No Alex Newhook? No problem for second-ranked Boston College.
Even without their superstar center, the second-ranked Eagles have plenty of weapons. At the top of the list is sophomore winger Matt Boldy (Millis, Mass.).
In BC’s sweep of No. 8 UMass last weekend, Boldy and Mike Hardman (Hanover, Mass.), Newhook’s usual linemates, didn’t miss a beat with freshman Colby Ambrosio in the middle. In the two games, Boldy scored a goal and assisted on three for four points, Hardman had 2-1-3 and Abrosio had 1-1-2.
“Alex is an unbelievable player. He makes a ton of plays and makes everyone else on the ice better, including myself,’’ said Boldy. “It’s a little bit different (without him), but we’ve got a lot of guys on the team this year that are really good and are really high-end players that are going to help fill that spot while he’s gone for the first half.’’
Shortly after Boldy was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, he was one of 29 players selected to attend USA Hockey’s World Junior Championship camp starting on Dec. 7. Newhook, who is attending Canada’s WJC camp in Alberta and isn’t expected back until January, watched BC’s games and checked in with his teammates, according to Boldy.
“I talked to him a few times throughout the weekend, after each game, and I know he talked to a lot of the guys, too. He was excited for us. That’s one of the great qualities about him that makes him so good, he’s such a good teammate.
“He was texting us in our group chat after each game saying how well we played. He definitely reached out to everyone and let us know we played a good weekend and how big those wins really are,’’ Boldy said.
Boldy started slow as a freshman a year ago. It took him until Jan. 4, 16 games into the season, to reach four points. He did that in two games over the weekend.
Minnesota’s first-round pick, 12th overall, in the 2019 NHL draft, he finished on a tear, ending up with 9-17-26 in 34 games.
“A lot of it has to do with comfortability and confidence in myself and in my game. Obviously, it’s a big transition coming from juniors and going into college, managing your time with school and everything. It’s a big jump to make,’’ he said.
This season Boldy wants to work on “playing at a little bit quicker pace. That’s something I’ve been focusing on, just making sure that I continuously keep my feet moving. Doing everything I normally do, but just a little bit quicker.
“Doing that’s going to help me this year and, obviously, in the next level it gets faster and faster. Moving pucks quicker, making decisions a little bit quicker and not being afraid to shoot it.’’
Boldy played for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program before enrolling at BC, so he is no stranger to international play. But he is especially excited about the opportunity to play in the world juniors.
“It’s a pretty big deal being selected for camp. See how that goes and hopefully I come out of there and make the team. It’s something I’ve always wanted to be a part of, watching it while growing up,’’ he said.
“It’s such a big deal. I’ve played a lot of tournaments for Team USA and they’re all awesome, but this one, in my mind, is the biggest and the one I want to be at the most.’’
PC has options in net
Providence College coach Nate Leaman historically has depended on one goalie.
Last season it was Michael Lackey, a grad transfer from Harvard. In the years before that, it was Hayden Hawkey, who was preceded by Nick Ellis, Jon Gillies and Alex Beaudry.
This year Leaman has more options than usual in senior Gabe Mollot-Hill, grad transfer Anton Martinsson and sophomore Jaxson Stauber, a transfer from Minnesota State who could find out this week whether he’ll be eligible to play this weekend.
Leaman said early this week that he still hadn’t decided who would be in net in the opener at Boston College on Friday. “We’ll name our starter probably Thursday or Friday,’’ he said.
“Whichever way I choose, I think the team will rally behind it. It's been a very competitive battle.’’
Given his experience, the 6-foot-1 Martinsson, who turns 25 next week and played in 80 games over the last three seasons at Alaska-Anchorage, could have the inside track on Friday.
“He’s a smaller goalie, but he’s quick and athletic and will challenge. And boy does he compete. A couple of weeks ago we just had 10 players and one goalie for four or five days in a row. I was really impressed with his work ethic and compete during that time,’’ said Leaman.
Mollot-Hill, who is 6-foot-4, has played sparingly in his first three seasons at PC. “He’s more of a technical goalie, but he’s quick. He’s got good size. He reads the play pretty well,’’ Leaman said.
Stauber is the goalie of the future — and maybe the present, too, if the NCAA sees fit to grant him a waiver at Thursday’s hearing. Even if the waiver is denied, he’ll be eligible on Dec. 13 after the first semester ends, according to Leaman.
The 6-foot-3 Stauber has a winning pedigree. He led Sioux Falls to the USHL championship in 2019, going 11-1 with a .941 save percentage in the postseason. He’s the son of former Michigan State netminder Robb Stauber, who won the Hobey Baker Award in 1988.
Lovell out with injury
Boston College freshman defenseman Timmy Lovell (Hingham, Mass.) is on the shelf with a broken wrist. He should be back around Christmas, according to coach Jerry York.
Lovell started last season with the U-18 Boston Advantage before moving on to the Chicago Steel and Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.
With Lovell out, BC dressed freshman Gentry Shamburger as a defenseman against UMass, but he played only a handful of shifts. Shamburger played forward throughout his career at Avon Old Farms.
Ready to roll
Providence College would have played with just 17 players last Saturday before its game was postponed because of a positive test at Lowell.
“We'd have been nowhere near where we needed to be to play an actual game. Now we're closer,’’ said Leaman.
Jumping right in against a top opponent is a challenge that he is looking forward to.
“We need to play a game. It's awesome that we're starting off with BC. Obviously they're the number-two team in the country. We're going to find out where we stack up right away, what we need to work on, what direction we need to go. When we do get everyone dialed in and clicking, I think this is a team that going to get better and better throughout the year,’’ said Leaman, who leaves Sunday for the world juniors.
