Union, Boston College aren't strangers

by Ryan Fay

Tonight's opening round East Regional game between Union and Boston College (9 PM, ESPNU/WatchESPN) will mark the first meeting between the two schools.

But that doesn't mean players on both teams aren't already familiar with one another.

Wayne Simpson played prep hockey with Boston College's Steven Whitney for three years at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts. Simpson and Whitney served as two of the team's three captains during their senior year.

Whitney has gone on to post impressive numbers for Boston College. His 26 goals rank second in the country this season behind St. Lawrence's Greg Carey, who netted 28. Whitney's 45 points are second-best in Hockey East, and he eclipsed the 100 career point plateau earlier this year. Entering play this weekend, the senior has 128 points in 159 contests for BC.

Whitney (Hockey East)

"He's a great player," Simpson said of Whitney. "He's been playing real well and that doesn't surprise me. He has a very good shot and if he finds ice just one time it could kill us. We have to be extra aware of him. It's going to be important to shut him down this weekend."

Doing that will be easier said than done.

"It's tough," Simpson admitted. "We just have to know when Whitney is out there. We have to be physical, make it hard for him to earn his ice, and wear him down."

The only player in Hockey East with more points than Whitney this year is teammate Johnny Gaudreau, who has 50. There are two Union connections to Gaudreau.

Defenseman Charlie Vasaturo, who is out for the year with a knee injury, goes way back with Gaudreau as the two are from neighboring parts of New Jersey. Shayne Gostisbehere played with Gaudreau during the recent World Junior Championships in Russia, where Team USA captured a gold medal.

Gaudreau, also known as "Johnny Hockey", was a major reason why. He led the field with seven goals, including a hat trick, and tied for the team lead in points with nine.

"Gaudreau is an excellent player and he's very shifty," Gostisbehere said. "Even as small as he is -- 5-foot-8, 150 pounds -- it doesn't matter. He's a great player. He has great hands and eyes. He's a playmaker out there."

The best example of that playmaking ability came in last year's national championship game victory over Ferris State. With the Eagles leading 2-1 in the third period, Gaudreau picked up a loose puck at his own blue line and after escaping from Ferris State's Kyle Bonis, he weaved around Bulldogs defenseman Brett Wysopal and roofed a backhander past goalie Taylor Nelson. Whitney added an empty netter to ice the 4-1 win.

Gostisbehere said Gaudreau, a Hobey Baker finalist this season, can be contained if Union does a couple things.

"Just don't look at the puck and keep him in front of you if you can," he advised. "He gets lost very easily and the next thing you know he's putting the puck in the back of your net."

That's one thing the Dutchmen won't want to see.

BC's Alber is one that got away

by Ryan Fay

When Boston College defenseman Patch Alber suffered a serious knee injury in late December, one of the first phone calls the Clifton Park native received came from Schenectady.

"Rick Bennett was one of the first in the hockey community to reach out to Patch right after his knee surgery on New Year's day," said Larry Alber, Patch's father.

Alber, who returned to action on March 15th against Vermont after missing 20 games, has a long history with the Union head coach. The elder Alber said Union recruited Patch and that Bennett, then an assistant under Nate Leaman, was the primary contact between Union and his son. The two still keep in touch.

"Union's interest seemed serious at the time," the elder Alber recalled. "Leaman called Patch the summer between his junior and senior years of high school -- as soon as NCAA rules allowed."

The elder Alber said the Dutchmen had a lot to offer in his son's eyes. 

"Union was attractive to Patch primarily for its location close to home, its reputation as a great academic institution, its coaching staff, the direction that Union was heading as an up and coming powerhouse, and that a teammate from Northwood School, Mario Valery-Trabucco, played there," the elder Alber said.

Ultimately, though, things didn't come together.

"Patch was, and still is, small for a defenseman at 5'10, 170-pounds and that made most coaches and teams postpone any offers until the end of the season," the elder Alber said. "At the end of the day, Union just didn’t see enough to seal the deal."

Bennett wishes he could have that decision back.

"You can chalk that one up to a bad decision by Rick Bennett -- a real bad decision by Rick Bennett," Bennett said. "I had a chance to see Patch play. We really liked his character. It was one of those where we weren't sure for a defenseman what we were looking for at that time. I'm not going to throw it on the other staff -- I'll take credit for that one."

The elder Alber said there aren't any hard feelings because Union wasn't the only school to say 'thanks, but no thanks.'

"I'm not blaming Union, as RPI and a few other ECAC teams all expressed interest but offers just didn’t materialize," he said. "Boston College seemed to be willing to overlook his size and took a chance on him as a recruited walk-on and he jumped at it."

Alber, now a senior, impressed enough to earn a scholarship the past two years. In four years on Chestnut Hill, the 24-year-old has dressed in 112 games, scoring four goals and chipping in 25 assists. He has a cumulative plus-51 rating.

"He has had a real fine career for us," said Boston College head coach Jerry York.

Along the way, Alber has won national championships in 2010 and 2012. Union, which faces Alber and the Eagles tomorrow at 9 p.m. in the East Regional semifinal, hopes the local kid doesn't add a third.

AUDIO: Jerry York conference call

by Ryan Fay

Boston College men's hockey head coach Jerry York participated in a conference call with the media on Tuesday. York, the winningest college hockey coach of all-time with 935 wins, talks about Saturday's East regional matchup against Union and much more.

Listen to York via the player below or click here.

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