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Happy double-gameday!
The Boston College men's hockey team returns to the ice tonight with a rare Tuesday night league game, hoping to increase their lead over the pack in the Hockey East standings when they travel to North Andover to take on resurgent Merrimack at 7 PM. I will have a preview of this game posted later in the day, but for now, here are some links to help get you ready:
Men’s Ice Hockey Set for Tuesday-Night League Tilt with BC (7 p.m.) - Merrimack Athletics
Returning to Hockey East play for its first conference game in a month and a half, the Merrimack College men's ice hockey team will entertain second-ranked Boston College and go outside of its normal Friday-Saturday schedule in the process, as the Warriors welcome the Eagles to town for a rare Tuesday-night tilt on Jan. 21 Lawler Rink. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
The regular season title is Boston College's to lose. The Eagles created more separation at the top of the Hockey East standings, defeating Boston University and Maine, while no other league team picked up four points in the standings. With a 10-1-1 Hockey East record, they now hold a six-point lead over their closest competitor.
Boston College junior forward Johnny Gaudreau, Boston College senior forward Kevin Hayes and Merrimack College sophomore forward Brian Christie are this week's Hockey East 3 stars of the weekend.
Johnny Gaudreau remains red-hot (Boston Herald)
The other news was the continued climb up the scoring charts by Boston College junior sensation Johnny Gaudreau. The left winger potted two goals and five assists in wins against Boston University (6-4) and Maine (7-2). Gaudreau has 21 goals and 26 assists for 47 points, including five game-winners, in 23 games. The Calgary draft pick has 142 career points in 102 games.
Hayes Tabbed Hockey East Player of the Week (BCEagles.com)
Following a career performance on Jan. 18 against Maine, senior forward Kevin Hayes (Dorchester, Mass.) was tabbed the Hockey East Warrior Player of the Week on Monday morning.
While things are going pretty well on the ice at BC for both the men and the women - who combined to defend Conte Forum to the tune of 4-0 this weekend - things are not quite as rosy as they are at Minnesota, where both the men's team and the women's team are unanimous #1 choices in this week's USCHO poll. I don't think I can ever remember a school being unanimous #1 in both men's and women's at the same time.
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The basketball team also plays tonight, as the schedule dictates they have to play a whole bunch more games before we can go through all of the coaching search drama. It's a home game, at 9 PM, broadcast live on ESPNU.
Beginning a stretch of four road games in its next five, Georgia Tech visits Boston College for a nationally televised game at 9 p.m. Tuesday night at the Silvio O. Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Men's Hoops Hosts Georgia Tech Tuesday - Boston College Official Athletic Site
• Boston College hosts Georgia Tech on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. in Conte Forum for the first of two meetings between the programs this year.
• The Eagles have won three-straight contests against the Yellow Jackets, including two last season in consecutive games to end the regular season and open the ACC Tournament.
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On football:
College football's 2013 All-Surprise Team: Freshmen, breakthroughs and reinventions - SBNation.com
Running back Andre Williams, Boston College; Kapri Bibbs, Colorado State
Boston College Eagles, NC State Wolfpack turn to Florida QB transfers (ESPN ACC Blog)
Addazio also has said he wants to diversify the offense with a dual-threat quarterback behind center, what he has done throughout his career. Murphy may have gone 2-4 last year in his starts with the Gators, but he is the only quarterback on the BC roster to have started a collegiate game. If Murphy wins the starting job, Addazio can better tailor the offense to his strengths, something that did not happen last year in Gainesville.
Eagle in Atlanta -- atleagle.com: Is the Northeast a better recruiting territory than we realize?
The above map was part of a series posted on Deadspin Monday. It is a per capita display of where college football players come from. If you look at their other maps you will see that the Northeast (for this purpose Washington, D.C. north) produces a lot of college football players.
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And in hockey alumni news:
Whitney to be honored with bobblehead doll - Troy Record
Though he has yet to play in his first National Hockey League game, Joe Whitney has officially made the big time. On Saturday, the Boston native will be honored with his own bobblehead doll, given away to the first 1,600 fans inside the Times Union Center for the Albany Devils game with Northway rival Adirondack.
In a contest featuring 5 BC alumni - Scott Clemmensen and Jimmy Hayes on Florida, and Chuck Kobasew, Brooks Orpik and Rob Scuderi on Pittsburgh - Clemmensen ahd the upper hand, backstopping the Panthers to an impressive 5-1 victory. Clemmensen made 35 saves on the night.