Looking Back: The Game That Never Was

Dave Warner, a defenseman for the Terriers’ back-to-back national championship squads of 1970-71 and 1971-72, played an important role in wins against Wisconsin and Cornell in Boston Garden that earned BU its second crown. BU primarily used two sets of blueliners at the time, with Warner being the fifth defenseman in '71-'72. After BU’s ECAC title win, Coach Jack Kelley learned he’d be without steady defenseman Bob Murray in the NCAAs due to a kidney injury. Kelley petitioned the NCAA to allow freshman Vic Stanfield to be added to the varsity roster for the nationals, but it was Warner who saw most of the action in Murray’s place, helping goalie Tim Regan keep his net empty, save for one Badger goal, in the two games.

Warner’s senior year, 1972-73, is remembered as the season of the 11 forfeits, a surprising playoff loss to Penn and a 9-0 blowout of Cornell at Lynah Rink that became an integral part of what was called “L’affair Decloe.” Dave has authored a personal look back at the 1972-73 season, the game at Cornell and its lasting impact on BU hockey. The article also has been added to our list of “Terrier Tales” in the sidebar on the right. (Choose "The Game That Never Was" from list of articles on The Terrier Hockey Fan Blog original content site)

We’d like to also take this opportunity to thank the many former BU players and coaches who contributed their recollections to the two feature articles (BU In The Big Apple and Red Hot Hockey Since 1925) that were posted last week and listed among the “Terrier Tales.” Those articles also were included in the press packet that BU’s Senior Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Brian Kelley provided to the media this past Saturday at Madison Square Garden.