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NCAA on NBCSN -- Frozen Fenway: No. 6 Boston College vs. No. 14 Notre Dame

Boston College v Northeastern

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 2: Johnny Gaudreau #13 of the Boston College Eagles looks for the puck against the Northeastern University Huskies during NCAA hockey action at Matthews Arena on November 2, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Johnny Gaudreau

Richard T Gagnon

NBCSN continues its coverage of the 2013-14 college hockey season tonight when the No. 6 Boston College Eagles (12-4-2) host the No. 14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-7-1) at Fenway Park in Boston with coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium won’t be the only outdoor hockey game with ties to college this week. It’s time for Frozen Fenway in Boston and the main event features a pair of powerhouse teams in Boston College and Notre Dame.

With BC involved, there’s plenty of talent to go around (10 NHL draft picks) but the biggest name is one of the smallest players in junior forward Johnny Gaudreau (pictured).

Gaudreau, a fourth-round pick by the Calgary Flames in 2011, is second in the nation in points with 33. His 15 goals put him behind just RPI junior forward Ryan Haggerty in that category. The remarkable part is he’s done all this in 18 games.

What makes BC scary is they’re not a one-player show. Seniors Kevin Hayes (Blackhawks) and Bill Arnold (Flames) are right there with Gaudreau in points and freshman Ryan Fitzgerald (Bruins - son of former NHLer Tom Fitzgerald) has arrived on the scene in a big way with 18 points.

The bad news for the Fighting Irish? BC is on a tear heading into the game. The Eagles have won four in a row and have outscored opponents 21-5 over that stretch. Aside from a couple of hiccup losses on the road to Maine and at home against Holy Cross, the Eagles have been more than worthy of their No. 6 ranking.

Notre Dame heads into the game having won just two out of the past six games. They’ve been off for almost a full month due to the holidays and finals and coach Jeff Jackson is hoping the time off will help them rebound.

Senior T.J. Tynan (Blue Jackets) has led the team with 15 points and sophomore forward Mario Lucia (Wild) leads in goals with nine. Offense has been a problem and they’ll have to go without freshman Vince Hinostroza (Blackhawks) who’s away with Team USA’s World Junior team.

That could spell trouble for the Irish as BC’s had strong goaltending this year. If the Irish want to surprise the Eagles, they’ll need senior Steven Summerhays to continue his strong play (9-6-1/.931/1.89). With an attack like BC has and the buzz that will be in the air at Fenway for this game, it sets the bar high for Summerhays to get the job done.

NHL Draftees

Boston College -- Forwards: Johnny Gaudreau (JR - Flames), Bill Arnold (SR - Flames), Kevin Hayes (SR - Blackhawks), Ryan Fitzgerald (FR - Bruins), Adam Gilmour (FR - Wild), Chris Calnan (FR - Blackhawks)

Defensemen: Ian McCoshen (FR - Panthers - at WJCs), Michael Matheson (SO - Panthers), Isaac MacLeod (SR - Sharks), Steve Santini (FR - Devils - at WJCs), Chris Calnan (FR - Blackhawks)

Notre Dame -- Forwards: Vince Hinostroza (FR - Blackhawks - at WJCs), T.J. Tynan (SR - Blue Jackets), Austin Wuthrich (JR - Capitals), Bryan Rust (SR - Penguins), Jeff Costello (SR - Senators), Mario Lucia (SO - Wild), Steven Fogarty (SO - Rangers), Thomas DiPauli (SO - Capitals - at WJCs)

Defense: Robbie Russo (JR - Islanders), Stephen Johns (SR - Blackhawks), Kevin Lind (SR - Ducks)

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