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The 2011–12 Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey team represented Boston College in the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. The team was coached by Jerry York, '67, his eighteenth season behind the bench at Boston College. The Eagles played their home games at Kelley Rink on the campus of Boston College, competing in Hockey East.
Contents
- Offseason
- Recruiting
- Departures from 20102011 Team
- Standings
- 20112012 Regular season
- 2012 Post Season
- References
Boston College defeated Ferris State 4–1 in the 2012 Frozen Four Championship Game, earning the school's fifth national title and third title in five years. It was Jerry York's fourth title as head coach of the Eagles, having also won in 2001, 2008, and 2010. BC entered the NCAA Tournament as the number one overall seed, defeating Air Force and defending national champion Minnesota Duluth in the Northeast Regional in Worcester to advance to the Frozen Four at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa. The Eagles defeated Minnesota 6–1 in the semifinals before beating Ferris State in the national title game, with goaltender Parker Milner earning Most Outstanding Player honors.
Boston College also entered the 2011–2012 season as reigning Hockey East tournament champions, having defeated Merrimack 5–3 in the championship game, as well as defending Beanpot champions, beating Northeastern in the final 7–6 in overtime. The Eagles also won the 2010–11 Hockey East regular season championship, their first since 2004–05.
The Eagles defended their Beanpot title and won their third in a row by defeating Boston University 3–2 on a goal by sophomore forward Bill Arnold in the last seconds of the first overtime period. It was the Eagles seventeenth Beanpot title. The Eagles also defended their Hockey East Regular Season championship, clinching their record twelfth title in school history on March 3, 2012 by defeating Vermont 4–0 at Kelley Rink. BC won their third Hockey East Tournament championship in a row, the first three-peat in the history of the conference, and record eleventh title all-time, by defeating Maine 4–1 in the championship game in Boston.
Boston College also participated in two additional in-season tournaments, the Ice Breaker in Grand Forks, ND and the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit, MI. BC won the 2011 Ice Breaker Tournament by defeating Michigan State 5–2 in the first round, and then beating North Dakota in the championship game, 6–2. In the first round of the 2011 Great Lakes Invitational, BC fell to Michigan 4–2 before defeating Michigan Tech 2–1 in the consolation game.
On November 3, 2011, it was announced that the Eagles will play Northeastern at Fenway Park on January 14, 2012 in Hockey East play. The contest was part of a double-header, with a game between MIAA-rivals Boston College High School and Catholic Memorial slated for earlier in the day. BC defeated Northeastern 2–1.
On February 17, 2012, head coach Jerry York won his 900th career game when the Eagles defeated Merrimack 4–2 at Kelley Rink. York is only the second college hockey coach to achieve 900 wins, with Ron Mason being the first. York ended the season with 913, which placed him second all-time in career victories after Ron Mason, who has 924.
Offseason
March 27, 2011: Junior forward Cam Atkinson signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, forgoing his senior season.
March 30, 2011: Junior forward Jimmy Hayes signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, also forgoing his senior season.
April 11, 2011: Sophomores Brian Dumoulin and Chris Kreider announced that they would return to Boston College for the 2011–12 season.
April 13, 2011: Sophomore defenseman Philip Samuelsson decided to forgo his final two seasons with Boston College to pursue a pro career in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
Also, sophomore forward Chris Kreider was selected to the United States national team that competed at the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.
Recruiting
Boston College adds nine freshmen for the 2011–2012 season: two goaltenders in Brian Billet and Brad Barone, both alumni of the EJHL; two recruits from Canada in Mark Begert, a defenseman, and Destry Straight, a forward, who were teammates with the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL; forward Danny Linell, a Long Island native and 2011–12 recipient of the Hugh and Doris MacIsaac Family Scholarship Fund; forward Johnny Gaudreau, a fourth round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft who was previously committed to play at Northeastern; Hingham-native Cam Spiro, who was also an All-American lacrosse player at Tabor Academy; forward Michael Sit, a Minnesota native who joins the Eagles from powerhouse Edina; and forward Quinn Smith, who played for the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL.
Departures from 2010–2011 Team
Standings
2011–2012 Regular season
All times Eastern
Rankings from USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Poll
* = Hockey East Conference Play
Ice Breaker = 15th Annual Ice Breaker Tournament in Grand Forks, ND
GLI = 47th Annual Great Lakes Invitational Tournament in Detroit, MI
Beanpot = 60th Annual Beanpot Tournament in Boston, MA
2012 Post-Season
All times Eastern