Boston College is back--not that they ever really left.
The Eagles have been the most dominant team in college hockey over the past decade, making their presence known in five of the last seven Frozen Four contests. That span includes two second-place finishes and two national championships. Their last title came in 2010 with a 5-0 shutout of Wisconsin.
Even stretching as far back as 1948, the Eagles have advanced to the modern-day "Frozen Four" twenty-three times (with the inclusion of this season). They have won a total of four championships ('49, '01, '08, '10) and have finished at second place six times ('65, '78, '98, '00, '06, '07).
Some of the most difficult years in Boston College hockey were the seasons of 2005-2008. In the 2005-06 season, the Eagles made the national championship game, but fell in the final to the Wisconsin Badgers. The next year saw Boston College once again make the title, with a chance to redeem themselves. All looked good through the third period against Michigan State. But a key save by then-Spartan Jeff Lerg five minutes into the period turned the game around, propelling a tying goal by Tim Kennedy with just ten minutes to play. The Eagles watched the championship slip for a second straight year as current-Red Wing Justin Abdelkader scored with 18.9 seconds left to win the game for Sparty.
But Boston College bounced back the following year, getting the monkey off their back with a national championship in 2008. They would again be crowned champions in 2010.
The Eagles have nearly everything going for them as they enter the Frozen Four this year. They are riding a 3.5 goal per game average, while giving up only 1.7 per game. Junior goaltender Parker Milner has yet to give up a goal in the tournament, stopping all 55 shots he has faced. It has been nearly 150 minutes since Milner has surrendered a goal. Boston College has spread the scoring out in this tournament, with their six goals coming from five different players (Chris Kreider had both goals for BC in the 2-0 shutout of Air Force).
Experience will help the Eagles this weekend. It will be a daunting task to take on the high-powered Minnesota offense; but the strength of Milner and the goals of point-leader Chris Kreider may very well take the Eagles to yet another national championship.
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