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Long time friend of BC Interruption Chris Peters has started his new hockey project - a Substack covering multiple levels of hockey, including college. It’s a great read!
Today, his college hockey roundup lists his top 10 national title contenders, based not just on how they are playing now, but how he sees them playing in a tournament setting. He lists both BC and UMass among the top contenders heading in to tonight’s contest at Conte Forum.
Peters ranks North Dakota as his #1 title contender right now, but has BC at #2:
The team... is averaging four goals per game. When you’re scoring like that and have drivers like Boldy and Newhook who have the ability to take over games, and a goaltender that can steal wins for you when you’re not at your best, there’s a lot going your way. With Knight already backstopping USA to World Junior gold, would anyone be surprised to see him take the Eagles to the title? Probably not.
Later on, he lists UMass - currently in third in the Hockey East power index, as his second-ranked national title contender in the league, and #9 nationally:
They have two capable goaltenders in Matt Murray and Filip Lindberg (MIN), and a whole lot of talent throughout their lineup. That’s especially true on the blue line where Matthew Kessel (STL) and Zac Jones (NYR) have each put up 17 points from the back end. Forwards Bobby Trivigno and Carson Gicewicz have also put up great numbers as veterans.
In Peters’ rundown of individual award candidates, he lists Spencer Knight as the current frontrunner for the Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender.
Boston College takes on UMass tonight at 7 PM on NESN+. The Eagles are currently riding a four-game winning streak after weekend sweeps of Lowell and Maine. UMass returned from a suspension in their season due to covid cases on the Amherst campus by smoking Providence 8-1 on Tuesday night, so both teams seem primed to bring their A game.
With the Eagles only playing once this weekend, while BU has two cracks at Merrimack, this is a huge game for BC as they look to stay ahead of the Terriers and the Minutemen in the Hockey East standings.