Update on the Eagles: December Edition
By JD Biagioni
Here’s all the news and notes you need to know about Boston College sports from December.
Football:
- Boston College hired former Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to be the team’s next head coach. Hafley stayed with the Buckeyes through their College Football Playoff run, which ended with a 29-23 Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson.
The new journey now begins.
To the BC community, I'm now in and once again I ask all of you to #GetIn. Let's all do this together through Toughness, Love and by competing daily! I am humbled and proud to be your new head coach.#WeAreBC????
— Jeff Hafley (@CoachJeffHafley) December 29, 2019
- BC was selected to face No. 23 Cincinnati in the Birmingham Bowl. The Eagles enter the game as 7.5-point underdogs.
- Wide receivers coach Rich Gunnell will serve as the interim coach for the bowl game. Hafley will be in attendance.
- Star running back AJ Dillon announced he would forego his senior season and declare the NFL Draft.
Men’s Hockey:
- Only played two games in December, both against Notre Dame.
- Won both games by a combined score of 10-1.
- Currently riding a 9-game winning streak.
- Goalie Spencer Knight was selected to Team USA’s roster for the World Junior Championship. Former Eagle Oliver Wahlstrom is also on the team.
After one, it remains a scoreless contest. The U.S. will start period two on the power play.
Some good chances for #TeamUSA in the first and this big pad save from Spencer Knight!#USAWJC | #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/JNhXekceE0
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) December 29, 2019
- Currently ranked No. 5 in the nation.
Women’s Hockey:
- Went 0-3 in December, losing 6-0 and 2-1 to Boston University and 7-1 to Harvard.
- As of December 9, the team is ranked No. 9 in the USCHO poll.
Men’s Basketball:
- Went 4-2 but bookended December with losses.
- Opened the month with a loss to Northwestern in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and closed it with an 88-49 loss at Duke.
- The team’s four-game winning streak in the middle of the month included wins over Notre Dame and Cal.
- Nik Popovic was injured in the Northwestern game. The back injury kept him out the rest of the month, but it appears he is close to returning.
- Jairus Hamilton had a good month shooting the ball, scoring 16 against Albany and 18 against Cal.
San Francisco Treat; Eagles win fourth straight
RECAP: https://t.co/R9NdzZKwK4
Jairus Hamilton scored a career-high 18 points and BC used a strong second half to down @CalMBBall, 64-60, in the Al Attles Classic in San Francisco.#WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/st8lf1I6qo
— Boston College Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) December 22, 2019
Women’s Basketball:
- Went 2-3 in December and are now 7-6 on the season and 0-2 in conference.
- The women’s team also lost to Northwestern in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
- The team continues to blow out opponents in victory, beating BU by 31 and Delaware State by 40.
- Finished the month with a 72-54 loss to undefeated No. 9 NC State.
????Highlights vs NC State‼️ pic.twitter.com/URA2V6vvcT
— Boston College Women’s Basketball (@bc_wbb) December 29, 2019
- Cam Swartz still leads the team, averaging 12.6 points per game. Taylor Soule is a close second at 12.5.
Baseball:
- In more sombre news, former BC baseball captain and inspiration behind the Ice Bucket Challenge lost his courageous battle with ALS on December 9 at age 34.
Heartbroken over the loss of @PeteFrates3, our hero, teammate, mentor and brother. He changed the world.#StrikeOutALS
#⃣3⃣ https://t.co/7J6327XUVr pic.twitter.com/xcfGFuag0Y— BC Baseball (@BCBirdBall) December 9, 2019