On Friday, October 18th, 2024, the AIC Yellow Jackets men’s ice hockey team, sitting at 0-2-1, hit the road once again for their fourth away game of the season. This time, they faced the Boston College Eagles in a highly anticipated home opener. Ranked number 5 nationally and number 2 in the Hockey East division, Boston College had opened ticket sales in June for this very matchup. Originally, 6,000 seats were sold, but the significance of the game changed dramatically after a heartbreaking event shocked the hockey world. Former NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau, both Boston College hockey legends, tragically passed away in a biking accident in early September. As a tribute, Boston College announced a jersey retirement ceremony for the late brothers, turning the game into a sold-out event.
By the time the Yellow Jackets arrived for the game, fans were already pouring into the arena three hours before puck drop. Even during the on-ice warmup, the atmosphere was electric, with 3,000 college students packed in, chanting and cheering as the Boston College band played. You could even feel the ground shaking as fans were jumping in the stands. As the players skated around the ice during warmup, the emotion grew.
Starting ceremonies opened up with player introductions for the Yellow Jackets starting lineup, followed by the full Boston College roster. Then, the lights immediately turned off and the announcer said, “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and face the video board for a short tribute to the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.” The video was followed by a huge applause, and many fans broke into tears. The emotion in the building intensified as the announcer called for a 13-second moment of silence to honor the #13 jersey worn by Johnny Gaudreau.
As the puck dropped, the Eagles came out strong, landing a couple hard hits and skating extremely fast. You could tell they were excited to energize the crowd and get them on their feet. The Yellow Jackets had a slower start, struggling to match the pace early on. However, around the 15-minute mark, there was a fumble that nearly changed the momentum of the game. When one of the Eagles player’s sticks broke at center ice, Blake Dangos of the Yellow Jackets had an opportunity for a breakaway. He made a swift move and shot the puck on the left side of the Eagles goalie, Jacob Fowler. The puck rang off of the post, trickled by the goal line, but was swatted away by Fowler. The crowd held its breath in disbelief, as they thought that AIC had scored first. However, the game was still tied at 0-0.
As the first period went on, the Eagles capitalized quickly on their power play opportunities, scoring 2 goals as the Yellow Jackets took on five penalties. With the Eagles now leading the game, it was visible that the AIC coaching staff was frustrated.
Eric Lang, Head Coach of the AIC Yellow Jackets, said “The team is not moving their feet. It’s causing penalties against us and we are not getting in front of the pucks on penalty kills. That is why it is a 2-0 game so far.”
The AIC Yellow Jackets seemed determined and confident as they returned for the second period. However, in the second period, the Eagles offense took over within a ten-minute span. Their top three players, Kenderman, Leonard, and Wilson, all scored one goal each, making the score 5-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Tanner Willick, a spectator at the game, said that “After those three goals, the game looked over.”
The Eagles’ quick and precise tape-to-tape passing started to wear down the Yellow Jackets as the second period continued. As the team got more tired, the Yellow Jackets started to take on several penalties out of fatigue. The coach responded by benching several players, and the Yellow Jackets’ captain was seen shouting to some of his teammates.
After the second intermission, you could hear the Yellow Jackets come out of their tunnel and onto the ice with more passion and energy. As the puck dropped for the last period, the Yellow Jackets won the draw and immediately showed more intensity. They started pushing back on pucks and were always first to arrive to guard their net. Halfway through the period, no players on either team scored any goals and the Yellow Jacket goaltender helped the team stay in, keeping the score at 5-0. The last few minutes of the game was filled with many shots by both teams that hit the posts, but ultimately no more goals were scored.
Peyton Grainer, Yellow Jacket’s goaltender for the game, said that “It was a tough loss, but we managed to improve our defense towards the end.”
As the final horn sounded, the Yellow Jackets tapped their goalie on the pads in appreciation and got ready for the handshake lineup with the Eagles. Despite the loss, the Yellow Jackets showed significant improvement in the third period, demonstrating resilience against the nation’s fifth best team. It was a tough competition, but a great learning opportunity for them. We will see how the Yellow Jackets recover next weekend as they face two back-to-back games on their home ice, for the first time this season.
