part of the reason he came here.

Q: You left Noble and Greenough early to play in the US National Team Development Program. How did that program help make you the hockey player you are today?

A: Moving away from home, out to Michigan, away from all my friends and into an uncomfortable environment, it definitely helped me mature, grow up and get a feel for what college was going to be like because I wasn’t going to be around my parents as much. So it definitely helped prepare me mentally. Also, on the side of hockey, it prepared me physically because we played a demanding schedule—a lot of lifting, we played some college teams—so I definitely felt like it prepared me for the speed and physicality of the game once I got to college.

Q: You won a gold medal with the U-18 team at the IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship in 2010. What was that like?

A: It was an honor to be able to represent my country. The whole year you’re out there, that’s what you’re striving to do; your main goal is to win the gold medal in April and to accomplish your goal like that is really fulfilling for yourself and as a team. So it was a lot of fun.

Q: Who’s the most underrated?

A: I’d say Patch Alber because he was a walk-on here, but he’s played and contributed every year he’s been here and he’s earned a scholarship. A lot of the stuff he does kind of goes unnoticed sometimes, but he always works hard and helps us win games.

Q: Who has the best trick shot?

A: I’d probably say Kevin Hayes. He’s got a good pair of hands.

Q: Who’s the most superstitious?

A: I might have to say myself for that one. I have little things that I do. I try to do the same thing every day on game day just to prepare—when I wake up, what I eat, what music I listen to, just a lot of little things.

Q: What was the funniest moment from last year?

A: Phil Samuelsson had a dance that he used to do after we won some big games so that was always pretty funny when he’d do that.

Q: Who’s the hardest worker on the team?

A: That’s a hard question to answer because we have so many guys that work hard, but I’d say probably our hardest worker is Tommy Cross just because he’s our captain and he leads by example. Everyday he’s ready to go, excited, having fun but also pushing everyone and doing a great job of making sure our team’s reading to go.

Q: Who’s the most intense person in practice?

A: I’d put Tommy Cross for that one too just because he sets the tone for everyone being our captain. He’s really intense, pushes us all and sets a good example, but also makes sure we have fun.

The Observer would like to congratulate Arnold and Johnny Gaudreau for being named to the preliminary roster for the 2012 U.S. Junior National Team, as announced by USA Hockey on Monday.

Boston College dropped to 2-6 on the season as they fell to BU, 75-61 in front of 5,000 at Conte Forum. The Terriers were fueled by senior Darryl Partin’s 27 points, while sophomore guard D.J. Irving contributed 17 points and 7 assists. Defensively, BU utilized a double-team to hold Eagles sharpshooter Patrick Heckmann to just six points.

While freshman guard Lonnie Jackson took advantage with 11 points, no other BC player reached double-digit scoring.

The Eagles hung tough early, leading by as much as nine late in the first half. However, the Terriers closed the first half with a 15-6 run to go into halftime tied 31-31. After going back and forth early in the second half, Partin poured in 15 points in the final 9 minutes to spearhead a run that would put the BU lead out of reach for good.

The key to the BU victory was the battle of the boards, as they outrebounded the Eagles 37 to 24. The Terriers gathered 13 offensive rebounds, allowing for far too many second-chance points and ensuring that BC would never sustain any meaningful momentum shifts. Coach Donahue started four guards on Saturday, likely hoping for the run-and-gun offense that Cornell used for years under Donahue’s leadership. The result was a lack of physicality in the front court, as freshmen big men Dennis Clifford and Kyle Caudill were outmuscled in their limited minutes.

I caught up with team manager Brad Fadem after the game to search for some positives. “We showed flashes,” Fadem said. “We knew coming into this season that inexperience would be a factor, but the potential is there.”

To be sure, this Eagles team is not one that will soon be confused with the successful, NCAA Tournament-bound teams of years ago. Craig Smith, Jared Dudley, and Tyrese Rice aren’t walking through that door. The question remains, what will the 2013 Boston College Eagles look like? Will the current freshmen be able to polish their raw talent and evolve into the type of players that dominated the Ivy League under Donahue? With the Disciples growing in size and volume game-by-game, the only missing ingredient is winning basketball to have Conte Forum rocking like the good old days.

While it’s far too soon to write this season off completely, BC certainly looks like the worst Division I team in Massachusetts right now. As a fan, it’s frightening to think about what could happen when ACC play starts up. Heckmann has been terrific, and heralded recruit Ryan Anderson has been a steady presence in the paint.

Beyond that, the Baby Eagles have a lot of growing up to do. With the likes of Duke and North Carolina upcoming, it will only get uglier from here.

In looking ahead, BC will have some tough opponents in Providence and Harvard, but also winnable games versus Stony Brook, Bryant, and Sacred Heart. For now, they must take it one game at a time as they try to attain a sense of consistency. For a young squad like this, confidence is everything.

Saturday, Freshman Goalie Brian Bennet turned the tables, and saved 40 shots in a 6-1 victory, with goals from six of his teammates. The tired aphorism regarding defense and championships doesn’t hold here, as we won while being outshot, and lost miserably (with Milner in goal) allowing 35 shots in the two home games against BU.

Women’s hockey won Saturday as well, beating Maine 4-3 in overtime; with sophomore forward Melissa Bizzari scoring the OT winner on a one-timer off Caitlin Walsh’s assist. Bizzari, who had an incredible freshman year scoring 11 goals and 11 assists, feeds the mounting expectations for this women’s team. They made the 2011 Frozen Four, but were topped by #1 Wisconsin in the last minute on a rebound bundled past the graduated Molly Schaus by Wisconsin’s Brianna Decker. Is this year’s squad, without Schaus and the Olympic Medallist Kelli Stack, capable of beating Wisconsin in the Frozen Four? And I say Wisconsin with some certainty: they remain #1 in polling, are dominant in conference play, and are demonstrated winners. Compare that assessment with the underperforming BC men’s team: chippy, inconsistent, tends to be blown out in important games by inferior opponents demonstrating superior ambition. I’ll flog your memory and mention Colorado College.

Sunday, women’s hockey edged Maine again, this time in a one goal decision. Corinne Boyles earned a shutout in goal on 18 shots, and Blake Bolden scored the game winner assisted by Megan Mangene and Mary Restuccia. More good weekends like this, and the Eagles will coast towards another March meeting with Wisconsin.

This was the stage set on Saturday night. With a bitter taste from a second loss to BU still fresh in their mouth, just the night before. The Eagles rode down Commonwealth Ave. to take on their biggest rivals. On, this night, the Eagles would not be denied. For the first time in a few weeks this team looked like Jerry York Championship-caliber teams with a 6-1 win over 13th ranked Boston University. Crips skating, good passing, and some great goaltending (from Freshmen Brian Billett who recorded 40 saves in only his second college start) helped the Eagles improve to 11-5 with some major contributions from players up and down the roster. Six different eagles recorded a goal in a great team-win. This game featured a new top line that included Kreider Arnold and Gaudreau. The line combined for three goals and four points, each with one goal.

The Boston College Hockey team has played some inconsistent Hockey of late, but fans should keep in mind that the Eagles have faced much tougher competition of late, thus the 3-4 record over their last seven games. The big question facing Eagles fans should not be is this team good enough. They have shown that they have the toughness, skill, and discipline to beat any team when they want it. The one big roster question is about Goaltending. Who will emerge as the team’s top net minder?  Will Junior Parker Milner remain the team’s primary goalie. Or will Freshmen Brian Billett force himself onto the ice with continued success? This question will have to play out over time. One player will emerge; will step up in big games.

What remains for this Eagles team over the coming months of the season? The big storyline is can Coach Jerry York get this team to play consistent hockey? Can the Eagles show up night after night playing at the same high level? The immediate answer to that question is, of course, yes. Coach York is as good as there is in College Hockey; yet, this team does have a lot of the same players as the #1 ranked team last year who lost in the first round to Colorado College. You can’t help but think that game against Colorado College is still in the back of so many of these players’ minds. The captains know what it takes to get to that point, to the tournament. This team won’t settle for making the tournament alone, they have their goal set high.

In fact, the best thing any Eagle fan witnessed that mild Sunday afternoon, was our school’s new TV spot, in which voice actor James Herron slowly quotes from JFK’s 1956 “Jesuit Ivy” address, while the camera pans across scenes of campus buildings, which are deserted save a Superfan enjoying a tender moment, alone in the studio, painting. (Why painting would draw anyone to BC is a mystery.) JFK, and James Herron’s over-annunciation reminds us of James Webster’s exhortation: “Let us develop the resources of our land; call forth its powers, build up its institutions, and promote all its great interests, and see whether we in our day and generation, may not perform something worthy to be remembered. In his prescience, Webster rightly excluded BU students from this mission, as they clearly are not performing anything worthy to be remembered. Your correspondent struggles to believe that thousands of individuals are willing to pay $57,000 to call that 40 foot wide campus their home.

Superfans, you are privileged and dutied. We are committed to bear our share of the shame. As graduates, and undergraduates, of the Jesuit Ivy, each man among you can afford to some degree to wince at every mishandled pass, at every soft goal. Avert your eyes as our undersized forwards fight with Hockey East officials. Graduates of the real, not remotely Jesuit, Ivies console themselves as their sports teams are destroyed by superior completion, from superior leagues, and inferior schools: “We have futures.” Just like Boston College fans, however, Ivy fans are nowhere to be seen when things are bad. Fewer than 30,000 fans attended Saturday’s victory over the Wolfpack, which leaves our football team in the last five in the BCS. Console yourselves, Superfans, and turn to lighter pursuits, painting perhaps, or Night on the Heights sponsored activities, or spending time in the library when the sun is shining, so you can feature in BC’s next commercial.

The student section grew testier as the farce progressed. Members of the freshman class were witnessed hushing their louder neighbors. The Terrier section gloated, as streams of BC fans departed after each goal. We’ve built some character this season; hopefully soon we’ll become champions.

Anthony Russo/The Observer

BC football captures its much anticipated third win of the season on Saturday.

The Eagles improved to 3-7 (2-5) on the year, while NC State fell to 5-5 (2-4). While BC had nothing to play for from a postseason standpoint, this marked the last home game for the seniors who have displayed a deep commitment and dedication during their time here, including cornerback Donnie Fletcher, offensive guard Nate Richman, tight end Lars Anderson, and defensive tackle Kaleb Ramsey. Plus, it’s always nice to get a W against former Eagles coach Tom O’Brien. While O’Brien may be the winningest coach in the history of BC football, the victory means that it will be at least one more year before TOB wins at Alumni as a visitor.

Quarterback Chase Rettig led the Eagles to a touchdown on a virtually flawless opening drive, highlighted by a 41 yard connection with Alex Amidon. Backup QB Josh Bordner concluded the 5-play drive with a three-yard run up the middle. From there, the Eagles played Spazball, which simply means “run it up the middle.” Rettig attempted just 13 passes Saturday, completing nine of them. Meanwhile, Andre Williams was the featured running back for the Eagles, collecting 61 yards on 18 attempts. The real workhorse, however, was punter Ryan Quigley, who continued his consistent season with five punts on the day.

Linebacker Luke Kuechly continued his domination as well, totaling 18 tackles on the day, including ten in the fourth quarter. If there’s one certainty as a Superfan, it’s that Kuechly is going to show up. It’s difficult to imagine what the Eagles D will be like if he opts to take his talents to the pros. The favorite to win the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which honors the best defensive player in the nation, leads the country in tackles with 168.

It was Fletcher, though who may have had the play of the game. After NC State QB Mike Glennon compiled a 7 minute, 59-yard drive to take the Wolfpack into the red zone, Fletcher caught a terrific interception to end the threat and protect the lead. Minutes later, Glennon and Co. were back on the Eagles doorstep to finish off a potential game-winning drive. On fourth-and-five, however, defensive end Max Holloway batted down Glennon’s attempt to solidify the win for the Eagles.

Looking forward, BC takes on rival Notre Dame in the 21st installment of the Holy War. While on paper, this Eagles team looks less than equipped to take on a 7-3 green-and-gold opponent that has beaten the likes of Michigan State and Wake Forest, stats and records are thrown out when considering this rivalry. As a fan, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience taking in the scene in South Bend. Let’s just hope the boys from Chestnut Hill put up a fight.

In the men’s foil event, BC took home a silver and a bronze medal, with freshman Ryan Prince and sophomore Patrick Riley finishing second and third respectively out of 68 competitors. The two competed against each other in the semifinals, with Prince narrowly edging out Riley to move on to the finals.

“The highlight of the event was definitely watching them fence in the semi-final round,” women’s captain Gabriella Goode said. “Both fencers are extremely talented and will undoubtedly have a successful season on the men’s foil squad.”

Part of the reason why the pair is so successful is a combination of their talent and willingness to push each other to succeed while still remaining supportive, according to men’s captain Peter Souders.

“They are very committed to one another,” Souders said. “They understood that they were competitors on the strip, but once the bout was over they were teammates again. This let them cheer for and support their teammates all day, and it set a great atmosphere for success.

“They are also fortunate to be able to practice with one another every day, and their work together should allow them to become two of the best foilests in the northeast.”

The team had success in both the men and women’s sabre as well. Souders and women’s captain Chelsea Rosenbauer captured bronze medals in their respective events.

Even though Souders admits he wasn’t entirely happy with his performance, he was satisfied overall. In a very competitive and tightly contested bout, he lost to his chief rival in the conference, Sacred Heart’s Marty Williams in the semifinals.

“At this point, I know some things that I did well last weekend, and I know some things that need work,” Souders explained.

“Now I’ll get back to practice, focus in on those things that need to improve and hopefully when I fence Marty next semester, the result will be reversed.”

Sophomore Kendall Harmeyer placed fifth out of 88 competitors in men’s epee event, and a number of other fencers turned in strong performances even though they didn’t medal.

In the women’s sabre event, junior Olivia Curry finished ninth and senior Michelle Gaglia went an impressive 5-1 in pool play and ultimately finished 13th. Sophomore Devin Midgley (19th) and junior Denis McGovern (28th) each showed the progress they have made during this season with their strong performances in men’s sabre.

Both Souders and Goode were particularly impressed with Gaglia’s performance. “On the strip, she displayed a competitive drive and a confidence unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” Goode said. “She’s definitely in for a great season.”

The team’s overall improvement bodes well for its future, says both Souders and Goode.

“For our team to be successful, we will need more than just the five medalists to excel in competition,” he noted. “We will need everyone to provide victories in every match.  Seeing all of the members of the sabre squad step up and show that they are ready to win was an excellent sign and was definitely a highlight for me.”

“Although the tournament is early in the season, it gives us a good idea of how the team is shaping up and sets the tone for future meets,” Goode added. “Our success at the Fall Invitational definitely energized the team; we’ve been practicing harder and staying focused for our next meet.”

The fencing team is hoping to build on their strong performance at the Fall Invitational when they travel to Brandeis University to take on a host of talented teams on December 4. Look for this skilled and deep team to dominate their competition and continue to have collective success.

The idea for the group grew out of the costumes worn by Mucci and Ryan Dunn at last season’s game against UNC. The two BC Superfans were thinking about what they could dress up as when they came up with the creative idea of Donahue’s Disciples, complete with white albs and their own motto “Let there be 3’s.” After the game, Mucci and Dunn met with Coach Donahue to make the Disciples more than just a costume. They talked about ways to market the team and to get more students to attend games, and the idea of a Donahue’s Disciples group seemed like a good way to make the student section more lively and exciting. At the beginning of this year, Mucci, Dunn, and Joe Rocco met with Coach Donahue again to discuss some more creative ideas to jumpstart the group. Donaue’s Disciples recently had a “Block Party” to meet and greet the group and the BC basketball players and coaches. They are also currently working with Under Armour on a t-shirt design and organizing road trips to away games close to Boston College. More events, like a 3v3 tournament with BC players as coaches, will planned as the basketball season continues.

With nine freshmen on the roster, the BC Eagles are a young team this year. Donahue’s Disciples “look forward to watching a young team develop and show that BC basketball is a threat in the ACC.” They hope to get more students on board to cheer the team on this season and “restore the tradition and excitement in Conte Forum for Boston College basketball.” All BC Superfans are encouraged to join Donahue’s Disciples and increase the noise level and excitement in the student section at basketball home games. To learn more about Donahue’s Disciples visit their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @BookofDonahue. Donahue’s Disciples will make their regular season debut at BC’s season opener against the University of New Hampshire on Monday night.

Patrick Heckmann, a 6-foot-5 guard from Germany proved to be the Eagles most prolific scorer, leading the Eagles with 19 points including a halftime buzzer beater from just past half court. Freshman forward Ryan Anderson, a highly touted recruit from California, lead the eagles with ten rebounds and added 13 of his own points on the evening.

Coach Donahue shuffled his roster throughout the night switching in players every few minutes- it seems as if he is still feeling out his roster.

In the first half, offensively, the Eagles struggled. They took some bad shots, missed free throws, and turned the ball over. However, Heckmann took over at the end of the first half scoring 14 of the last 15 points giving BC a seven-point lead at the half. UNH came out strong in the second half almost doubling their first half output of 23 points with 41 points, coming within one point three times. Chandler Rhoads of UNH was a thorn in BC’s side all night leading all scorers with 20 points, including some big-time three pointers.

Yet the Eagles held onto the lead throughout the second half finishing with a nail-biting, free-throw packed, 67-64 victory.

Boston College will head to Holy Cross on Friday November 18th to take on the Crusaders.

Captains Andrea Green, the senior forward from Chanhassen, Minnesota, Mary Restuccia, senior forward and Pennsylvania native and Danielle Welch, senior forward out of Hastings, Minnesota, lead this year’s team.

While led by three veteran seniors, the team is fairly young and boasts six freshmen. Freshman Alex Carpenter was named Hockey East Rookie of the Month for October with a points per game average of 1.38, leading all rookies and fifth in the nation for all players. Through ten games she leads the team in points with twelve thus far while Freshman Emily Field comes in second with eight points, followed by junior Blake Bolden and Senior Danielle Welch in third with seven points. Junior Goalie Corrine Boyles has been strong between the pipes with two shutouts already.

Two weeks ago, BC and rival Boston University split a home-and-home series with both teams lost on home ice. The Terriers topped the Eagles, 4-1, and BC then defeated BU, 3-1 later in the week. The team had last week off, but play this Thursday at Northeastern. Coming up, they have a heavy conference schedule.

In alumni news, goalie Molly Schaus and Forward Kelli Stack, both 2011 graduates, competed for the U.S. Women’s National Team in the Four Nations Cup in Nyköping, Sweden. The two helped lift the team over Canada in the Championship game win with a score of 4-3. Stack led all players at the tournament with five goals and three assists, totaling eight points. This earned her the title of Best Forward for the tournament.

Kevin Mejia, who was recently moved to forward from the midfield, scored his season’s first against Virginia, in the 27th minute, chipping a short slotted pass in the box over the keeper. The assist was from his junior classmate Kyle Becker, finishing a series of short passes through the Virginia defense.  Terrific passing between the BC forwards created the goal. Good coordination between Kyle Bekker, Rugg, and Mejia pressured Virginia for the entire game. In the second half, Amit Aburmad, senior forward, and Rugg continued to test Virginia’s defense with runs onto long diagonal passes toward the Virginia box. Both nearly scored on long balls from the Eagles productive midfield. Mejia connected with Diego Media-Mendez, freshman midfielder from California , who dummied the keeper and clipped a shot home in the 48th minute. Mendez’s goal was his sixth of the season, and gave BC a 2-0 lead until Brian Span converted a penalty kick for Virginia in the 70th minute. The Eagles move to a defensive 4-5-1 formation to protect their lead. Excellent delivery on corners from Virginia and the speed of Brian Somerville, forward for Virginia, produced too many chances. BC’s defense appeared scattered at times, permitting Virginia’s forwards Somerville and Brian Ownby too much free space. The Virginia offence repeated tried to score from the wings, and nearly succeeded, winning crosses and corners easily.   In tournament play, the Eagles cannot expect to win and allow as many unmarked runners, and open headers, on set pieces. Excellent goal-tending from Junior Justin Luthy kept Virginia searching for the tie, particularly on a diving, one handed-save in the second half, where he retrieved a header aimed toward the far post which had nearly past his reach.

On Wednesday, November 2, Boston College will play the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are ranked third in the nation, at home on the Newton Campus field. This is the last game of the regular season, and it will test our team’s quality against the ACC’s toughest competition. The cold weather, and home filed  favors BC, but the opposition will reveal our chances in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Whatever the outcome of this week’s game, BC has another opportunity to make the later rounds of the conference and the national tournament.

This past weekend, BC completed a sweep of UMass-Lowell in one game away Friday and one game at Conte on Saturday night. Both games played out very differently but with the same result.

Friday’s game started off as a defensive battle between two instate rivals with the two teams going into the dressing rooms goalless after the first period.

The Eagles responded strong when they got back on the ice with a powerplay tally by Paul Carey, followed by a goal from Steven Whitney barely a minute later.

This goal was perhaps the highlight of the night as Whitney tallied his 50th career point.

Boston College went on to score another in the second period and finally got the empty netter in the third period to secure the win.  Junior goalie Parker Milner racked up 37 saves on the night. This was only two shy of his career record.

Saturday night’s game on The Heights played out differently but the Eagles still finished the night undefeated in the Hockey East league. As costumes packed into the Superfan sections, the team treated its 4,207 fans to an offensive shootout.

Right in the opening period, BC scored four goals coming from Freshman Destry Straight, Johnny Gaudreau, Whitney and Chris Kreider. Destry’s goal was the first of his collegiate career.

Milner counted 37 saves again as the Eagles once again and showed how much of a dominating force the Eagles are in the hockey world.

Although the top ranked team is winning games in excellent fashion, it is evident that there is still work to be done.

According to head coach Jerry York, “Our club’s off to an excellent start,’’ he said. “But there’s still a lot of improvement we expect to make in a wide variety of areas. We accept the fact we’ve had a good start but we’ve got to push forward and just get better as a club.’’

It’s hard to get better as the best team in the nation, but the Eagles will not let their guard down.

Next weekend’s game features a Friday night showdown against University of Maine at Conte Forum. Puckdrop is scheduled for 7pm.

The weather conditions allowed Coach Frank Spaziani to take the ball out of his quarterback hands, as Chase Rettig completed five passes on just twelve attempts for 32 yards. Finch carried the running game, with Andre Williams also contributing 72 yards and touchdown. The only glaring deficiency in the Eagles’ offense was their four turnovers, but such sloppy play is to be expected given the Artic climate.

Defensively, Luke Kuechly totaled 12 tackles as well as a spectacular interception. With Kevin Pierre-Louis out with an injury, Kuechly picked up the slack to continue his absurd streak of 30 consecutive games with double-digit tackles. If the Eagles’ record wasn’t as abysmal as it is currently stands, Kuechly would be a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. It’s clear that no one is more valuable to his team than number 40 is to Boston College.

While the attendance was officially announced at just shy of 30,000, a more realistic estimate may have been one-fourth of that figure. The freezing temperatures combined with the wintry mix to force many fans to stay home rather than witness the matchup of the bottom-dwellers of the ACC.

In picking up their first win in conference play, the Eagles (2-6, 1-4) are now one of three 1-win teams in the ACC Atlantic Division. Coming off a tough loss to Virginia Tech in which the Eagles failed to show up in the second half, the boys from Chestnut Hill knew that this one was a must-win. Although the Terps have shown flashes of talent over the course of the season, their biggest problem (like the Eagles) has been consistency. In perhaps their most winnable conference game of the season, the Eagles came through when it mattered.

To idealists, this win represents a chance for the Eagles to continue their streak of consecutive bowl game appearances. If the Eagles simply win their next four games, 2011 would mark the thirteenth straight season that BC has gone to a nondescript bowl game. A tradition of mediocrity, but a tradition nonetheless.

The Orange Bowl certainly isn’t in the Eagles’ future. However, in a season where everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong, (see: Duke game), BC still has four games left. They might as well play for something. The Eagles face a very capable opponent in the Florida State Seminoles on Thursday night. An unofficial holiday in Chestnut Hill, there is no excuse for the student section to be anything but rocking. Rather than dedicating all efforts to #FireSpaz, it may be time to embrace this season for what it and get behind our team.

Winning the New England Challenge Cup, Connecticut Classic and the prestigious Eastern Regionals all in the same year was a huge step for the program, and they’re hoping to build on this success and show Boston College how talented they really are.

“This year, we’re still riding on the high of last year,” Kate Froehlich, the president of the program, added. “We had one fantastic season and we’re ready to have another one. Seeing how well our hard work paid off last year really keeps us going right now.”

Synchronized skating poses some unique challenges, according to Marion Halftermeyer who, like many members of the team, had only skated freestyle before coming to BC.

The team skates as a block of skaters in unison, each skater performing the same moves for the team to get credit for each element. Often creating circles or intersecting lines, skaters must stay on beat and in their own space to impress the judges and avoid collisions.

“Sometimes we end up crashing into the boards, which is never a good thing,” Halftermeyer said, with a laugh.

For these reasons, each skater must be talented and willing to come to practices, even if they have to get up before the sun rises or travel to east Boston at night.

“Because this is a team sport, we rely on each and every one of our members to perform their best at all times,” Froehlich explained. “We’re truly only as strong as our weakest link.”

This season could be the one that elevates the team to the next level. Last year, they competed at the open collegiate level which meant that they couldn’t qualify for Nationals despite their impressive resume. The team switches between the open collegiate and the more competitive collegiate level yearly, depending on their skill level, and they’re hoping to move up again this year.

With talented freshmen, a new coach and more consistent ice time, this dream could become a reality because they now have a better chance to learn the more complicated routines necessary to compete at the higher level.

“Competing at collegiate would be difficult and would require a lot of hard work and dedication, but I think as long as we pass all the requirements it would be a possibility,” Beth Evans, the vice president of the freestyle team, noted.

Part of the reason the team is so successful is also because of how close they are off the ice. With their post-practice breakfasts, similar backgrounds in competitive freestyle figure skating, and shared goals, this team is as committed to each other as they are to the team’s on-ice success.

“I think that the team was so successful last year because of how close everyone became,” Evans explained. “I always compare the figure skating team to a little sorority. This small, tight knit group allows us to get to know each other on a personal level so that we can move together towards our common goals.”

If last season is any indication, many of these goals and a trip to Nationals could become a reality for this promising and close team.

“Last year we were ‘Triple Gold Medalists,’ and I know that if we continue forward with the same enthusiasm and commitment, we’ll be able to show the BC community how great figure skating truly is,” Evans said.

That run-n-gun attitude served Coach Donahue well at Cornell as it created an exciting style of basketball, and gave Cornell a chance to upset almost any team they played, provided they got hot from beyond the arc.  This is the nature of the jump shot: when the shots fall, a team looks unbeatable, but when the shots aren’t going down, a college team could lose to a collection of middle school kids.

In 2010, Boston College was the perfect example of the hot/cold nature of a jump shot.  The Eagles scored impressive victories over Texas A&M, Virginia Tech (twice), and the University of Maryland (twice); and was one shot away from defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels in Carolina.  Of course, BC also figured out a way to lose to Yale, Harvard, and the University of Miami (twice); and to get blown out in the ACC tournament by the Clemson Tigers.  On some nights, the Eagles looked like they would at least make the second round of the NCAA tournament.  On others, they looked like a team that would be lucky to make the second round of the NIT (BC lost in the second round of the NIT in 2011).

Now, in 2011, Boston College is staring down a season where they have been picked to finish twelfth in the ACC in the media poll.  They will have shooters all over the floor (anyone who attended Ice Jam can attest to Danny Rubin’s stroke), but there is no certainty in the middle of the court.

Any college basketball fan can tell you that, if a team wants to be successful for an entire season and make a deep run into postseason play, they must be able to get reliable, easy, baskets in the paint.  Last season, Boston College was saved several times by Reggie Jackson’s phenomenal ability to drive the lane and either get a layup or draw a foul; this season, Jackson will not be on the floor to create an easy bucket, and someone else will need to step up.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, those baskets will be hard to come by; size is not a strength of the roster this season.  The Eagles have only three players on the roster who are listed at 6’8” or above; all of whom are freshmen.  Jump shots can create upsets, but interior defense, strong rebounding ability, and easy baskets in the paint create sustained success.  It is a tough load to bear, but the three freshmen who will be occupying the middle of the BC lineup must play well if Boston College has any chance of proving the critics wrong and making a run at the NCAA tournament.

There is one good thing about being picked to finish last in pre-season polls; the only way to go is up.  The Eagles have a system in place that will give them an opportunity to surprise teams and pull some upsets.  However, if they are going to actually prove the critics wrong and rise out of the cellar to be a nationally relevant program this season, the three big men for the Eagles will have to step up and play with ability and composure beyond their years.

After a disappointing football season, the window is there for Boston College Basketball to capture the attention of a victory-craving fan base.  Will they rise up?  Ryan Anderson, KC Caudill and Dennis Clifford, you guys are going to be the answer.

While the 30 meter pool was a significant change from the dive well they are accustomed to practicing in, BC came in looking to remain the team to beat in the New England Division. Unfortunately the team started off flat-footed as Yale quickly ran up a 3-0 lead. With a rushed and undisciplined offence and an uncharacteristically poor defense, BC dropped their first game of the tournament by a heavy margin, 7-15. Senior Neil Hagan put the loss into perspective,

“It was a tough loss, but one we needed as a team. Now we know how much harder we have to work.”

Shaken from their first defeat of the season, BC came out looking for redemption against hometown rival BU. Earlier in the season BC was able to schedule a friendly match against BU in their own pool, drawing over a hundred superfans down the B-line to watch a decisive victory for the eagles and drown out the home crowd from BU. With that painful memory still in the back of their minds, BU came out much more aggressively than BC had anticipated. Despite this, Boston College was able to put BU in their rightful place and earn the ‘W’ in a close 8-6 win. After the game, Junior William Flynn was available for comment, saying “when the bus driver, our lone fan, started the ‘BC’ chant from the stands, our team really pulled it together.”

BC’s final two games were against the tournament host Middlebury College and Wesleyan University. Boston College was able to overcome a slow first half against Middlebury to bury them in an 18-4 rout. At 2-1 on the day, BC knew they had to rest up that night and come out strong against Wesleyan on Sunday morning, a team very capable of upsetting the resurgent BC.

BC showed on Sunday ready to compete, and played a fundamentally sound game against Wesleyan, effectively shutting down their offense and using their own speed as an offensive threat. The team drew inspiration from goalie Kevin “Jammer” Hall, who demoralized Wesleyan with his lights-out goal tending and even offered swim lessons after the game to Wesleyan players who noticed his flawless freestyle technique. After BC’s 17-5 defeat of Wesleyan, Junior Parker Condie stated “we showed up very hungry for a win today, and after all that quality water polo I think the whole team is now just thirsty.”

After their tournament, the BC men’s club water polo, now 7-1, has just one more tournament left next weekend, the winner of which will earn a spot in the Club Championship tournament at Georgia Tech.

With a core group of experienced upperclassmen and new blood in the form of a talented sophomore class, many of whom rowed in the novice boat that won the New England Championship last season, the competition for seats on the boats has been particularly intense.

But it’s only helped to make the team better and faster.

“Within the team, there’s been a lot more competition this year,” sophomore Cayce Jones explained. “I don’t think the varsity team’s been this competitive for years. We’re more or less at the level of finding the fastest eight guys out of our team so we can compete at the collegiate level with other schools we’ve never really been able to compete with for the most part.”

“This year, the level of competition for seats in our boats has helped push our team to the next level. Each rower has contributed significantly to the speed of our program,” senior captain Ross Tremblay added.

That speed was put on display during the Quinsigamond Snake Regatta this weekend. It was the team’s first event of the season, and the two eights finished third and fourth respectively, losing only to the University of Rhode Island and Bates College.

Even though they have only had one regatta to truly test their skills so far, the team has been preparing for the Head of the Charles Regatta all season because it is one of the most important events on their calendar. Celebrating its 47th anniversary this season, this regatta is one of the largest rowing events in the world and is also the premier event in New England.

As the two varsity eights will be competing against Division I and club teams, each rower will have to be on the top of his game to meet head coach Geordie Coffin’s expectations.

After a strong showing last season, he wants them to finish in the top ten, and Tremblay says that they might even finish in the top five if they have a strong showing. They’re also aiming to compete with the University of Michigan club team which is one of the best club programs in the nation.

Arguably, rowing is as much a mental sport as well as a physical one. So if BC is to accomplish their goals, they can’t let the intense atmosphere affect their game. It’s a good thing then that they have the right mix of veteran experience and rookie enthusiasm.

“While the seniors on our team have the racing experience necessary to keep everyone calm going in to Head of the Charles, I expect that, given their success last year, the sophomores will provide the emotional leadership come race day,” Tremblay said.

In the end, the Head of the Charles Regatta is so much more than just another event. While the team is going there to compete first and foremost, this regatta’s unique atmosphere and historic nature help to make it one of the highlights of the season. Jones, who is competing in it for the first time, is especially thrilled for the opportunity.

“It’s Boston’s race as far as rowing goes,” he said. “Rowing doesn’t get a lot of attention in the United States at least from what I’ve experienced and heard. It’s something where you get to see the rowers, the fans and their families sort of manifest in one day.”

“You can’t otherwise experience that in Greater Mass except at this race.”

For BC spectators on the stationary bikes and ellipticals, fencing is a sideshow in the Plex circus: mildly entertaining, yet immensely complicated. (The Plex is really more like the opera than a circus: you go to see, and to be seen.) It is simple, however: like most sports, the only way to win in fencing is to outdo your opponent, both mentally and physically. How to score is a matter of taste and context. Souders chooses speed; Patel accuracy, and Reilly is the bruiser on the foil squad. The combination of strategy and agility is crucial; a fast hand and reflexes can be the difference between a win and a loss during a close match. There are few common traits among each fencer’s style, apart from superior coordination, reflexes, and their dedication. Effort is the currency of success, and the fencing team has made down payments.

The Eagles have welcomed six new freshmen as well as sophomore Justin Jossick, who are all proving to be great assets to the team. Freshman Berent LaBrecque has found the support of the team to be helpful both on and off the strip.

“The team has really helped me start off college on the right foot, allowing me to have an instant connection with upperclassmen who could understand my problems adjusting to life at BC.”

Head Coach Syd Fadner plans to have the fittest and fastest team in New England this year. Accordingly, your Eagles have begun the season with speed and agility drills designed to condition competitive athletes for success. The team is also committed to scheduled lifts twice per week in the Conte weight room. Last season left the Eagles poised with a good outlook, as well as a growing desire to reach individual and team goals.

“Having goals is critical for any kind of achievement. Long-term ambitions fill every practice with infectious energy and determination,” said Rosenbauer, who is looking forward to her last year on the team with bittersweet anticipation.

Coach Fadner emphasizes teamwork and sacrifice in her preparation for the season. But as in all sports, victory is not an equation of abstracted ability. Winning a match is not a measure of the objective superiority of any team; nor does victory measure effort or teamwork alone. The final score does not measure the minor challenges or the lesser victories. The roots of success are reflected in Wordsworth’s inner happiness, “manners, virtue, freedom, power.” Winning does not encompass the private victory, but the importance of trying your hardest, and knowing that you did so.

The fencing team will compete hard this year -albeit in front of small crowds- and will enjoy every moment of it.

The team will officially open its season with the NEIFC Fall Invitational at Smith College on November 5.

The Eagles fell to the 8th ranked Tigers 36-14, much to the delight of the 78,000 in attendance. Chase Rettig threw for just 129 yards on 13-20 passing, while sophomore receiver Bobby Swigert was one of the lone bright spots for the Eagles with seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.

The Tigers got out to a quick start, extending the lead to 17-0 midway through the first quarter, following a costly fumble by Rettig on the Eagles 16-yard line. From there, BC never got back into it. Even after cutting the deficit 20-7 on a 20-yard touchdown run by Deuce Finch (19 carries, 81 yards) with 1:55 to go in the first half, the Eagles allowed Clemson to complete a 65-yard drive with a field goal.

The Eagles’ porous defense could not stop a nosebleed, as quarterback Tajh Boyd led the high-powered Clemson offense to 500 total yards. Even when Max Holloway got a hit on Boyd and put him out of the game early in the second half, BC struggled to get pressure on inexperienced backup Cole Stoudt. (It was later reported that Boyd suffered the injury after he opted not to wear hip pads for “swag reasons.”)

Running back Andre Ellington was reminiscent of CJ Spiller, rushing for 117 yards on just 22 carries. Ellington’s 35-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter put the Eagles out of the game for good. Highly-touted freshman receiver Sammy Watkins tore up the Boston College secondary, connecting with Boyd seven times for 152 yards. Kicker Chandler Catanzaro was a perfect 5/5 on field goals, including two from beyond 40 yards.

The loss solidified the Eagles’ spot at last place in the ACC. With an attitude already looking towards next year, Coach Spaziani made his best coaching move of the season, announcing that star running back Montel Harris and senior defensive tackle Kaleb Ramsey would both be applying for medical redshirts. In order to be eligible, a player must appear in fewer than 30 percent of their team’s games and suffer a season-ending injury.

In recent years, it has been often theorized that Boston College could never truly be great with Coach Spaz at the helm. It has been fairly understood that BC will win 8 games, go to a mediocre bowl, and call it a season. However, even BC’s harshest critics didn’t see it getting this bad.

Boston College has not had a losing season since 1998. With the Eagles heading into their toughest stretch of the season, it is not the 12 consecutive bowl win streak that Superfans are worried about. Rather, the most concerning prospect is that there exists a very legitimate chance that the Eagles will not win another game this season.

Shortly before the Clemson game, Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo tweeted, “Very impressive to see ALL Clemson fans in their seats 10 minutes before kickoff, in time for the National Anthem.” With all due respect, Gene, fans would be less likely to tailgate on Shea Field after the game starts if there was a product on the field worth watching.

Anthony Russo/The Observer

BC Hockey

Last Friday’s home opener saw the Eagles face off in a close game against the Denver Pioneers, losing by a score of 4-2 (one being an empty net goal). However, they rallied back the next night to beat Hockey East conference opponent New Hampshire by a score of 5-1.

Sophomore Bill Arnold leads the team with seven points, followed by freshman Johnny Gaudreau with six points. Junior goaltender Patrick Milner has started all four games, boasting a Goals Against Average of 2.00 and a save percentage of .923.

The Eagles take on the UMass Minutemen in Hockey East conference play this Friday at 7pm at Conte Forum.

BC managed to out-block their opponents 8-6 in the first set of the day. Unfortunately, their efforts were outmatched by the Blue Devils who took advantage of BC’s countless offensive errors; Duke took the first set of the night for their own, 25-19. Hungry for redemption, the Eagles’ aggression looked promising in the second set but was not enough as they let Duke take the lead once again. Sophomore Melissa McTighe was the first to get BC on the board to build the team’s momentum. Duke ultimately took control of the set and defeated the Eagles, 25-19. The second and third sets occurred in much the same fashion, both leaving the Eagles’ performance with much to be desired.

On Saturday, the Eagles flew down to Winston-Salem, North Carolina where they cut their losses to come out on top in their second game of the weekend against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Freshman Courtney Castle and McTighe were the leaders of the team, each stepping up her hitting game to bring the Eagles ahead.

The first few minutes of set number one looked grim for BC as Wake Forest led the Eagles 8-4; however, the girls kept their head in the game and the second half began to foreshadow BC’s ultimate triumph. For most of the set, Wake Forest trailed behind by merely one point until Castle and McTighe forced the set shut at 25-22.

The second set showed the Eagles coming from behind after a 10-1 run by Wake Forest that nearly knocked the Eagles down for good, until senior Tsevetelina Dureva and Barnum scored to inch the Eagles’ closer to a building comeback. Junior Krystle Higgins and Mollie Kolosky secured the win by closing the gap and giving BC the lead that it needed to finish the game.

Wake Forest came out fighting in the third set, putting up a .417 hitting percentage that the Eagles were sufficiently able to match. Despite calling a timeout when they were down 16-15, the Demon Deacons handed the third set to the deserving Eagles, giving BC its first win over Wake Forest since 2007.

For a few Eagles, this match produced some impressive personal records: Castle completed 18 kills for a .441 hitting percentage and also added two block assists to her season record. Senior Brennan Clark exceeded 1600 career digs, becoming the second Eagle ever to do so. Clark also put up seven assists, a career-best. McTighe’s statistics were impressive as well after she equaled her career record of 10 kills.

The Eagles will continue ACC play this Friday when they host Miami at 7pm.

Only months removed from leading the Dubuque Fighting Saints to a Clark Cup Championship and being named the USHL Rookie of the Year, Gaudreau is preparing for his latest challenge: playing for the Boston College Eagles.

Even though the 5-foot-7 center has succeeded at every level, he recognizes that playing for the preseason No. 5 Eagles will be a unique challenge. The USHL, he says, is fast but not as fast as the college game. As a 17-year-old, he is not as developed or experienced as the players he will be competing against, as most college hockey players spend two years in leagues like the USHL honing their skills.

“Since I’m only a true freshman it’s going to be hard work to try to get into game speed and transition into the college level,” he explained.

Last year, Gaudreau was faced with a similar challenge. After playing for the Gloucester Catholic Rams and for the AAA Team Comcast, he made the jump to the faster-paced and more intense USHL.

That story ended with a championship, gaudy statistics, numerous individual accolades and invaluable experience. It also ended with him being drafted in the fourth round (104th overall) by the Calgary Flames, something he hadn’t expected.

The Flames think highly of the Carneys Point native. In a meeting, Ron Sutter, the Player Development Coach, called him one of the most skilled players in the draft and told him if he put on 30 pounds he might even play for the Flames in the future.

Right now, though, Gaudreau is focusing on making the most of his time at Boston College. Originally committed to Northeastern University, he decided to leave when the coaches who had recruited him, including head coach Greg Cronin, moved on to different teams.

As soon as he was released from his commitment, the phone started ringing. Hockey powerhouses like North Dakota, defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth, and New Hampshire all vied for his attention.

In the end, he chose BC because of its emphasis on up-tempo, skilled hockey.

“A lot of the guys who go to the NHL from the team are small players,” Gaudreau said. “BC’s known for small players, and we [Gaudreau and his younger brother, Matt, who is also committed to BC] thought it was the best fit for us.”

So far, Gaudreau has been proving he belongs on the Eagles.

“In our initial practices, it’s clearly evident why he has had such success in midget hockey and the USHL,” Boston College head coach Jerry York said. “His hockey IQ is exceptionally high. His creativity is in a special category.”

“We feel as though he’s going to be an integral part of our club this year.”

Known for his quickness, creativity and on-ice vision, he is both a playmaker and a finisher. While he says that he uses the Philadelphia Flyers’ Danny Briere as a model, he has elicited comparisons to Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane Cam Atkinson.

In practice, he has played on lines with BC stars such as Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Pat Mullane and Steven Whitney.

“I was watching them on TV last year and now I’m playing with them,” Gaudreau said. “It’s pretty exciting to be on the ice with them let alone playing with them.”

He is also working on freeing himself from the “too small” label by gaining weight.

“He was most excited that he put on eight pounds in a month. I said ‘that’s college food for you, you better translate that into muscle,’” his father and Gloucester Catholic hockey coach Guy Gaudreau said, with a laugh.

“I have pretty good meal plan here so that helps me out a lot,” Gaudreau, who went from 147 to 155 pounded, added.

Despite all of his success, Gaudreau is remaining grounded. He understands that, as a true freshman, he has a tough road ahead of him. His main goals are to play every game and contribute as much as possible to the team’s success. One day, he hopes to win a national championship and fill the shoes of past BC greats.

He is also not forgetting where he came from and how he got there. Gaudreau dedicated his life to hockey, giving up everything from proms, dates and his senior year of high school at Gloucester Catholic.

“It’s definitely worth it now, getting drafted,” Gaudreau said. “Just looking back on my hockey career, I’d still give it up—all the proms and stuff—to keep playing. I had to do it. That’s why I’m here.”

And when asked what contributed most to his success, he gave much of the credit to his father, a co-manager at the Hollydell Ice Arena in Washington Township.

“Whenever I have time to skate, I have free ice whenever I want. He’s pretty cool about that and he always hops on the ice with me, teaching me stuff,” Gaudreau explained. “He’s always been there for me so he’s probably one of the main reasons why I’ve been able to play at this level in the USHL. Hopefully I can play as well at the college level as I did in the USHL.”

In the Adams Cup, the team shot a combined 929 and was +69 in three rounds of play. Senior John Nurczynski led the team, shooting a 229, +13. At the Hartford Hawk Invitational, the team improved drastically, finishing only +39 with a combined score of 903. Freshman Andy Mai finished in a tie for eighth place overall with a score of 217, +1.

“We vastly improved from the last tournament,” Nurczynski said. “However the lower scores and better finish don’t dictate the level of accomplishment we want from the team.”

At the Hartford Hawk Invitational, the team finished the first round in a tie for third place. But a fog delay that only allowed the team to complete 33 holes out of the 36 remaining took away their momentum, leading to mediocre scores and dropping them to eighth place.

The team will be back in action when this goes to press, competing in the NC State Invitational on Monday and Tuesday. With four talented freshmen traveling to the event to gain experience, they’re hoping to turn in consistent rounds and continue improving.

“The goals for the NC State invitational are to stick to our plans of consistency and concentration because it is another event with a 36-hole day,” Nurczynski explained.  “It’s good for the four freshmen who are traveling because the more exposure they get to playing big events the more consistent they will begin to play.”

“Everyone going has immense talent and it really comes down to transcribing that into good scores for the entire week.”

The women’s golf team is also steadily improving throughout the course of the season and came in seventh out of fifteen teams at the Yale Invitational.

It was a challenging weekend for the team, which shot a combined 938 over three rounds and finished at +74, but they’re not overly disappointed with their performance. The Yale Invitational is considered one of the better tournaments in the early part of the season, and the top five finishers for BC all were within four shots of each other.

Junior Kaela Klune and freshman Katia Joo led the Eagles, shooting 235, +19, each.

“Seventh isn’t too bad, but we definitely could have done better,” senior captain Eunice Yim, who shot 237, +21 overall, explained. “Personally, I did pretty well the first day, but didn’t do so well the second day. Even as a senior now, it reminded me to just keep fighting even though you might not be doing so well.”

“Even though we could have done a lot better, I think the team is still getting adjusted to the year, and we will do better as the season goes on.”

The team’s next tournament will be the Richmond Invitational on October 9. While they have never played in the tournament or on the course before, expectations are still high.

“I don’t really know what the field or course is like, but I think we could do really well at Richmond,” Yim said. “I have my fingers crossed.”

Every school year as we turn the calendar from September to October, the excitement for the college hockey season begins to build. Students across campus can be heard discussing, “Have you bought your tickets yet? When’s the first game?” Aside from the championship caliber team that Coach Jerry York puts on the ice every season, college hockey games are a blast and staple of the BC student experience. This Hockey season in particular could not be more warmly welcomed on Chestnut Hill as the football team at 1-4 has left much to be desired for diehard BC sports fans.

The season begins on Friday October 7at the four-team Ice Breaker Tournament in Grand Forks North Dakota with Michigan State, Air Force, and the University of North Dakota. The Eagles all but dominated last season, finishing with a 30-8-1 record and entered the NCAA tournament as the number one seed with a Ledyard Classic, Beanpot, Hockey East regular-season and Hockey East Tournament Championships all under their belt. Unfortunately, the Eagles underperformed in the NCAA tournament last March and lost in the first round to Colorado College by a score of 8 – 4. With that loss, the Eagles also said farewell to some key players who graduated including goaltender John Muse, who mined the net at Boston College for two NCAA Division One Hockey Championships in both 2008 and 2010.

“We lost a lot of talent last year, but the new recruits are looking great.  Of course the student body will stand behind the proven, unwavering leadership of Coach York again this year,” said BC alum and current grad student, Stephen Delute.

Coach York will also have to replace Senior Captain Joe Whitney and assistant captain Brian Gibbons who will be difficult to replace both as major offensive weapons, and as leaders on and off of the ice. In addition to the senior departures, the Eagles also said goodbye to three players leaving early for NHL contracts including Jimmy Hayes, Phillip Samuelsson, and Cam Atkinson.

While the Eagles will be without some key players from last season, the expectations on campus are high. The Eagles will look to some returning letter winners to fill the void and lead BC to another successful season. Parker Milner, a junior, is the more experienced of the two returning goaltenders and therefore he is the early favorite to take the number one spot in net. In the open Ice guys like All-American Brian Dumoulin along with Tommy Cross, Barry Almedia, Chris Kreider, and Pat Mullane give BC fans hope that another Hockey East championship is within their grasp. Boston College senior Hannah Leary described the BC Hockey games as “exciting and action-packed” and said that it is the season she is “most looking forward to.”  But the expectations for BC Hockey are not limited to Boston College students; insidercollegehockey.com picked BC to finish first in the Hockey East this season and has Boston College ranked third in the nation at the season begins. As the first home game approaches (October 14^th at 7:30 PM) there is one thing you can take to the bank, Coach Jerry York will have his team ready for the season.

Anthony Russo/The Observer

Few times in recent memory has Boston College football faced such a bleak outlook entering the heart of the ACC schedule. With Saturday’s Parents Weekend 27-19 loss to Wake Forest, the Eagles fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play. The program appears to be going nowhere and fast. Though BC put forth a strong fourth quarter effort to bring the game to within one score, the preceding three quarters were marked by poor execution and mental breakdowns on both sides of the ball.

The previous weekend’s blowout victory over UMass gave BC a chance to flex its offensive muscles. But toying with a FCS-caliber defense is not an adequate litmus test for how well BC can perform against FBS teams. Besides being winless against such teams, BC has been outscored 101-58. Nevertheless, there was optimism in Chestnut Hill following the 45-17 rout of UMass.

But it didn’t take long for the realities of facing an ACC opponent to set in Saturday. Wake Forest marched down the field on the opening drive, driving 74 yards for a touchdown in only 4:05. Long drives became an issue all day for a BC defense that last season could halt a drive in stalwart fashion; the Deacon Demons’ scoring drives lengths were 74, 76, 73, 59, and 75 yards. Especially on these drives, but really throughout the game, the Eagles’ defense could not apply pressure on WF quarterback Tanner Price, who finished with 252 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

In the first half, sophomore kicker Nate Freese kept the team in the game, kicking three field goals, including an all-important 52-yarder close to halftime. That made the score 17-9 as the teams headed to the locker rooms. Uneasy fans felt lucky to be in the game at this point; the defense committed three offsides penalties in the first half alone, in addition to struggling to stop third downs and get to the quarterback. Amazingly, chances looked good for BC to regroup and make use of having the ball to open the third quarter.

But the offense went three and out to start the half. Wake responded with a 47-yard TD pass from Price to Chris Givens, which pushed the lead to 15. BC never fully recovered. Senior running back Montel Harris fumbled at the Demon Decon 5. Al Louis-Jean intercepted a Price pass on the ensuing drive, but sophomore quarterback Chase Rettig was intercepted on an underthrown deep ball.

A few series later, Rettig found Alex Amidon on a 2-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 24-16. Freese’s fourth field goal on the day moved BC to within 24-19. Then, on the biggest play of the game, Price and the Demons converted on a 3rd and 15 from their own 15, a 44-yard passing play to Terence Davis. A field goal resulted, and that was all Wake Forest would need. Rettig failed to convert on a 4th and 4 in Wake Forest territory with under two minutes left, sealing the loss.

Perhaps the brightest spot on the day was Harris breaking the all-time ACC rushing record. The shifty senior running back has amassed 3,733 rushing yards over his long career as an Eagle. On the day, he displayed flashes of his former brilliance, consistently shedding tacklers while rushing for 106 yards.

Rettig (23-47 for 188 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) was a victim of poor pass-protection at times but still managed to complete numerous first down strikes. The Eagles made a consistent effort to take shots down the field to keep the run defense honest. Sophomore running back Andrew Williams left the game with a right leg injury, but his X-rays came back negative.

BC is the first ACC team since 1994 to lose at home to both Duke and Wake Forest. Hopes of contending for an Atlantic division title or extending a 13-season bowl eligible streak are all but dead, as the easier portion of conference play is over. On Saturday, one gutsy and determined Alumni Stadium squirrel found the endzone more than the boys in maroon and gold did. This could, unfortunately, become the microcosm of a team and season that has surely yet to reach rock bottom.

In addition to being on the road against Rhode Island, the Eagles had another tough obstacle to overcome: playing in the pouring rain. Despite the wet conditions, the Eagles were able to hold onto an early 1-0 lead. Junior Charlie Rugg scored his fifth goal of the season on a corner kick by Amit Aburmad in the second minute of the game. Even with a strong offensive attack by the Rhode Island Rams in the second half, the Eagles were able to hold onto the lead with a stellar effort from junior goalie, Justin Luthy. Luthy had a career-high twelve saves in the game, eight coming in the second half.

Playing on the road against Brown proved to be another test. In an evenly contested match, the score was 0-0 at the half. The Eagles got on the board early in the second half with a goal by Diego Medina-Mendez. Charlie Rugg added his team-leading sixth goal later in the half. According to assistant coach Kevin Nylen, the victory over Brown was a big win as it “put us 7-2 and we avenged our loss to them from the NCAA Tournament a year ago.” Brown defeated BC last year 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles got the win this time around in a very physical game, with strong play from midfielder Steve Rose and defensive backs Kevin Mejia and Ryan Dunn.

With shutouts in consecutive victories, Nylen and the team are very happy as “keeping a clean sheet is always a goal of ours every game.” While finding the strengths and weaknesses of the defensive line early in the season, leading scorer Charlie Rugg points out “Our Achilles heel this season has been giving up goals early in the second half, but the recent shutouts have shown that we may have found our stride defensively.” The Eagles have received strong defensive play from Kevin Mejia, Ryan Dunn, and Justin Luthy this season.

Rather than focusing on who scores the goals, Rugg says the team focuses on group effort and “as long as we are winning everyone is happy.” Heading to North Carolina to take on N.C. State this weekend, the Eagles are very pleased with their 7-2 record. At 1-1 in the ACC, Nylen says the Eagles will look to come out on top against a tough Wolfpack squad and gain ground in the ACC.

Anthony Russo/The Observer

Tight end Chris Pantale struggles to maintain BC's possession of the ball.

The much anticipated game had the potential to be a great point of rebound for the Eagles as they took the field, favored against ACC rival Duke with a seven-point betting advantage. However, Duke did not play to their underdog status and the Eagles were left heartbroken at the conclusion of the game.

The game was the epitome of a battle between two subpar offenses, and fans only had to see the final minutes to understand the magnitude and storyline of this game.

After the opening kickoff, BC took the first score of the game with a pass from Chase Rettig to Tahj Kimble. This 55-yard drive left Eagles fans feeling good to start.

Even through another quarter, BC played to their reputation of the team to beat and went into halftime with a 19-7 lead. But when the Duke Blue Devils stepped back onto the field after the halftime break, no one could have imagined what would happen next.

Duke quarterback Sean Renfree went to town throwing the ball with 52 attempts for 359 yards and two touchdowns to Conner Vernon. Renfree tied the Duke record of 40 completions when he scored the go ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

With 2:24 remaining on the clock, and Duke winning 20-19, the Eagles got the ball deep in their own end. Rettig then executed his best drive of the game going 73 yards in less than two minutes.

After trying to drive further to the end zone, the Eagles finally got to fourth down in good position for the win. This set up Boston College kicker Nate Freese for a field goal from the 23-yard line with 43 seconds remaining in the game.

As the players lined up for the potential game winning play, an eerie silence ran over the crowd as the ball was snapped and Freese’s kick launched the ball toward the uprights.

The silence was so quiet that even in the farthest reaches of Alumni Stadium, fans could hear that ringing sound of the ball hitting the upright as the Eagles lost to Duke.

While fans shuffled out with their heads down, there was no doubt that they wished to see better results sometime soon. After a devastating opening to the 2011 campaign, BC fans are being forced to cope with the team being 0-3 for the first time since 1991.

According to Rettig, “It hurts, but we should have been down in that area in the second half a lot more than just at the end of the game. It’s not just one thing, it’s a series of things throughout the game, and we have to be better.”

The Eagles will try to get their act together at home again next weekend when they take on UMass Amherst.

Tamer’s goal came on a penalty stroke, while sophomore Nicole Schuster connected with Wetherall to set up the second goal. The Eagles led 2-1 at halftime before Maryland scored two quick goals on corners to start off the second half. Down 3-2 with only minutes left, the Eagles pulled their goalie to put an extra field player in the game. The decision paid off; with a minute and a half left in regulation, Anna Wetherall scored her second goal of the game to push the Eagles into overtime. BC had a few good looks in the seven-on-seven overtime period before Maryland went on to grab the victory. With just over a minute left in OT, Maryland put the ball in the goal on a bang-bang play to pick up the 4-3 win.

Although they suffered a loss, the team is very pleased with their play. Taking Maryland into overtime -for what is thought to be the first time for BC field hockey- has shown the Eagles what they are capable of and has given them a lot of confidence moving forward. The team also credits their fans for coming out and supporting them in what was the biggest game in their season so far; the Eagles hopes the fans will continue to come out for the rest of the season. The team currently has a 5-2 record, with both losses ocurring in overtime.

BC field hockey looks to be a threat in the ACC this season. There are currently four ACC teams ranked among the Top 10, with UNC at the top. So far, there have been a number of upsets in Division I field hockey, and the Eagles know anything can happen.

The team credits its impressive start to its chemistry. During preseason, the girls focused on team bonding and spent time with a team-building coach. It seems to have paid off, as the team is currently ranked eighth in the nation and is taking the 2010 NCAA champions into overtime. Captains Carla Tamer and Jacqui Moorfield lead a team that hopes to make a charge in this year’s NCAA tournament. Continuing their tough play, the Eagles will take on the fourth ranked UCONN Huskies on Sunday and also have upcoming games at UVA and American University.

Defense is the name of the game for the lady Eagles’ eight games into the 2011 campaign. It has been almost impossible for opponents to even catch a whiff of the net.

The women’s victory against Dartmouth on September 15 followed the trend as the Big Green managed a measly two shots the entire match while the eighteenth-ranked Eagles scored just that many, blanking the Ivy Leaguers 2-0. Sophomore Gibby Wagner scored her first career game-winning goal of the season off a nice through pass from senior Julia Bouchelle.

The game was a microcosm of the season; the team has outshot opponents 130-39 through the Dartmouth game, netting 14 goals compared to only one for its opponents. That last goal came back on August 19 against BU. Since then, it has been shutout after shutout from senior goaltender Jill Mastroianni and the impressive D in front of her. The defense has worked hard on maintaining good positioning in its own end and staying organized. Though the team has dominated attack time, it has been important to recognize that defending as a team is just as important as attacking when trying to get the ‘W.’

Offensively, BC has centered its attack on taking shots from all over. “We have many talented players with great outside shooting ability, so our coach has really promoted us to shoot as much as possible inside and outside the box,” said junior Kristie Mewis who leads the team in scoring through the first seven games with four goals and four assists.

At the end of the day, this team knows that confidently staying together will be the way to come out on top, especially against a loaded ACC. While the season is still young, a return to the College Cup is not out of the question for Mewis and the Eagles.

“We want to be the team with the most heart,” Mewis said. “We have a lot of pride in what we do. We want to be the best soccer team in the country, and one big family.”

Catch a bus to Newton for the next home game, when BC faces No. 5 Duke on Thursday October 6 at 7:00pm.

The men’s team got its first reality check of the season on September 9, losing to the relentlessly attacking and top-ranked Maryland Terrapins 4-0 on the road. But the Eagles quickly took the loss to heart.

BC defeated Virginia Tech in dramatic fashion last Friday night 4-3 in overtime in front of a Newton crowd that was 905 strong. Junior Charlie Rugg’s golden goal in the 93rd minute avoided what could have been a VT two-goal comeback to draw, or worse. The winner was a header off a cross from classmate Kyle Bekker. He sent the ball from the right side of the field directly to a leaping Rugg in the box. Rugg’s fourth goal of the season sealed the Eagles’ fifth win.

For a team that was stifled offensively in the Maryland game, it became a matter of getting back to the basics. In preseason workouts, an emphasis was placed on finishing. The early pickings on the schedule such as Quinnipiac and Dartmouth gave the Eagles a chance to brush up on goal scoring.

The Maryland game was a shock to the system. The team had to get back to working the ball and pushing the pace.

“We understand now that although we have great talent on our team, our work rate needs to get better especially in the ACC games. We are doing everything we can to improve as individuals and as a team,” senior midfielder and forward Amit Aburmad explained.

The team certainly responded to this call. Coughing up a two-goal lead to VT did not faze players enough to surrender the win. Other teams in the conference should take note.

“[Our opponents] should know that they are coming to face a team that will work hard and at the same time plays good soccer with a lot of possession, creativity, and goals,” Aburmad said.

Though only Maryland, UNC, BC, and Virginia hold top-twenty rankings in the ACC, conference games always provide prime competition.

“Most of the teams are equal…but it comes down to who wants it more. Our job is to make sure that we want it more every game,” Aburmad added.

The next measuring stick for this team will be Tuesday, September 20 when No. 2 Connecticut comes to Newton for a 7pm kickoff.