In Developing Story, a regular feature on collegehockeyinc.com, we highlight current college hockey players who have developed their skills during their careers – either on the ice or off – and in turn made a bigger impact on their team’s success.

Senior captain Tommy Cross is such a good leader for Boston College that those leadership skills often overshadow what he does on the ice.

“I probably short sight his play because his leadership is so strong for us,” head coach Jerry York told USCHO.com. “He’s been an outstanding leader for us and I appreciate that in players. But his play is right there. He’s a very, very good defenseman.”

Noticed or not, Cross has enjoyed his best season on ice as a senior. His contributions might get overlooked because they are the types of little things that win hockey games: blocking shots, making crisp outlet passes and using his 6-foot-3, 215-pound size effectively.

Cross has had more time to hone his skills this season thanks to good health. Knee injuries limited him to 24, 38 and 28 games his first three seasons, and often rehab was keeping him off the ice for practice, even when he was playing games.

In 2011-12, he’s been able to take full advantage of Eagle practices and the other opportunities the team has to improve.

“We have walk-in lifts in the morning, where you can go in and do a workout before or between classes,” Cross told College Hockey, Inc. for a look at a typical student-athlete’s day. “Two walk-in lifts each week are mandatory and a third is optional.

“We also have ice available in the morning, so on Mondays and Wednesdays, when I have a class at 9 and another at 11 a.m., I may get on the ice for a half hour in between to work on skills or skating.”

Cross’s efforts haven’t gone completely unnoticed. He was an honorable mention All-Hockey East selection and earned All-Tournament honors at the Ice Breaker and the NCAA Northeast Regional. His physical strength – a product of those walk-in lifts – is impossible to miss and he displays hockey sense that comes from experience and all that time he has spent on the ice.

Now, as the Boston Bruins’ second-round pick heads into his final college weekend, he knows that the extra work – both battling through injury and improving his game – could help him reach his ultimate goal of captaining the Eagles to the national championship.