Whitney’s niche is special teams

One of the prime reasons why Boston College led the country for much of the season in shorthanded goals with 11 was the play of junior right winger Steve Whitney of Reading.

The 5-foot-7 speedster with a quick shot terrorized power-play foes with a frenzied persistence that resulted in three man-down markers. Whitney combined with penalty-kill batterymate Barry Almeida (two shorthanded goals), a senior from Springfield, to account for nearly half of BC’s entire total in that department.

“I think I’ve learned to play on the defensive side of the puck, which is kind of the basis of the game,” said the 21-year-old Whitney, whose older brother, Joe, captained the last year’s BC team. “From there, as long as you are responsive defensively, you can take some chances and make some plays when the coaches put some trust in you. I think that’s helped me a lot that the coaches put trust in me and I feel more confident.

“It’s my first year in the (penalty-kill) rotation and I like it a lot. It’s a lot of hard work. That’s what the penalty-kill really is. I do them with Barry Almeida, and he’s a playmaker and a skilled player. So, if they cough it up at all, there’s a chance that he’ll come down and make a play. So, it’s fun to play out there.”

BC coach Jerry York praised Whitney’s all-around value to the club.

“Whitney has been an elite player for us. He’s been that way since the first day he arrived on campus,” York said. “He plays on the power play. He kills penalties. He takes regular shifts. He’s been a real dynamic player. He’s a game-changer. He’s a real special player for us.”

Watch a BC practice and you’ll learn quickly that Whitney, who has 13 goals and 22 assists in 42 games, is all business.

“I think that there are a lot of good players in high school, especially in the (Independent School League), but when you get to college every player is like that,” said Whitney, who played at Lawrence Academy. “So, it’s an everyday thing. You have to focus and get better every day. I think conditioning and strength were the biggest adjustments. Russ (DeRosa, BC’s strength and conditioning coach) did a great job with me as well. I came in the summer before my freshman year, so I had a little bit more time with the some of the core guys on the team to train. But, yeah, the 21?2-hour practices are a lot different than in high school. It takes a lot out of you, and you need to keep up with it.”

Lining up speakers

Michigan State coach Tom Anastos was a visitor to the BC practice Sunday. York was hoping to entice former Eagles defenseman Brooks Orpik, now toiling for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are in town to face the Bruins [team stats] on Tuesday, to stop by and address the team.

Surprise visitor

The Eagles didn’t count on a sparrow, which has taken up residence high in the rafters of Kelley Rink, finding its way into their locker room.

The sparrow apparently spotted spilled popcorn inside the arena and swooped down for some refreshment before making its way into the BC locker room.

That was when resident audubon expert and senior goalie Chris Venti, of Needham and BBN, sprang into action.

“I just threw a towel over it and brought it outside and released it,” Venti said.

By the way, Venti is presenting a pair of NCAA Frozen Four tickets to Charlie Kenney, a Marine and former Belmont Hill hockey pal. .?.?.

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