Gabe Perreault smacked his stick down on the ice once, then twice, summoning Eamon Powell to pass him the puck.
Powell answered the call, and Perreault fired a one-timer that slid just between the legs of AIC goaltender Peyton Grainer, putting No. 2 Boston College men’s hockey up 2–0 with 4:40 remaining in the first period of the Eagles’ Friday night matchup.
“[Perreault] is probably ten pounds up,” BC head coach Greg Brown said. “His shot is heavier than it was last year, and he still has the ability to see things that not a lot of guys can see.”
After dropping the second of last weekend’s two-game series against No. 4 Michigan State, the Eagles’ home opener against AIC (0–3–1) was set up to be a much easier fight. So it didn’t seem like much of a surprise when the Eagles (2–1–0) shut out their opponents 5–0 to grab their first home win of the season in front of a packed Conte Forum.
“It’s unreal, obviously the student body showed out again,” Perreault said. “When those fans are showing up early for warm ups and it’s all packed, I think it makes it a lot easier to play.”
Prior to the win, BC honored the lives of Tony Voce and Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, three former BC hockey players that died earlier this year.
“It was great to see a full building for that tribute to Tony and Johnny and Mattie,” Brown said. “I think the effect that those guys had on people is so much more than just hockey. They were great hockey players, but you don’t have that reaction, you don’t get that reaction if they’re just good hockey players.”
It took less than a minute for the Eagles to double the 2–0 lead Perreault’s goal earned them. BC opened up the second period with two goals scored just 21 seconds apart.
On the first, Perreault took the puck all the way up the left side of the ice, then delivered a dish backwards to Will Vote as he cut toward the net. Vote delivered, picking up his third goal in three games.
Vote scored one goal in the entire 2023-24 season, suffering an injury that limited him to playing in 20 games.
“[Vote] put in a lot of work this summer, so we’re so happy to see him rewarded,” Brown said. “To have him back and healthy and playing as well as he is, is a huge boost for our team.”
It wasn’t long after the goal buzzer sounded for Vote’s score that it blared again—this time for Will Skahan, who got the puck after a won faceoff for the Eagles and almost immediately launched a shot from near the blue line to put the Eagles up 4–0. The goal was Skahan’s first for BC.
After that, the Yellow Jackets were able to silence the Eagles for all of 12 minutes. That is, until James Hagens followed Skahan’s example and picked up his first collegiate goal as well.
A Teddy Stiga pass from the right side of the goal paved its way through AIC defenders to Perreault on the left side. Without skipping a beat, Perreault found Hagens conveniently waiting on the right corner of the net, ready to deliver the short-handed goal that put BC up 5–0 before the second period had ended. Perreault tallied two assists in the win.
Hagens spent the last two years with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. His 187 points across those two years puts him fifth for most points in program history.
“If James just plays his game, that’ll be plenty,” Brown said. “He doesn’t have to try to be superman. He doesn’t have to do stuff to try and win the game every shift. He just has to play with his ability, his skills, and his hockey IQ.”
The Eagles entered the final period looking for a shutout win, and that’s what they found.
The Yellow Jackets got 27 shots off in the matchup compared to the Eagles’ 58, and BC netminder Jacob Fowler tallied 20 saves. BC also successfully maintained its perfect penalty-kill percentage, shutting down the Yellow Jackets’ three power-play opportunities.
“[Fowler’s] consistency is really impressive for a young player,” Brown said. “He doesn’t really have off nights.”
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