Boston College arrived at TD Garden on Friday night as the No. 1 Hockey East seed, but, after losing to Northeastern in the semifinals, 5-4, left without a conference tournament title for the fourth straight season.
Now the Eagles turn their attention to the NCAA Tournament. They’ll find out Sunday where they’ll be sent, whom they’ll play, and what day and time they’ll go. The selection show will be broadcast on ESPNU, beginning at noon.
“We’ve just got to get better. We’re going to play teams similar to Northeastern, good teams,’’ BC coach Jerry York said after Friday’s loss. “Our goal is to put a sixth star on that game sweater, and you’ve got to win four games to do that.’’
BC has won five national championships, most recently in 2012. That was also the last year the Eagles won the Hockey East tournament title.
Not advancing to Saturday night’s championship game meant that BC’s senior class never played for a Hockey East tournament title.
The last time that happened was 1997, which ended a seven-year drought of the Eagles not playing in the conference championship game.
Roy has options
Kevin Roy isn’t sure where he is headed after he wraps up at Northeastern. The prolific senior left winger could be headed directly to pro hockey even before he walks in graduation ceremonies.
Contract or no contract, however, Roy is pleased to say he’ll be holding a diploma.
“I came back to get my degree first, so that’s my priority, to get my degree,’’ said Roy, whose playing rights are owned currently by the Anaheim Ducks, “and get out of Boston with my diploma — that’s my main goal after the season.’’
Roy, a 22-year-old psychology major, was selected by the Ducks (97th overall) in the 2014 amateur draft. Considered somewhat small (5 feet 10 inches, 170 pounds) by NHL standards, he might be even more of a reach to make the lineup in Anaheim, where size and strength have been main features of the Ducks’ forward corps for some time.
But Roy also has a somewhat unique advantage in negotiations in that he can opt for free agency rather than sign, or even negotiate with the Ducks. NCAA players who remain with their college teams for four years — atypical of most draft picks — can declare themselves unrestricted free agents as of Aug. 15 of their graduation years. In some five months, if he fails to come to contract terms with the Ducks, Roy can shop his services across the 30-team NHL.
“We’ll see what happens,’’ said Roy, whose pair of goals, along with two assists, helped the Huskies sink Notre Dame in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
“But whatever happens, I know I’ve got a degree from a really good university and I know I’ve got that to fall back on — so at least I have more than hockey.’’
Roy, with 25 points this season, carries a career scoring line of 65-84—149 in 128 games with the Huskies. Sidelined with a concussion for two months — and 12 games — earlier this season, he has been key to the Huskies’ protracted run of success that has led to a Hockey East title and NCAA playoff berth.
“He’s in a real good zone,’’ said coach Jim Madigan, his Huskies winning the title game for the first time since 1988 and only the second time in tournament history. “He’s feeling it offensively. He is a kid who isn’t just a streaky scorer but a consistent scorer, and when he gets in these zones — just like when a hitter gets in a zone and the ball looks like a beachball — that net now looks like there is a lot of open space when he is shooting it. I am glad he is in that spot at this time of the year.’’
Calling for seconds
Hockey shifts are typically short because of the energy required to play at the necessary pace, so a game that goes into a third overtime and takes nearly 4½ hours to complete is certain to leave athletes physically drained. UMass Lowell attaches heart monitors to its players, and the estimated number of calories burned during Friday’s 2-1 win over Providence was eye-popping.
In a typical game, the average player might burn 2,000 calories, according to Devan McConnell, Lowell’s strength and conditioning coach. Friday night, the number for some players topped 4,000.
“We’ll use that information to make sure that we’re helping guys replenish, that they’re getting enough energy back in them,’’ McConnell said. “Last night, essentially playing two games, we wanted to make sure we had enough food at the hotel, made sure we got a little extra this morning for breakfast.’’
For some, even that wasn’t enough. A few players were sent out for ice cream after the game.
In anyway
Turns out Northeastern, win or lose, had an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. That’s because Michigan beat Minnesota, 5-3, in the Big Ten title game, and that meant NU would’ve earned an at-large bid even with a loss. Instead, based on PairWise rankings, that at-large spot goes to Yale . . . Northeastern sophomore defenseman Garret Cockerill missed Saturday’s game after suffering a broken finger during the second period of Friday’s semifinal win. He was replaced in the lineup by Trevor Owens.
Michael Whitmer can be reached at michael.whitmer@globe.com. Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.
