Eagles Arrive in Motor City, Prepare For First Indoor Frozen Four Matchup

DETROIT — If you build it, the Boston College Eagles will come.

BC arrived in the Motor City on Tuesday and got its first chance to practice at Ford Field on Wednesday afternoon, taking care of its last-minute preparations before playing Miami on Thursday night in the Frozen Four.

“It was nice to get out there finally,” said BC senior forward Ben Smith. “There was a lot of anticipation getting out there [Wednesday]. It’s pretty cool out there, a unique experience, and we’re excited to get out there [for the Frozen Four].”

The Eagles played at Fenway Park in January, and they’re about to take part in the first college hockey event ever held in an indoor football stadium. The kids on the team realize how lucky they are to get this experience. Add the chance to take home a national championship, and it’s even better.

“It’s a little bit different [from Fenway],” said BC senior forward Matt Price. “You don’t have the stars out there when you look up. It’s going to be a great place to play.”

There were mixed emotions leading into this year’s Frozen Four. After a string of highly successful years in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Denver and Washington D.C., the thoughts of placing this event in a football stadium left many squeamish at best.

But the setup is beautiful. The rink is banked in a corner of the field, and the other half is cut off with curtains and bleachers to create a cozier atmosphere. Upwards of 30,000 fans are expected, which would break the attendance record for an indoor hockey game (28,183 fans showed up for a playoff game between the Lightning and Flyers at the ThunderDome in Tampa).

“I never imagined, and I was a little apprehensive when it was announced a few years ago it was coming to Ford Field,” said Eagles head coach Jerry York. “All of our venues have been NHL buildings. We’ve had some experiences playing in some terrific buildings, particularly in the last couple years.

“For us to take this step almost toward a basketball situation, a dome situation, I was apprehensive, but I think it’s worked out much better than I thought.”