PROVIDENCE, R.I. | DUNKIN’ DONUTS CENTER
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 30-31
Saturday: Quinnipiac vs. Canisius, 5:30 p.m. ET (TV: NESN, ESPN3)
Saturday: Boston College vs. Union, 9 p.m. ET (TV: ESPNU)
Sunday: Regional Final, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: ESPNU)
NO. 1 SEED QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS
Location: Hamden, Conn.
Record: 27-7-5 overall (17-2-3 ECAC Hockey, first)
Qualified: At-large bid
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: Second (most recent, 2002)
Head Coach: Rand Pecknold
Key Players: Jeremy Langlois, F, Sr. (38 GP, 12-18—30); Jordan Samuels-Thomas, F, Sr. (39 GP, 14-11—25); Loren Barron, D, Sr. (39 GP, 3-13—16); Eric Hartzell, G, Sr. (27-6-5, 1.52 GAA, .934 save pct.)
What You Need To Know: The Bobcats’ 11 seniors—sans goaltender Eric Hartzell—have combined to score 61 goals and 166 points this season. Only Colorado College (70 goals and 170 points) got more offensive production from its senior class.
Burning Question: After winning the ECAC Hockey regular-season title and clinching the top seed in the NCAA Tournament with relative ease, have the Bobcats taken their collective foot of the gas in the last couple weeks? Quinnipiac charged to the top of the national rankings—driven by voters and computer data—thanks to a 21-game unbeaten streak. Flanking that 18-0-3 run, however, were stretches during which the Bobcats were 3-3-1 and 6-4-1, respectively. That last stretch included an overtime loss to a pretty bad Harvard team and a shutout loss to a mediocre Brown squad in last week’s ECAC Hockey semifinals.
Most Recent Quinnipiac Line Chart
|
|||
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing | Notes |
24-Travis St. Denis |
10-Connor Jones |
15-Kellen Jones |
The youngest player on the Bobcats’ roster, sophomore forward Matthew Peca, turns 20 on April 27. The oldest, senior forward Kevin Bui, turns 26 on April 21. |
39-Clay Harvey |
17-Jeremy Langlois |
11-Russ Goodman |
|
12-Bryce Van Brabant |
7-Ben Arnt |
19-J. Samuels-Thomas |
|
9-Kevin Bui |
6-Cory Hibbeler |
16-Brooks Robinson |
|
Defense | Defense | Goalies | |
3-Zach Davies |
27-Zach Tolkinen |
33-Eric Hartzell |
Canisius goalie Tony Capobianco and Hartzell rank first and second, respectively, in the country in minutes played. |
22-Danny Federico |
8-Alex Barron |
34-Mike Garteig |
|
4-Loren Barron |
23-Zack Currie |
35-Jacob Meyers |
NO. 2 SEED BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Record: 22-11-4 overall (15-9-3 Hockey East, second)
Qualified: At-large bid
NCAA Championships: Five (1949, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2012)
NCAA Appearance: 32nd (most recent, 2012)
Head Coach: Jerry York
Key Players: Johnny Gaudreau, F, So. (34 GP, 20-30—50); Steven Whitney, F, Sr. (37 GP 26-19—45); Michael Matheson, D, Fr. (35 GP, 8-17—25); Parker Milner, G, Sr. (22-10-4, 2.59 GAA, .912 save pct.)
What You Need To Know: The Eagles posted a 14-5-1 record against teams with sub.-500 records and a 8-6-3 mark against opponents with winning records this season. Since Christmas, Boston College’s record against plus-.500 teams is 2-5-2.
Burning Question: Can the defending champions fix the areas that led to their 10-9-3 record following a Dec. 29 win against Alabama-Huntsville at the Mariucci Classic in Minneapolis? Over that 22-game stretch, the Eagles rank tied for 32nd in scoring defense (2.86 goals per game) and have faced 107 opponent power-play chances, more than any team in the country, which explains their lackluster ranking (tied for 36th) since Dec. 29 in power-play goals allowed.
Most Recent Boston College Line Chart
|
|||
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing | Notes |
13-Johnny Gaudreau |
24-Bill Arnold |
17-Destry Straight |
Whitney has scored 17 of his 26 goals since New Year’s Day, tied with North Dakota’s Danny Kristo for the most in the nation during that span. |
27-Quinn Smith |
11-Pat Mullane |
21-Steven Whitney |
|
18-Michael Sit |
23-Pat Brown |
14-Brooks Dyroff |
|
2-Colin Sullivan |
15-Cam Spiro |
9-Brendan Silk |
|
Defense | Defense | Goalies | |
4-Ted Doherty |
6-Pat Wey |
35-Parker Milner |
The Eagles have never played against any of the three teams joining them in the East Regional this weekend. |
5-Michael Matheson |
3-Patch Alber |
29-Brad Barone |
|
7-Isaac MacLeod |
10-Dan Linell |
NO. 3 SEED UNION DUTCHMEN
Location: Schenectady, N.Y.
Record: 21-12-5 overall (10-8-4 ECAC Hockey, fourth)
Qualified: ECAC Hockey tournament champion
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: Third (most recent, 2012)
Head Coach: Rick Bennett
Key Players: Wayne Simpson, F, Sr. (37 GP, 16-17—33); Kyle Bodie, F, Sr. (38 GP, 9-24—33); Greg Coburn, D, Sr. (38 GP, 8-18—26); Troy Grosenick, G, Jr. (16-9-5, 2.06 GAA, .928 save pct.)
What You Need To Know: The Dutchmen were perilously close to missing the NCAA Tournament altogether when Rick Bennett benched, among others, leading scorer Wayne Simpson for the team’s Feb. 23 game at Cornell. The Dutchmen lost that game, but Bennett’s message was received. Since that night, Union has won six in a row (outscoring its opponents, 26-5, during that span) en route to its second straight ECAC Hockey playoff title.
Burning Question: Which Union team will show up in Providence—the one that during a 9-11-4 stretch between Nov. 11 and Feb. 22 ranked 52nd in scoring offense at 2.26 goals per game or the one that’s averaged 4.33 goals per game during its current six-game winning streak? We know the Dutchmen will bring the defense; they’re tied for sixth in the country in scoring defense at 2.08 goals per game.
Most Recent Union Line Chart
|
|||
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing | Notes |
17-Dan Ciampini |
12-Kyle Bodie |
21-Wayne Simpson |
Union is the first team to win consecutive ECAC Hockey playoff titles since St. Lawrence did it in 2000 and 2001. |
9-Dan Carr |
7-Josh Jooris |
19-Matt Wilkins |
|
15-Matt Hatch |
18-Max Novak |
16-Kevin Sullivan |
|
23-Cole Ikkala |
26-Dave Roy |
11-Sam Coatta | |
Defense | Defense | Goalies | |
20-Greg Coburn |
14-Shayne Gostisbehere |
1-Troy Grosenick |
Grosenick has allowed a total of five goals in his last five starts, and has a sparkling .966 save percentage during that run. |
3-Ryan Forgaard |
28-Shawn Stuart |
30-Colin Stevens |
|
22-Mat Bodie |
24-Sebastien Gingras |
31-Dillon Pieri |
NO. 4 SEED CANISIUS GOLDEN GRIFFINS
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.
Record: 19-18-5 overall (12-13-2 Atlantic Hockey, tied for seventh)
Qualified: Atlantic Hockey tournament champions
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: First
Head Coach: Dave Smith
Key Players: Kyle Gibbons, F, Jr. (41 GP, 20-22—42); Preston Shupe, F, Sr. (42 GP, 16-12—28); Ben Danford, D, Jr. (42 GP 2-16—18); Tony Capobianco, G, Jr. (18-18-4, 2.35 GAA, .930 save pct.)
What You Need To Know: Prior to advancing to the Atlantic Hockey championship game last week, Canisius hadn’t been to a league tournament final since 1999, the first season of the now defunct Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Burning Question: The Golden Griffins climbed from seven games below .500 to one game above .500 on the strength of an eight-game winning streak fueled by an offensive explosion. Canisius has scored 36 goals in its last eight games, an average of 4.5 goals per game. Can they get that kind of scoring and a typical outing from goaltender Tony Capobianco?
Most Recent Canisius Line Chart
|
|||
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing | Notes |
14-Preston Shupe |
94-Matt Grazen |
93-Ralph Cuddemi |
Gibbons, Canisius’ leading scorer, didn’t pick up his first point until the team’s 10th game of season. |
20-Cody Freeman |
26-Pat Sullivan |
15-Kyle Gibbons |
|
13-Stephen Miller |
8-Mitch McCrank |
49-Tyler Wiseman |
|
10-Torrey Lindsay |
91-Carl Larsson |
12-Ryan Bohrer |
|
Defense | Defense | Goalies | |
4-Ben Parker |
3-Doug Jessey |
31-Tony Capobianco |
Capobianco leads the nation in starts, minutes played, shots faced, and saves. He’s tied for sixth in the country with four shutouts. |
21-Duncan McKellar |
16-Ben Danford |
33-Keegan Asmundson |
|
27-Logan Roe |
5-Stephen Farrell |