After acquiring goaltender and graduate student Eric Dop from the transfer portal last year, Boston College men’s hockey has turned to the portal again to find his replacement. The Eagles acquired goaltender Mitch Benson from Colgate on Thursday, as reported by College Hockey News’ Mike McMahon and New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver.
Benson comes to BC after spending four years with the Raiders. He finished the 2021–22 season with a .922 overall save percentage, good for third in the ECAC.
In his freshman year, Benson made 33 starts for the Raiders and posted a .911 save percentage. Benson’s 33 starts in goal marked the most starts among freshmen across the NCAA, and he led the ECAC in regular season saves with 855. During his sophomore year in 2019–20, Benson made 18 starts in goal and ranked 16th in the country with a .925 save percentage.
Benson did not compete during the 2020–21 season due to an injury.
Prior to defending the posts for Colgate, Benson competed at the junior level for three years. He spent two seasons with the Brook Bandits of the AJHL and one season with the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL. With the Bandits, he broke the AJHL record for minutes played in a season with 3,379 and won the 2016–17 AJHL Championship.
Benson joins the Eagles after the graduation of Dop, BC’s 2021–22 starter. Dop finished the season with a .898 save percentage in 32 starts for BC. He ended the season on a hot streak, recording three 40-plus save games in the Eagles’ final five contests to help BC advance to the Hockey East quarterfinals.
BC’s roster includes two additional goalies, Henry Wilder and Jack Moffatt. This season, Wilder started six games, and Moffatt didn’t see any time in the crease. Commit Grant Riley of the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs will also join the Eagles’ roster in the fall.
Featured Image by Ethan Ott / Heights Editor
