After failed tryouts with the Buccaneers and Eagles, the former Boston College running back signed a rookie contract on Wednesday with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.

Superfans will remember that, once upon a time, Harris seemed poised to become one of BC’s all-time greats. After setting a freshman record with 900 rushing yards in his first season in Chestnut Hill, Harris burst onto the national scene with 1,457 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore, earning second-team All-ACC honors.

His stock continued to rise throughout his junior year, when he was named to the all-conference first team, but a pair of knee injuries limited him to just one game as a senior. Harris was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA, but he was dismissed from the team for repeated rules violations prior to the start of the 2012 season.

Harris ended his BC career with 30 total touchdowns and a school-record 3,735 rushing yards despite playing just three full seasons. He transferred to Temple after his dismissal, where he rushed for 1,054 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall to garner first-team All-Big East honors in his lone season with the Owls.

Michael Strem

Strem tossed the first perfect game in St. Francis High School history, and it took him just 66 pitches to achieve the accomplishment, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Out of Strem’s 66 pitches, 48 were strikes. He struck out eight batters in seven innings.

The game was knotted at 0-0 until the sixth inning, when Strem’s teammate, Mark Cardinalli, knocked in the only two runs of the game on a single. Strem is committed to Boston College, according to his Twitter page.

He’s 10-1 with a 1.12 ERA and 71 strikeouts on the season, according to MaxPreps.com. He’s also batting .400 with a .996 OPS and five stolen bases.

Photo via Facebook/Michael Strem

During the third inning of BC’s Sunday matchup with Georgia Tech, Alysha Rudnik got ahold of one, sending the ball to deep center. Unfortunately for Rudnik, that’s where Pandolfo plays, as the latter came up with a home-run-saving grab so awesome it even took the camera operator by surprise.

Check out Pandolfo’s amazing catch in the video below.

On Saturday, May 4, at 1:30 p.m. ET, Shea Field will be the site of a game between BC and visiting Virginia Tech. Four ALS charities will be in attendance – The ALS Association of MA, Prize4life, ALS TDI, and The Angel Fund — and the proceeds from a 50/50 raffle will be split equally among them. BC broke its attendance record last year with 2,200 attendees at the stadium.

There is also an online auction with proceeds going to the Pete Frates #3 Fund. Frates is a former Eagles baseball captain, and current president of baseball operations, who was recently diagnosed with ALS. The 28-year-old has thrown out first pitches at both JetBlue Park and Fenway Park to raise awareness for the condition.

The online auction can be found by visiting BCEagles.com.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a motor neurone disease that slowly breaks down muscle tissue in the body. Gehrig, physicist Stephen Hawking and pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter are among its well-known sufferers.

Photo via Faceook/Boston College Baseball

The current Canucks goalie and former Boston College Eagle wrote a special message on his goalie stick before his game Tuesday, asking others to “Pray for Boston.” The Canucks then tweeted a picture of Schneider writing down his message along with the finished product.

Schneider is the second NHLer with Boston ties to send a message to Boston, joining Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle, who hails from Milton, Mass. Check out the photos of Schneider below.

Special message on Cory Schneider's stick tonight. #prayforBoston #Canucks http://t.co/jJCu9bD5R6

—
Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) April 16, 2013

Boston College students are looking to help those that couldn’t finish the Boston Marathon on Monday due to the explosions that occurred near the finish line.

A Facebook event has been created organizing a walk from Boston College to Boston to honor those who lost their lives and were injured during the tragic events of Patriots’ Day. The walk is called “Boston Marathon: The Last 5,” the number of miles from BC’s campus to Copley square. It is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.

Nearly 5,000 runners crossed the final checkpoint at 24 miles, but were not able to finish the marathon. Boston College student Dani Cole and Michael Padulsky organized the walk, according to Facebook. There are over 5,000 people listed as planning to attend the walk.

Click here to check out the Facebook event>>

Photo via Twitter/@BGlobeSports

UMass Lowell, fresh off the first conference championship in school history, earned a No. 1 seed in the Manchester, N.H., regional of the NCAA tournament and will take on fourth-seeded Wisconsin this Friday at 4:30 p.m.

The River Hawks will be joined at Verizon Wireless Arena by host school New Hampshire, which snagged a No. 2 seed despite bowing out to Providence in the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Wildcats will take No. 3 seed Denver — a team UNH defeated 6-4 in their first meeting back in November.

Boston College rounds out the conference’s national tournament contestants as the No. 2 seed in the Providence regional and will take on two-time defending ECAC tournament champion Union in the first round.

Quinnipiac and Yale also received bids to the big dance — as a No. 1 and No. 4 seed, respectively — bringing the total of New England schools in the tournament to five.

Click here to check out the full bracket.

Final, BU 6-3: It’s official, Jack Parker and the Terriers will play for their eighth Hockey East title tomorrow after thoroughly dismantling Boston College in the final two periods.

BU will take on UMass Lowell in a rematch of the 2009 title game — the last appearance in the finals for both teams.

Puck drops tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Click here to find out what channel the game will be shown on in your area, and be  sure to check back in to NESN.com as we will live blog all the action from faceoff to the final horn.

Third period, 17:31, BU 6-3: Evan Rodrigues finds the Eagles’ empty net from his own faceoff circle and leaps into the arms of his teammates on the BU bench. That will just about do it.

Third period, 17:06, BU 5-3: Desperation time for BC, as Parker Milner heads to the bench to be replaced by an extra skater with 2:54 remaining in a two-goal game.

Third period, 13:43, BU 5-3: Boston College finally gets back on the board, with Hobey Baker finalist Steven Whitney bouncing the puck off the back of BU goalie Sean Maguire and into the net. The goal is crucial for the Eagles, who had been held scoreless for nearly 25 minutes. They’ll have their work cut out for them, though, as they still need to find the back of the net twice more in the final five minutes to force overtime.

Third period, 9:57, BU 5-2: O’Regan strikes again for the Terriers, and fans begin filing out of TD Garden. The score marks BU’s third power-play goal of the game and the second for the freshman sensation, who led all Terriers in scoring this season with 36 points.

Third period, 1:42, BU 4-2: The Terriers have a chance to seriously break this game open. Freshman Danny O’Regan scored just 30 seconds into the power play, but BC will remain shorthanded for another 4:30 because major penalties are not cancelled out by goals.

Milner has not played to the best of his ability tonight, as O’Regan’s tally again slipped under his glove hand.

Third period, 1:08, BU 3-2: Sean Escobedo is sent into the boards by Gaudreau and comes up favoring his left shoulder. He returned to the bench after a brief trip to the locker room but still looks to be in significant pain. The Terriers will be on the power play for five minutes as Gaudreau is assessed a major penalty for cross-checking.

Second intermission, BU 3-2: The complexion of this hockey game sure changed in a hurry.

BU turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead in under six minutes, and while BC still has a sizable edge in shots (31-16), the Terriers now have all the momentum.

Don’t expect them to let off the gas. As the No. 17 team in both the USCHO.com poll and the PairWise rankings, BU almost certainly needs a conference title to clinch a spot in the national tournament, meaning that a loss tonight would likely end Jack Parker’s legendary career.

Second period, 17:59, BU 3-2: We have bedlam at the Garden.

Garrett Noonan (great hockey name) beat Milner with a tough-angle shot on the power play to give the Terriers their first lead of the night. It was another goal that Milner should not have had a problem with — this one sliding under his glove and just inside the right post.

Second period, 14:21, 2-2: And just like that, we’re all tied up.

BC’s Danny Linell misplayed a pass in front of his own bench and Matt Lane capitalized for the Terriers, skating in on Milner and beating him five-hole for the unassisted goal.

Second period, 12:17, BC 2-1: That’s one Parker Milner will want back.

BU’s Evan Rodrigues deked his way into the BC zone, settled near the right faceoff dot and blasted a shot through the space between Milner’s body and his blocker hand.

That’s Rodrigues’ 13th goal of the season, and it brings the Terriers right back into this game with plenty of hockey still to be played.

Second period, 9:46, BC 2-0: No post this time. Smith found his way behind the BU defense, took a perfect feed from Mullane and beat Maguire top-shelf. That upper-right corner seems to be a problem spot for the BU goalie, as both Smith and Arnold have managed to lift pucks over Maguire’s left shoulder.

Second period, 5:02, BC 1-0: The Eagles came within inches of extending their lead with BU’s Ryan Ruikka in the penalty box, but Quinn Smith rang iron with his shot past Maguire.

The Terriers were then called for a borderline offside infraction — the second questionable call handed down in the past few minutes — to kill a potential breakaway. Some frustration seems to be setting in for the boys in red, who are voicing their disapproval to the officials.

Second period, 1:06, BC 1-0: BC’s Michael Matheson is whistled for interference, and the Terriers will go on the power play searching for the equalizer early in the second.

First intermission, BC 1-0: A huge cheer erupts as the TD Garden Jumbotron commemorates Johnny Gaudreau, who was announced as the Hockey East’s Player of the Year yesterday. It’s been some year for the sophomore, who led Team USA to a title at the World Junior Championship in Sweden earlier this year.

Overall, both rosters in this game are stacked with future NHL talent, as Gaudreau — a Calgary draftee along with Arnold and Providence’s Jon Gillies — is one of 14 BC or BU players whose rights are owned by an NHL club. Comparatively, this afternoon’s game featured just seven draftees.

First intermission, BC 1-0: Boston College’s offensive assault finally paid dividends in the closing minutes of the first frame, but Maguire has kept the Terriers in the game. BU will need to improve on the offensive end in the second, as Jack Parker’s crew has been outshot 18-7 and hasn’t put much pressure on Milner.

First period, 18:33, BC 1-0: Less than a minute after Maguire made the save of the game so far to keep the game scoreless, Needham native Bill Arnold finally put one by the BU goalie with under two minutes to play in the period, sniping a shot over Maguire’s left shoulder on the power play.

And, right on cue, the student sections begin trading chants that are not very family-friendly.

First period, 11:24, 0-0: Save for a pair of mini-breakaways during Gaudreau’s penalty, BU hadn’t been able to get any prolonged pressure on Milner, who’s had to make just two routine saves thus far.

They finally found a quality scoring chance more than halfway through the period — a shorthanded chance, no less — when Rosen pickpocketed Pat Mullane and nearly stuffed the puck past Milner. The goaltender did not budge, though, and the puck ended up on top of the net.

Rosen appeared to jab Milner a few times with his knee before referees came in to separate the two teams.

First period, 5:50, 0-0: BC escapes the Gaudreau foul unscathed, and BU weathers a shorthanded stint of its own after Ben Rosen is sent to the box for high sticking.

The Eagles have peppered the young Maguire early, notching five shots on goal in the opening five minutes. Don’t be surprised if this ends up being much more of a barnburner than this afternoon’s contest.

First period, 0:10, 0-0: We’re just 10 seconds into the game and the Terriers already have their first power play. BC won the opening faceoff, but winger Johnny Gaudreau was called for tripping immediately after, giving BU the early man advantage.

8:45 p.m.: With puck drop just minutes away, let’s take a glimpse at the two contestants. As one of the greatest rivalries in all of college hockey, BC and BU obviously know each other well, facing off three times each season and often again in the annual Beanpot.

But tonight’s game will mark the first time the two teams have met in the postseason since 2009, when the Kieran Millan-led Terriers toppled the Eagles in this same round en route to a Hockey East title and a national championship.

These two schools have thoroughly dominated the conference tournament for nearly a decade, combining to win the last eight championship games. It has been all BC in recent years, though, both on a regional and national scale. The Eagles have won both the Hockey East and NCAA titles in each of the last three years.

Senior Parker Milner was the starter in net for two of those championships, and he’s back again for BC. He’ll backstop the Eagles’ defense behind freshman Teddy Doherty and senior Patrick Wey, with Bill Arnold centering Johnny Gaudreau and Destry Straight up front.

BU will send out sophomore Cason Hohmann between Sahir Gill and captain Wade Megan, with Sean Escobedo and Ryan Ruikka on the blue line and freshman Sean Maguire in net. Let’s get it on.

8:15 p.m.: A few observations from the the first three of hours of hockey:

-For a team that has not enjoyed the success of some of the conference’s elite, UMass Lowell has a tremendous fan base. The River Hawks have always traveled well, and tonight they packed their corner of the Garden with students and older fans alike. The wide range of uniform styles spotted in the crowd — with some even sporting sweaters bearing the school’s old Chiefs logo that was retired in 1994 — illustrates the fact that these are true diehards rather than just front-running bandwagon jumpers.

-The crowd, as a whole, is very anti-BC. How much so? Well, any children caught on the Jumbotron camera wearing Boston College gear have been met with a spirited chorus of boos. So, yeah, these guys do not like the Eagles.

Final, UMass Lowell 2-1: The Friars’ final rush falls short and the River Hawks are headed to the finals.

We expected a defensive battle, and that’s exactly what we got. Both Jon Gillies and Connor Hellebuyck were sensational in net, finishing with 33 and 34 saves, respectively.

UMass Lowell now advances to the conference championship game for just the third time in school history and the first time since 2009. They’ll take on the winner of tonight’s matchup between Boston College and Boston University, who will face off in just under an hour.

You can check out viewing information for tomorrow’s title game by clinking here. So, take a break, take a peek at the basketball scores, but keep it tuned right here as we bring you all the action from the Eagles and Terriers starting in just a few minutes.

Third period, 19:10, UMass Lowell 2-1: Hellebuyck is pushed all the way back into his net but manages to keep the puck out. Providence calls its timeout and will look to draw up one final play.

Third period, 17:59, UMass Lowell 2-1: Lowell calls for a timeout, and Providence now has just two minutes to find a way to put the puck past Connor Hellebuyck — something the Friars haven’t been able to do since the 8:59 mark of the first period. PC sends out a line of four forwards and two defensemen, with Gillies sent to the bench.

Third period, 12:30, UMass Lowell 2-1: Scott Wilson puts the River Hawks on top for the first time all night with an incredible, highlight-reel goal.

Wilson carried the puck into the Providence zone and with Friars defenseman John Gilmour draped all over him, let off a shot that sailed between Gilmour’s legs and over Gillies’ left shoulder, giving Lowell a 2-1 lead with 7:30 remaining.

Third period, 8:49, 1-1: It seems like both teams have needed a little kick in the behind to get their offenses going tonight. Just as Lowell did after surrendering Kevin Rooney’s goal in the first, PC has ramped up its attack in the wake of White’s tally.

Derek Army and Steven McParland have managed a few promising rushes into the River Hawks zone, but Hellebuyck has been stout in net, his save total now up to 27.

The Friars continue their Kyle Arrington impression, though, as Velischek is sent to the box for PC’s fifth interference violation of the night.

Third period, 4:11, 1-1: Riley Wetmore gets sent off for slashing, and Providence has an opportunity to respond with the extra man.

Third period, 0:34, 1-1: The River Hawks finally solve Gillies barely half a minute into the final frame. After making a save on a shot from the point, the PC netminder was bowled over by his own captain, Kyle Murphy, leaving a wide-open net for A.J. White to bury his second goal of the season. Looks like we’re headed for a thrilling finish here in this one.

Second intermission, Providence 1-0: What Marshall Henderson is to Ole Miss basketball, Jon Gillies is to the Providence Friars. The second-youngest player on the ice (behind fellow Friars freshman Mark Jankowski) has been the best through two periods, stopping all 25 shots he’s faced to backstop PC to a 1-0 lead through 40 minutes.

If any representatives from the Calgary Flames (who own the rights to both Gillies and Jankowski) are in attendance at the Garden, they have to be encouraged by their investment.

Second period, 16:02, Providence 1-0: Riley Wetmore almost capitalized 45 seconds into the power play. The senior captain tried to sneak the puck between Gillies’ right skate and the post, but the goalie was able to cover the puck amid a mad scrum in the crease. A lengthy review determined that the puck had crossed the goal line, and the Friars continue to hold a 1-0 advantage.

Second period, 15:00, Providence 1-0: Gillies does it again, making the save of the night to deny Joseph Pendenza with his right pad. The Friar faithful certainly approve of their freshman’s performance, as a “We got Gillies!” chant echoes from the section decked out in black and white.

PC is not doing its netminder any favors, though, as Derek Army was whistled for — you guessed it — interference. The River Hawks will again go on the power play.

Second period, 10:57, Providence 1-0: The interference bug bites the Friars again, and Kevin Hart is sent to the box, marking the first penalty in what has otherwise been a very crisp period of hockey.

Second period, 8:30, Providence 1-0: To properly illustrate the reason for Providence’s remarkable turnaround this season, look no further than the man in the crease. Jon Gillies has been a brick wall for the Friars yet again tonight, stopping all 19 UML shots and foiling what to this point has seemed like a period-long scoring chance.

He hasn’t done it alone, though, as the Friars D-men — especially freshman Tom Parisi and senior Pittsburgh draftee Alex Velicshek — have done an excellent job of taking out the trash in front of the net.

Second period, 2:45, Providence 1-0: Strangely, the beginning of the second period is playing out much like the first one — only with the roles reversed. Providence can’t seem to get the puck out of its defensive zone, and the River Hawks were almost able to jam it home during a scrum in front of the net before Gillies found his bearings and stopped play.

Second period, 0:00, Providence 1-0: UMass Lowell wins the faceoff and the second period is underway.

First intermission, Providence 1-0: Norm Bazin’s club got its best scoring chance of the night in the closing seconds of the first period.

With Friars defenseman Myles Harvey in the box for interference, the River Hawks fired away at Jon Gillies. Gillies weathered the storm with a little help from the iron, as a rocket from the blue line rang the left post and allowed PC to go into the locker room with a one-goal cushion.

Play has been rough thus far, as is expected in a playoff game, but both teams could benefit from cleaning up their checking a bit. Officials handed out five penalties in the opening period — three for interference — and Lowell has shown the ability to exploit Providence’s far-from-dominant penalty kill.

First period, 13:20, Providence 1-0: Rooney’s tally seems to have altered the momentum a bit, and now it’s UMass Lowell spending a lot of time in the Providence zone. The Hawks have yet to find many quality scoring chances, though, as Gillies has stopped all eight shots that have come his way.

First period, 8:59, Providence 1-0: We have our first goal of the night, and it comes from an unlikely source.

Freshman Kevin Rooney lit the lamp for the first time in his collegiate career after Hellebuyck couldn’t control a Noel Acciari slap shot and and Rooney slipped the rebound into the exposed net.

The Canton, Mass., native played in 28 games this season but had only three assists on his record until today.

First period, 6:29, 0-0: PC had its chances, but the River Hawks’ top D-pairing of Amlong and Ruhwedel got their bodies on a few pucks in front of the net to kill off the Wallin penalty. Their reprieve didn’t last long, though, as Foxboro native Derek Arnold was called for a trip, again leaving Lowell shorthanded.

First period, 3:35, 0-0: A physical few minutes produce the first power play of the game, as UML’s Terrence Wallin is sent to the box for hitting from behind. Providence nearly sneaks one by Hellebuyck in the opening 20 seconds of the man advantage, but the 6-foot-4 netminder gets a glove on it to force a face0ff.

5:05 p.m.: The Garden crowd is definitely skewed toward the River Hawks at the moment. There’s a lot of blue, red and white in the building.

A quick adjustment to the starting lineups: Providence will open up with its line of freshman Steven McParland, senior captain Kyle Murphy and junior Derek Army in front of defensemen Tom Parisi and Alex Velischek.

4:45 p.m.: The fact that the Friars and River Hawks are playing with a spot in the conference title game today is a testament to how much the Hockey East has evolved in recent years.

Before this season, UMass Lowell had finished better than fifth in the conference just twice since 2005-06 (third in 2009-10 and second last year), while PC finished seventh or worse six times over that span.

The winner of this game will have an excellent shot at breaking up the Boston College-Boston University monopoly that has claimed every title game since 2004.

4 p.m.: Good afternoon, hockey fans. We’re just about one hour from game time here at the Garden, so let’s take this chance to get acquainted with the boys from Providence and Lowell.

As I mentioned earlier, the goalies will be the story in the afternoon matchup, as both Jon Gillies and Connor Hellebuyck (pronounced HELL-e-buck) have been stellar in their first year at the college level. Their success has been evident on the score sheet, as UML and PC are tied for second in goals allowed per game (3.66) in conference play.

The goalies aren’t the only young guns making a name for themselves, though, as the teams will send out a combined six freshmen for the game’s opening shift.

The River Hawks’ top line features senior captain Riley Wetmore — the squad’s top goal scorer with 15 — centering between junior Derek Arnold and freshman Ryan McGrath, with freshman Greg Amlong and junior Chad Ruhwedel making up the first defensive pairing.

On the Providence side, senior Tim Schaller centers the Friars’ first line with freshmen Mark Janowski and Paul de Jersey on the wings, and senior Myles Harvey and junior Kevin Hart (no, not that Kevin Hart) patrolling the blue line.

8 a.m. ET: This weekend — and much of the next few weeks — will be dominated by college basketball, but March Madness isn’t limited to just hoops.

Some of the finest collegiate hockey players New England has to offer will take the ice tonight at TD Garden for the semifinals of the Hockey East tournament, with the victors earning the chance to play for the conference title Saturday.

There weren’t any upset specials in last weekend’s quarterfinals, with the higher seeds going a combined 8-1 to sweep the four opening-round series.

Top seed UMass Lowell, coming off its first regular-season title in school history, punched its ticket to the Garden rounds with a two-game sweep of Maine. Lowell will take on a fourth-seeded Providence squad backstopped by freshman sensation Jon Gillies. The matchup will showcase two of the game’s best young goaltenders, as Gillies and River Hawks freshman Connor Hellebuyck rank second and first, respectively, in the Hockey East in both goals-against average and save percentage.

But the marquee event will be the nightcap, as Boston University looks to send coach Jack Parker to his 10th and final Hockey East title game with a win over crosstown rival Boston College. The Eagles’ own legendary coach, Jerry York, is expected to miss the game as he continues to recover from a detached retina suffered last Saturday.

UMass Lowell and Providence will get the action under way at 5 p.m., with BC-BU following at 8 p.m. Be sure to check back throughout the day for up-to-the-minute updates leading up to puck drop.

Photos via Twitter/@HeightsSports / Facebook/Boston University / Twitter/@HeightsSports / Facebook/Providence College Men’s Hockey

On Sunday night the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs (Chicago’s affiliate), and the Chicago Wolves (Vancouver’s affiliate) showed hockey fans that the bad blood between the franchises trickles down into the AHL, too.

Pointed out by Yahoo! Sports’ Puck Daddy, the two teams had a bench brawl on Sunday night after former Boston College standout Ben Smith was pummeled by Guillaume Desbiens of the Wolves with just a few seconds left in the Ice Hogs’ 2-1 win. Smith took a vicious hit from behind in front of the Hogs’ bench and, either due to the door being ajar or the force of the hit, he actually went through the gate and into the bench.

That’s when chaos broke out and 27 penalties ensued, which can be seen in the video below.

The Eagles and Terriers have combined for 10 national titles and more recently have brought four of the last five Frozen Four crowns back to Beantown. Headlined by legendary coaches Jack Parker and Jerry York, respectively, Boston University and Boston College have a strong case for the nation’s top feud.

Other historic college feuds to be considered are Wisconsin and Minnesota, with the winner bringing home the Border Battle Cup, while Michigan and Michigan State share one of the best intrastate rivalries. The Battle of Boston also has competition not only on a national stage, but on a regional one as well. The rivalry between Maine and New Hampshire has stood for decades and was at its peak when Maine topped UNH in the 1999 national final. Harvard has its annual Beanpot with the likes of BC and BU, but the Crimson consider Cornell as their ultimate foe.

Eagles coach Jerry York will miss the remainder of the Hockey East quarterfinal series after suffering a detached retina in his right eye Saturday morning, according to the school. York is scheduled to undergo eye surgery in Boston on Monday.

BC defeated the Catamounts 4-2 in Game 1 of the best-of-3 series Friday night and will look to clinch a spot in next weekend’s conference semifinals with a victory on Saturday. A loss would result in a winner-take-all Game 3 at Conte Forum the following afternoon.

It is not yet known whether York would be able to return to the bench if his team advances to the Garden rounds. Associate coaches Mike Cavanaugh and Greg Brown will lead the team in his absence.

Some coaches will use anything to motivate their players, whether it’s an emotional speech or a movie to get their point across.

Jerry York seems to have a Hoosiers-esque quality about him. He has been coaching Boston College for 39 years now, and is inching closer to his eighth Hockey East title.

Jack Parker, who recently stated his time with the Boston University Terriers has come to a close, will look to capture his fourth NCAA crown to seal his 40-year coaching career. UMass Lowell’s second-year head coach, Norm Bazin, has put his River Hawks on top, and with the semifinals on the horizon, his presence has been felt on the bench.

All of those coaches are great, but if you wanted to get an extra edge, what movie would you use? Would it be Miracle, the story behind the 1980 US Olympic team? Or would you choose Mel Gibson‘s Braveheart to lead your players into battle? If you’re an underdog, you might want to choose Remember the Titans, The Mighty Ducks or Hoosiers.

Vote in our Hockey East poll below.

In the conversations of the best player in the Hockey East, it really is a toss up between four competitors: Boston College’s Johnny Gaudreau and Steven Whitney, University of New Hampshire’s Kevin Goumas and Merrimack College’s Mike Collins.

Gaudreau has posted an impressive 44-point performance this season, with 21 goals and 23 assists. The 5-foot-8 forward has brought a huge presence to BC (19-10-4) in just his sophomore year.

Another Eagle is also in the talks: Whitney. The 5-foot-7 forward has complemented Gaudreau nicely for the Eagles, tallying 28 points on the season (seven goals, 21 assists).

Heading north to Durham, N.H., the Wildcats are also in the mix for Hockey East glory. Their strongest player this season has arguably been third-year forward Kevin Goumas. No. 27 has recorded 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists) throughout the 2013 season.

Finally, Merrimack College is in the middle of the pack due to Collins’ display on the ice. The conference’s leading scorer, he has posted 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 26 games while keeping the Warriors competitive.

Needless to say, this decision will be tough for the Hockey East conference voters. Vote for your preferred player in the poll below.

Both teams are looking to improve their position heading into the ACC tournament next week, but Clemson comes into Tuesdays matchup reeling just a bit, having lost their last four games — although a few of those were against top-tier competition. The Eagles, meanwhile, just haven’t been very good on the road this season, earning just a 2-7 mark away from the Conte Forum.

Check out the grid below for a complete list of television providers and corresponding channels to see how you can catch the Eagles and Tigers live on NESNPlus at 7 p.m. ET.

Channel listings subject to change.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Littlejohn Coliseum

Undeniably the most high-profile player on this list, Paul Kariya was a dominant force during his short time in Hockey East. Prior to his 15-year NHL career, Kariya became the first freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player — a mark that still stands to this day — while leading Maine to the Hockey East and NCAA championships. By the time he started his career with the Mighty Ducks midway through his sophomore year, he had already left an undeniable mark on college hockey.

Also deserving consideration is Gustav Nyquist, another Black Bears great. Nyquist led his team in points during each of his three seasons in Orono, including a 61-point campaign in 2009-10 that led all of college hockey and made him a finalist for the Hobey Baker.

Former UMass defenseman Justin Braun had a banner season in 2009-10 as well, tallying 23 goals and 31 points from the blue line as captain of the Minutemen. Braun, who now patrols the defensive zone for the San Jose Sharks, topped the 20-point mark in three of his four seasons in Amherst and was named a first-team USCHO All-Star and a second-team All-American as a senior.

Boston College fans remember fondly the days of Brian Gionta wearing the “C” at Conte Forum. The diminutive (5-foot-7) winger led the Eagles to a national championship in 2001 and took home a host of conference and national awards, including three first-team Hockey East nods, three first-team All-America selections and the Walter Brown Award for the nation’s best American-born college player.

Just a few miles down the road, Kevin Shattenkirk made history at Boston University in 2009-10, becoming the first sole junior captain of the Terriers in nearly 50 years. He earned his honors on the ice, being named to the All-NCAA second team while leading BU to a national championship in 2008-09.

Though it’s rare for a goalie to serve as team captain, no discussion of Hockey East greats would be complete without mentioning Jimmy Howard. The current Red Wings netminder was a brick wall between the pipes for the Black Bears from 2002-05, setting team records in shutouts, goals against average and save percentage while leading Maine to the NCAA title game in 2004.

It’s hard to narrow down such a loaded roster, but if you had to choose one player to captain your squad, who would it be?

No. 4 Boston College played host to No. 12 UMass-Lowell, with the RiverHawks leaving Kelley Rink with a 4-2 victory while outshooting the Eagles 10-5 in the final period.  Lowell’s victory moves the Hawks into a tie for first place, while Boston College missed a golden opportunity to gain a two-point cushion on the rest of the conference.

Meanwhile, just a few miles east, No. 19 Boston University hosted No. 17 Merrimack. The Terriers jumped out to a 5-0 lead through two periods, thanks to two goals by junior forward Matt Nieto. BU’s victory thwarted the Warriors’ (14-12-6) chance to take sole possession of first place as well.

Those results have forced a four-way tie across the top of one of college hockey’s most competitive conferences. Idle New Hampshire and Providence join BC and UMass-Lowell with 28 points apiece. Merrimack sits a point back with 27, and the Terriers’ victory brought them to within two points, as they sit with 26.

All teams in the conference have played an even 23 league games, and each has four left to play.

New Hampshire has the luxury of closing out its season with four games at home against Massachusetts and Maine. However, with Maine and UMass fighting for the eighth and final seed in the postseason tournament, the Wildcats have a tough test in front of them.

Providence controls its destiny, as the Friars will play a home-and-home series with Boston College this weekend, then do the same against UMass-Lowell the following weekend.

BC still has to be considered the conference favorite. They will play a home-and-home with the Friars and then close the season out with two games up in Burlington against Vermont.

UMass-Lowell and PC will both face the toughest schedules on paper to close out the season. The RiverHawks have a home-and-home with Merrimack, who is just one point behind them. A weekend later, they will close with another home-and-home against the Friars.

The Hockey East regular season title has been a coveted crown over the past few seasons. The No. 1 seed in the tournament has won three of the last four conference championships — the exception being UNH in 2010.

Regardless of the result, the final two weekends of Hockey East play and the ensuing tournament should make for some entertaining hockey among the many local rivalries throughout New England.

Photo via Twitter/@heightsphoto

The awards offer us a chance to look back at all that’s transpired in the last year, while we select and celebrate some of the best sports moments of 2012.

The “Best Director” category is full of coaches who have excelled with their teams in the past year. Doc Rivers has led the Celtics through thick and thin, while Bill Belichick continues to roll through the record books down in Foxboro. In the college game, Boston College hockey coach Jerry York is a dark horse in the category, but likely shouldn’t be after he winning yet another national championship.

When it comes to “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” nominees, the choice for a winner doesn’t become any easier. Rajon Rondo led the league in assists for the second straight year in 2012, while Patrice Bergeron led the Bruins in assists on the ice. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers might have lent the biggest helping hand by agreeing to take Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford from the Red Sox in a megatrade back in August.

“Best Actor in a Leading Role” is filled with familiar faces, as well. Tom Brady earned a nomination by throwing for nearly 5,000 yards, but has some stiff competition from two up-and-coming stars. Tyler Seguin broke out as a legitimate star after leading the B’s with 67 points, while Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman made New England proud by taking home the gold in London.

However, when selecting a “Best Picture” in the Boston sports scene, there are plenty of solid options, as well. Whether dealing with Boston College hockey capturing its third championship in four years or Ray Allen leaving Boston, there’s plenty of action to choose from. Then again, it might be hard to top the Bobby Valentine era when it comes to drama.

Pete Frates spent four years leading Boston College baseball on the field, and now he does the same thing off the field.

Frates, who is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig‘s disease), now serves as the university’s president of baseball operations. There he can impart the wisdom he acquired playing for the Eagles from 2004 to 2007, and serve as an inspiration during his brave battle.

On Thursday, with BC taking on the Red Sox in Fort Myers, Frates was wheeled to the pitcher’s mound by former teammate and current Sox prospect Terry Doyle to hand the game ball to John Farrell. Check out the nice moment in the video above.

Final, Red Sox 11-1:

This one was essentially over after the third inning. The Eagles had just tied the game 1-1 when the Red Sox put the game out of reach with an eight-run frame. Boston’s hurlers then dominated from there, and the end result was a three-hitter.

Dan Butler and Shannon Wilkerson each hit a two-run homer in the win, and the Red Sox finished with 11 hits, including three from Mauro Gomez.

Koji Uehara started the game against BC, and Andrew Bailey, Junichi Tazawa, Oscar Villarreal, Jose De La Torre, Terry Doyle and Brock Huntzinger each pitched an inning in relief. Tazawa gave up the only run Boston’s pitching staff allowed all day.

Xander Bogaerts finished the game 1-for-4, and Jackie Bradley Jr. went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a run scored.

The Red Sox also picked up a victory in their first game of the day, blanking Northeastern behind a four-hitter from Joel Hanrahan and six others. The link is below, in case you missed that game.

The Red Sox will kick off their Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday against the Rays. John Lackey will get the start.

Be sure to check back with NESN.com for continuous Red Sox coverage. Have a question? Feel free to shoot me a tweet @TheRickyDoyle or drop it in my trusty mailbag.

Click here to read NESN.com’s Red Sox-Northeastern live blog >>

End 6th, Red Sox 11-1: Bogaerts decided enough was enough. After starting the game off 0-for-3, the Red Sox’ prized farmhand lined a 3-1 fastball to left-center field for a double.

For anyone interested in seeing a video of the double — and a number of other scenes from the day’s action — WEEI.com’s Mike Petraglia has posted a few TOUT videos. Click here to see them.

Bogaerts’ double actually went for naught, though, as the Red Sox failed to push across a twelfth run.

Brock Huntzinger will toe the rubber for the Sox in the seventh and final inning of the day.

Mid 6th, Red Sox 11-1: Pretty cool opportunity for Terry Doyle in the sixth. The Concord, Mass., native got to pitch against his alma mater, which is something you definitely don’t see every day.

Doyle sat down all three BC hitters he faced, meaning the Eagles will need a miracle in the seventh inning in order to walk away from this one with a win.

End 5th, Red Sox 11-1: The Red Sox have added two more runs thanks to a Shannon Wilkerson blast. It was Wilkerson’s first at-bat of the game, and he certainly made it count.

The Red Sox now have some other reserves in the game as well. Deven Marrero is in at shortstop, Peter Hissey is in center, Drew Hedman has taken over at first base, Brandon Jacobs is the new left fielder and Christian Vazquez is behind the plate. Alberto Rosario also pinch hit for DH David Refroe in the fifth.

Mid 5th, Red Sox 9-1: The Eagles are running out of opportunities to put up runs, as the Red Sox’ pitching success has carried over into their second game of the day.

Jose De La Torre had an easy inning in the top of the fifth. The main highlight came when Bogaerts made a nifty snag down at third and fired across the diamond for the out. As I mentioned earlier, Bogaerts has been coming up through the system as a shortstop although he’ll be playing third base in the WBC. Regardless of what position he plays in the future, though, his arm strength is obvious, and that’s an added bonus to the production he figures to provide at the plate.

End 4th, Red Sox 9-1: The Red Sox have put up nine runs, yet their top prospect — and probably the most intriguing player to watch in this game — is 0-for-3.

Xander Bogaerts fell behind 0-2 before hitting a frozen rope to deep left field. A leaping grab robbed Bogaerts of a hit, though. What a bust, huh?

In all seriousness, it’ll be interesting to see what Bogaerts has in store for the big stage of the World Baseball Classic. The infielder’s future is definitely bright, and it it could be his first chance to really make a name for himself outside of the Sox organization.

Mid 4th, Red Sox 9-1: BC needs to start putting up some runs, but Oscar Villarreal ensured it wasn’t happening on his watch. Villarreal kept the Eagles’ offense at bay, and Boston still holds an eight-run lead.

Villarreal is one of 19 non-roster invitees participating in the Red Sox’ major league spring training. The 31-year-old reliever has pitched for three different big league clubs over the course of his six-year major league career. He last pitched in the bigs in 2008 as a member of Astros.

End 3rd, Red Sox 9-1: It didn’t take long for the Red Sox to regain the lead in a big way. They pushed across eight runs in the bottom of the third.

Brock Holt knocked in the first run with a base hit, and Jackie Bradley Jr. followed that up with an RBI double off the base of the wall in right-center. That was just the start, though, as Boston scored six more runs to jump out to a commanding lead through three innings.

Jonathan Diaz chipped in a two-run double during the big frame, and Mauro Gomez added two more runs with a base hit. The explosion was capped off with a two-run homer from catcher Daniel Butler.

In the end, 12 batters stepped into the box against BC pitching, and we’ve suddenly got ourselves a rout at JetBlue Park.

Mid 3rd, 1-1: Boston College has answered back. John Hennessy, who singled to leadoff the game, doubled off Junichi Tazawa in the third, and BC was able to push across a run on an RBI groundout from Matt Pare.

It’s the first run of the day given up by Sox pitching, as Boston blanked Northeastern while allowing just four hits in Game 1.

End 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: The Red Sox are on the board first.

Mauro Gomez doubled to open up the home half of the second, and he was then knocked in by Jeremy Hazelbaker, who singled.

Xander Bogaerts, who was recently ranked the Red Sox’ No. 1 prospect, then dug in for his first at-bat of the afternoon. He grounded out softly to third base on the first pitch he saw. Jonathan Diaz and Daniel Butler grounded out as well.

As you can already see, this game will provide a heavy dose of minor league talent. The Red Sox actually have some solid organizational depth as we enter this season, which is a good thing considering the emphasis Ben Cherington is trying to place on player development going forward.

Click here to read about the Red Sox’ top prospects >>

Mid 2nd, 0-0: Andrew Bailey was the second Sox pitcher to get a crack at BC, and he looked impressive. Bailey enjoyed a 1-2-3 inning.

It’ll be interesting to see how Bailey adapts to his new role as a setup man this season. If he’s able to thrive in that capacity, Boston’s bullpen could find itself among the America League’s best units, as there’s certainly plenty of talent in the mix.

End 1st, 0-0: Lefty Nate Bayuk got the starting nod for Boston College, and he retired the Sox in order in the first.

Justin Henry flew out to begin the inning. Brock Holt then grounded out, and Jackie Bradley Jr. lined out to center.

Mid 1st, 0-0: Koji Uehara had mixed results in the first inning, but he kept Boston College off the board.

Uehara, who figures to be one of Boston’s setup men this season, surrendered a leadoff single to John Hennessy. Hennessy was wiped off the bases, though, when Blake Butera lined to right with Hennessy on the move. Matt Pare then reached on a throwing era by Jonathan Diaz, and Tom Bourdon singled to move him up into scoring position, but the inning ended when Uehara struck out Geoff Murphy.

4:15 p.m.: I’ve got some notes to pass along before we start this one up. This marks the 23rd time the Red Sox and Boston College have squared off — it’s the 21st consecutive year the two teams have played. The Sox won last year 6-3 in the first such clash at JetBlue Park.

Nine former Boston College Eagles have gone on to don a Red Sox uniform. Terry Doyle, invited to Red Sox major league camp as a minor league free-agent signing, is a former Eagle. He’s scheduled to pitch in this game.

4:10 p.m.: A touching moment kicked off the second game at JetBlue Park. Boston College president of baseball operations Peter Frates, who is battling ALS, presented the game ball. He was wheeled out by former BC teammate Terry Doyle and handed the ball to Red Sox manager John Farrell.

Click here to read more about Frates >>

3:55 p.m. ET: The Red Sox kicked off their spring training schedule on Thursday with a victory over Northeastern, but they’re not done for the day just yet. Next up for the Sox is a clash with Boston College at 4 p.m. ET.

While the Red Sox’ lineup for the first game included a number of regulars, Boston’s lineup against BC will consist entirely of minor leaguers. That doesn’t mean it won’t be an interesting game, though, as some of the organization’s top prospects, including Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr., will be in action.

Bogaerts, who is coming up through the system as a shortstop, will play third base against the Eagles. It’s a position many envision him eventually switching to, but him playing there against BC could just be to get him some more practice at the position before he mans the hot corner for Team Netherlands during the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Just like the Red Sox did against Northeastern, they’ll roll out a new reliever to start Thursday’s contest against BC. Koji Uehara will get the nod first for the Sox in the seven-inning affair.

The Red Sox’ lineup is below.

Justin Henry, RF
Brock Holt, SS
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Mauro Gomez, 1B
Jeremy Hazelbaker, LF
Xander Bogaerts, 3B
Jonathan Diaz, 2B
Daniel Butler, C
David Renfroe, DH

Koji Uehara, P

Also scheduled to pitch: Andrew Bailey, Oscar Villarreal, Terry Doyle, Jose De La Torre, Junichi Tazawa

Click here to read NESN.com’s Red Sox-Northeastern live blog >>

One day after the Boston College men captured their fourth consecutive Beanpot title, the BC women get their chance to bring some hardware back to the Chestnut Hill.

The Eagles get set to take on Northeastern in the finals of the annual tournament on Tuesday night, and NESN.com will be streaming the action live.

Boston University and Harvard square off in the consolation game at 5 p.m. ET, before BC and Northeastern meet in the finals.

Thumbnail via Twitter/@RyanGStone