Polls and Predictions

With the 2006-07 season just around the corner, polls and predictions are in the air. The USCHO/CSTV poll ranks BU fourth behind Wisconsin, BC, and Minnesota. Hockey East held its media day this week and its coaches poll ranks the Terriers 2nd behind the Eagles. As always, Jack Parker is quoted is extensively.

INCH’s Hockey East preview picks the guys in Scarlet to finish third behind BC and Maine. The article suggests that BU will overcome the loss of three senior forwards with even better performances from the two returning lines. It also reminds us that BU is very unlikely to repeat its 19-1-2 run beginning in December [Looking back, that was a truly exceptional effort.]. By the same token, BU can not be expected to duplicate the 5-6-2 record in the first 13 games. BU’s schedule puts it in a position for a strong start. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.

Finally, congratulations to Coach Brian Durocher, whose second year varsity women's squad came in third in the Hockey East preseason poll just ahead of the Providence Lady Friars, coached by another former BU netminder, Bob Deraney. Durocher has brought two high-quality classes of recruits into the program with a number of important transfers complementing the first-year players. For this season he had added a foundation defenseman in Julie Poulin who transferred from Maine after leading her team in assists and earning All-HE honorable mention. The team's standout goalie Alysse Wilcox played in the same junior program, Honeybaked, as incoming men's goalie Brett Bennett. We'll be keeping an eye on the Lady Terriers from time to time.

Some comments on these rankings?