Printer-Friendly Format   E-mail this article     Nathan Gerbe and Matt Greene helped commemorate Boston College's 2008 national championship banner celebration just prior to faceoff against Wisconsin
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Eagles salute 2007-08 national-title team, win season opener

Oct. 10, 2008

PHOTO GALLERY

Box Score

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - It truly was a special night for Boston College hockey. Four special-teams goals lifted the top-ranked Eagles to a 5-4 season-opening win over Wisconsin before a sellout crowd of 7,884 in Kelley Rink.

Just prior to the game, Boston College paid a final salute to its 2007-08 title-winning team by raising the national-championship banner to the arena's rafters.

Freshman Cam Atkinson made his collegiate debut a memorable one by scoring the decisive goal - the team's sole even-strength tally - at 13:30 of the third period.

Sophomore Brian Gibbons scored twice - once shorthanded and once on the power play - to pace the home team.

BC and Wisconsin were tied 1-1 after one period and 3-3 after two periods. The visiting Badgers gained a one-goal edge on senior Ben Street's goal just 80 seconds into the third period.

Gibbons' shorthanded goal evened the score at 3:43, setting the stage for Atkinson's gamewinner.

Wisconsin sophomore Patrick Johnson opened the night's scoring at 2:59. Gibbons tied the game with a power-play goal at 5:59.

Junior Matt Price gave BC a 2-1 advantage with a shorthanded goal at 4:18 of the second period, before Wisconsin answered with consecutive goals from freshmen Jordy Murray and Eric Springer. BC senior captain Brock Bradford tallied on the power play at 13:18 to even the score once again.

BC sophomore John Muse made 28 saves to earn his 26th collegiate victory. Wisconsin senior Shane Connelly finished with 32 stops.

Game Notes: Attending the national championship banner ceremony where three honored guests from the 1949 national championship team - Ed Casey, Giles Threadgold and Len Ceglarski; six members of the 2001 national championship team - Bobby Allen, Bill Cass, Scott Clemmensen, Justin Dziama, Tim Kelleher, and Mark McLennan; and from last year's championship team - Nathan Gerbe and Matt Greene ... Bradford's return to the ice marked his first game action since Jan. 19, 2008 against Boston University. A Burnaby, British Columbia resident, Bradford tallied one goal and two assists, marking his second three-point effort in season-opening games. The captain notched two goals and one assist in BC's 5-2 win over Northeastern in the 2006-07 season opener on Oct. 10 ... The goals scored by Gibbons and Price both represented their first career shorthanded scores ... freshman forward Jimmy Hayes notched his first collegiate point - the secondary assist on Atkinson's game-winning goal at 13:30 of the third period ... BC killed all six Wisconsin power plays and has killed 27 straight opponent power plays dating back to the team's 5-2 victory over Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament's Northeast Regional semifinal on March 29, 2008 ... Gibbons and junior forward Ben Smith (one assist) both extended their scoring streaks to eight games dating back to March 15, 2008 against Providence ... Price registered two points (one goal and one assist), marking his third multiple-point performance of his 71-game collegiate career.