BOSTON COLLEGE STORMS PAST WISCONSIN, 9-2

Junior forward Johnny Gaudreau passes 100 career points for Eagles



Junior forward Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists for the Eagles

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The No. 7 Boston College men's hockey team honored its legendary coach in electric fashion, exploding for a 9-2 victory over second-ranked Wisconsin on Jerry York Night at Kelley Rink on Friday evening. The Eagles' coach, in his 20th season at The Heights, was honored in a pregame ceremony for breaking the NCAA all-time mark for coaching victories. After tonight's triumph, York has won 937 games in 42 years of collegiate hockey coaching.

Fifteen different skaters scored a point, including junior Johnny Gaudreau's second-straight three-point performance (1-2-3) to crack the 100-point plateau for his career, to help thrust the Eagles past a highly-touted Badgers' club. The Carneys Point, N.J., native cinched his 44th career goal and 57th and 58th assists in 82 games to become the 74th Eagle in program history to reach that benchmark.

Rookie Austin Cangelosi registered his first two career goals and added an assist while classmate Adam Gilmour turned in a playmaker with three helpers on the night. Seniors Kevin Hayes (1-2-3) and Patrick Brown (1-1-2) joined freshmen Ian McCoshen (1-1-2) and Ryan Fitzgerald (0-2-2) as one of seven BC multi-point getters.

Junior goaltender Brian Billett earned his first win of the season via 14 saves through two and a half periods before classmate Brad Barone cleaned up the remaining 9:05 with five stops. Wisconsin's Landon Peterson took the loss after stopping 16 shots on 22 attempts before Adam Miller coughed up three tallies on 27 shots.

The Eagles netted four goals within a span of 4:39 to set the precedent midway through the first stanza.

Cangelosi accounted for the contest's first two markers 50 seconds apart from one another at 10:14 and 11:04. Hayes and Gaudreau crafted some magic in the corner to set Cangelosi up by himself for the easy lift in. Shortly after, Fitzgerald gathered a misplayed puck on BC's blue line and fed Hayes in the neutral zone. Hayes carted it down the left side and connected with Cangelosi's open blade for the easy one-timer for the 2-0 lead.

Gaudreau broke free and finished off another signature goal at 13:30. Freshman Steven Santini cleared out the puck to Gilmour on the near wall. Gilmour relayed it to Gaudreau in stride and after beating his defender, double deked Peterson for the wide-open backhander and a 3-0 lead. A few exchanges later, McCoshen benefitted from a set faceoff play to Peterson's right. Arnold cleanly won it out to Gilmour followed by a vicious McCoshen slap shot through traffic for the 4-0 lead at 15:53 of the first frame.

The Eagles did not relent at the start of the second period. Sophomore blue liner Michael Matheson, a plus-seven on the night, joined rookie defenseman Scott Savage in early strikes at 00:21 and 1:45, respectively. Matheson hammered home a one-timer from Gaudreau before Savage picked the upper right corner off of a freshman Chris Calnan carom to force Peterson out of net. Midway through the second, junior Michael Sit pushed the buffer to seven goals at 13:34 with an unattested wrister on the right dot.

Hayes and Brown maintained BC's pace with scores at 4:44 and 10:55 of the last period, Brown's coming a man down for Boston College's ninth and final tally of the night.

The Badgers stopped the bleeding and took advantage of an Arnold slash at 14:45 when Michael Mersch tipped a blast from Jake McCabe. Nic Kerdiles added Wisconsin's second goal in between the circles at 9:18 on a rebound from Joe Faust.

Boston College doubled up Wisconsin in the final shot totals, posting 49 to UW's 21. The Eagles went 0-for-5 on the power play, turning in eight even-strength goals along with Brown's short-handed marker.

Boston College continues its Big Ten swing with a pair on the road next weekend in Minneapolis. The Eagles will have an extended stay when they take on No. 3 Minnesota on Friday and Sunday, Oct. 25 and Oct. 27. Friday's game will start at 8 p.m. while Sunday's puck drop is slated for 2 p.m.

GAME NOTES

- Johnny Gaudreau became Boston College's 74th player in program history to score 100 points for his career. Gaudreau turned the trick in 82 career games, totaling 44 goals and 58 assists for 102 points.

- Boston College's four-goal first period is the first for the Eagles' since they netted five in the opening frame against Providence on Feb. 25, 2012. The last time BC scored four goals in any period was in the second period against Vermont on March 9, 2013.

- Boston College's 17-goal total through three games is the most for the Eagles since scoring 20 from Dec. 3 to Dec. 30, 2010. BC scored nine and five goals, in that order, over BU before hanging six on Colgate. The Eagles' 17-goal start is the most for the program since the 2002-03 season when York's club opened with 18 goals from Oct. 13 to Oct. 20. BC scored six, four and eight goals, to open the season. With those numbers, BC's offense of 5.67 goals per game is tops in the NCAA. The Eagles hold a 0.67 gpg advantage over Minnesota and Northeastern (5.00 gpg).

- Adam Gilmour's first-career points came in the form of a playmaker, finishing with three assists in the win. The last Eagle to have a playmaker was Johnny Gaudreau against Vermont on March 9, 2013. Gaudreau scored two goals along with four assists in that outing.

- Boston College's 49 shots is the most since BC has tacked up 50 against Northeastern on Feb. 21, 2010.

- Boston College has now won five-straight games against Wisconsin and upped its overall record to 13-9-0 against the Badgers. The last time the Eagles defeated a Big Ten opponent was at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. BC ousted Minnesota, 6-1, in the national semifinal on April 5, 2012.

- The last time Boston College scored nine goals in a game was a 9-3 victory over Northeastern at Matthews Arena on Jan. 19, 2013. The last time the Eagles lit the lamp nine times at home was in a 9-0 victory against Massachusetts on Jan. 31, 2003.

- Senior captain Patrick Brown scored his first goal of the season and first since a 4-1 win over Vermont in the Hockey East Tournament on March 16, 2013. It marks his first-career short-handed goal and BC's first since Bill Arnold netted one in a 4-2 win over Boston University on Nov. 11, 2012. With Brown's short-handed marker, the Eagles have matched last year's total.

- Junior Michael Sit accounted for his first-career goal in his 80th outing.

- Michael Matheson was a plus-seven rating in Friday's win, marking the highest career total of any current Eagle. Travis Jeke held the highest mark with a plus-six rating against Northeastern on Jan. 19, 2013.

- Brian Billett earned his first victory since beating Providence on Dec. 6, 2011. Brad Barone tasted his first action since stopped three shots at Providence on March 2, 2013.

- Through three games, Johnny Gaudreau is one of four skaters (Riley Barber - Miami, Sam Warning - Minnesota, Kevin Sullivan - Union) with seven points (2-5-7) through three games. Gaudreau is one point behind Kevin Roy for the nation's highest points per game total. Gaudreau is averaging 2.33 ppg.

- Johnny Gaudreau (2-5-7 - 3 games), Bill Arnold (1-3-4 - 2 games), Kevin Hayes (2-4-6 - 3 games), Quinn Smith (1-2-3 - 2 games), Chris Calnan (1-2-3 - 2 games), Scott Savage (1-2-3 - 2 games), Steven Santini (1-1-2 - 2 games), Ryan Fitzgerald (1-2-3 - 2 games) and Austin Cangelosi (2-2-4 - 2 games) are all riding point streaks into the Minnesota weekend.