Boston College Vs. Denver: Eagles Host Pioneers In Home Opener

Boston College's hockey team look to keep its perfect season going as it welcomes the No. 3 Denver Pioneers into Conte Forum for the first home game of the 2011 regular season at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Friday night in Chestnut Hill, MA (TV/Radio: CSNNE/98.5 The Sports Hub).

BC, currently ranked the No. 1 team in the country, opened its season with two games in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Grand Forks, N.D. The Eagles, who started the season ranked No. 5 nationally, opened the season over Michigan State on October 7, in which five players scored one goal apiece and goaltender Parker Milner stopped 17 shots total and nine in a third period that saw four total goals scored. 

Patrick Brown and Patch Alber scored goals in the second period to give BC a 2-1 lead heading into the final period, Chris Kreider, Steven Whitney and Barry Almeida scored three consecutive goals to end the third period for BC.

In their second game, the Eagles upset then No. 3 ranked North Dakota, posting a 6-2 win to claim the 2011 Ice Breaker Tournament title. Pat Mullane scored the game's first goal for BC at 2:21 in the first period, but North Dakota rattled off two straight goals, one in the first and another in the second, to take a 2-1 advantage. The Eagles answered with five consecutive strikes, four of which came in the second period, to capture the victory. Kreider, Johnny Gaudreau, Mullane and Bill Arnold all scored the goals in the second while Whitney added another tally in the third.

Denver will open its regular season on Friday night having played two exhibition games already. The Pioneers tied McGill University, 2-2, on October 1 before defeating the United States Under-18 Team, 3-0, on October 7.