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As we all know by now, the Eagles will be a young team this year. On defense, senior Scott Savage will lead 4 incoming freshmen and two sophomores. Casey Fitzgerald and Savage are the only defenders that have played at least one full season for BC - sophomore Michael Kim joined the team for the second semester last season. Since they make up the majority of the defensive corps, the freshmen will get to see significant ice time this season.
Luke McInnis is the son of assistant coach Marty McInnis and former BC lacrosse player Missy McInnis. McInnis spent last season with the Youngstown Phantoms. He scored 28 points in 56 games and was the second highest scoring defender on the team. McInnis has been praised for his skating. As an offensive defenseman, McInnis may need to work on recognizing when it is more helpful to the team to stay behind on defense.
Michael Campoli is a 6'2" defender from the USNTDP. Campoli is a solid stay-at-home defenseman who won't put up many points but will keep the other team from scoring. It may take him a few games to adjust to facing NCAA players, he's known for playing a tight game and keeping mistakes to a minimum and should become a valuable member of the defensive unit.
Connor Moore is the second Youngstown Phantoms alumnus in the incoming defensive class. As the highest scoring defender on the Phantoms last season he outscored fellow Eagle Luke McInnis by 5 points (but played in 2 more games). Moore has been known for his ability to make plays and score some goals, but his defensive game is also strong and has continued to improve over his hockey career. Despite being a smaller defender at 5'10", Moore has the ability to play a physical game and is a skilled skater.
Jesper Mattila joins his brother, Julius (a forward) as one of two Finns on this year's team. Mattila is known for his ability to set up plays - he recorded 33 assists for Ives U20 last season and was the top scoring defender of the team. Mattilla was also third overall in assists for Ives last season. We've been hearing good things about both Mattila brothers, so he's one to look out for.