#YeOldeRivalry: A Look Back at BC-Holy Cross Hockey History

A rivalry is renewed on Friday when the Boston College Eagles take to the ice against Holy Cross at Conte Forum. Many of you may be familiar with some of the major moments in the history of the BC-HC football rivalry, but did you know that these two teams have a long and storied past on the ice as well?

BCInterruption invites you to take a look back at some defining moments in #YeOldeRivalry:

1894: Boston College and Holy Cross play to a 2-2 tie on Chestnut Hill Reservoir, a game trumpeted by the Boston Globe as "The Battle of East vs. West.". The game is abandoned before overtime when BC's Sully McCavanaugh takes off his skate and tries to stab Holy Cross's leading scorer, Chucky "Ice Legs" McGee. The series goes on a brief hiatus.

1912: In Fenway Park's inaugural season, BC and Holy Cross play the first hockey game at the new ballyard. Despite the fact that there was no ice surface, the two teams played in what was widely considered to be one of the most entertaining and highest scoring games of the 1912 college hockey season, ending in a 1-1 draw. BC salvaged the tie late with two great minutes of penalty killing following Franky "Spuds" Kelly's two minute minor for breaking his stick over Holy Cross's goalie's head and knocking him unconscious.

1921: The rivalry moves indoors with a game at The Skating Club of Boston. BC appears to pull out a clutch 3-2 win with a late goal when Micky O'Toole stuns Holy Cross by winding his stick all the way back before ripping home a goal, the first recorded "slap shot." However, controversy ensues when Ye Olde Hockey East official A. Paul David Hansen IV reviews the dageurrograph and determines the shot to be illegal, despite their being no such rule. The game ends in yet another tie.

This incident began Hockey East's tradition of waiting six hours for film to come back from the dark room before making a determination on reviewed plays, a policy that continues to this day.

>1957: After a string of consecutive victories at home, BC hockey prepares for their first ever away trip to Holy Cross. When the bus arrives in Worcester, John "Snooks" Kelley and the team look around and decide, "nah," choosing to forfeit and turn the bus around.

1973: In one of the darker days in the history of the rivalry, Boston College leads Holy Cross 14-5 late in the third period, when several BC players, who bet on Holy Cross +8.5, began intentionally giving up scoring opportunities until HC scores to make it 14-6. Unbeknownst to BC, several Crusaders had bet against themselves as well, and the rest of the game consisted of the teams attacking their own nets, with BC scoring a decisive own goal with 21.1 seconds left to cut their lead to 16-8. With their gambling losses, Holy Cross hockey went broke, ending the series for the foreseeable future.

2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012: In a generous display of good sportsmanship and friendship between once-bitter rivals, Holy Cross hosts the NCAA hockey regionals in Worcester, providing BC a "home away from home" to paste the rest of college hockey's elite en route to the Frozen Four.

2013: Out of gratitude for Holy Cross's hospitality, the gracious Sir Jerry York agrees to add the Crusaders to BC"s 2013-2014 schedule. He also ensures that Holy Cross is given a payout of $1,500 for making the trip to Chestnut Hill, enough to pay for their athletic program's entire operating budget for the year.

The puck drops at 4 PM on Friday. Go Eagles!