The New Haven Register recently released the Yale Bulldogs' 2011-12 men's ice hockey schedule, which will include a previously rumored home date with Boston College:
"Boston College, national champions in 2008 and 2010, will visit on Nov. 26 at 4 p.m. All game times are still subject to change. It last played at Ingalls Rink in January 2005. It will also be the first meeting between the teams since the Eagles' wild 9-7 victory over Yale in the 2010 Northeast Regional final in Worcester, Mass."
BC and Yale have been two of the best programs in the Northeast over the last two seasons. The Eagles had to go through Yale in the Northeast Regional final two years ago, while this season Yale was the #1 overall seed in this year's NCAA Tournament.
Sadly, this game seems a year overdue, as it would have been nice if the Eagles had gotten a chance to knock off Yale during this past season. Hindsight is of course 20/20, but the ECAC seemed a bit ... cough, cough ... overrated in the NCAAs this season. Also, I'm still trying to figure out how RPI got in.
Much like BC, next year's Bulldogs squad will look very different. Yale loses over 44 percent of its offensive output next season, as guys like Broc Little, Denny Kearney, Chris Cahill and Jimmy Martin all graduate. The Bulldogs also lose senior goaltender Ryan Rondeau, who played in all but 5 of Yale's games last season, posting a 27-6-1 record, 1.92 GAA and .928 SV%.
Though both teams will look very different in 2011-12, it's still a rare chance to watch the Eagles play in one of the coolest hockey arenas in all of college hockey. BC owns a 42-11 edge in the all-time series against its former ECAC conference foes. The Eagles last visited Yale in January 2005 and were a 1-0 winner in a game where goalie Cory Schneider had to stop just 11 shots to record the shutout.