Looking ahead--Updated

The Needham Times talked at length with incoming freshman Danny O’Regan about his accomplishment-filled Spring.  The 5-9 center led St. Sebastian’s to the title game of the NEPSIHA large school tournament, paced all Independent School League scorers with 56 points, and received the ISL’s sole award, the Flood Shield, for his dedication and sportsmanship.  O’Regan, whose father Tom co-captained the 1982-83 Terriers, was invited to join the NTDP U18s for several late season games and his strong play earned him a spot on Team USA for the World U18 Championships in the Czech Republic. He centered the first line as Team USA won gold for the fourth consecutive year, prompting US of Hockey to write:

The lone non-NTDP player on the roster may have been the biggest surprise of the tournament. O’Regan has some incredible puck skills and creativity and may have been Team USA’s best center at the tournament. O’Regan had four points including a dazzling goal against Sweden’s Oscar Dansk in which the American forward put his skills on display. After picking up a loose puck, O’Regan skated in and deked Dansk out of his jock before stuffing it five-hole. O’Regan has a high upside because of his puck skills and good hockey sense. As he builds strength, he could become an offensive force. 

The World tournament performance improved O’Regan’s stock for the draft this past June and he was selected in the fifth round by San Jose, 138^th overall.

His NTDP teammate and fellow BU freshman, Matthew Lane, has been invited to play in the inaugural USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game.  Sept. 29 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, the Prospects Game will feature top American players eligible for the 2013 NHL draft.  A speedy winger from Rochester, N.Y., Lane also had a breakout performance, likewise earning a strong review from U.S. of Hockey.

 If you didn’t know much about Lane before, you better start learning. He was named one of Team USA’s best three players at the tournament and was more than deserving of that honor. Lane posted seven points (3g-4a), but was so much more than that. With his strong forechecking and ability to win just about every puck battle he was in shows that he can be a force. Lane’s speed is his standout tool. He might be Team USA’s fastest forward. He’s not just fast though, as he knows how to use his speed to generate offense. Lane’s line with J.T. Compher and Frankie Vatrano had a lot to do with Team USA’s success at the tournament

Looking back

Former Terrier Ed Ronan and his son Corey, a forward at St. Sebastian’s, are the subjects of a Boston Globe feature article. The elder Ronan was a standout forward on several BU squads including the 1991 Hockey East champions who reached the NCAA title game, and he went on to become a member of the 1993 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadians. Corey, going into his junior year of prep school, was second in scoring for the Arrows last season, skating on a line with incoming BU freshman Danny O’Regan. A strong performance at the recent Select 17 Development camp earned Ronan a spot on the U.S. U18 squad that will compete in the Ivan Hlinka  Memorial Tournament in Slovakia and The Czech Republic later this month.

Women's team

Six team members are skating at Canada’s National Women’s Under-22/Development Team selection camp, which begins today in Calgary. The six Terriers are: defensemen Shannon Doyle and Kaleigh Fratkin and forwards Sarah Lefort, Isabel Menard, Marie-Philip Poulin and Kayla Tutino.

► Following BU's national championship in 2008-09, USCHO reporter Scott Weighart chronicled the season in his book, "Burn The Boats."  Now, a fictional Terrier squad is the subject of a new book by Michael Maloni, titled "Defenseman." College Hockey News provides a book review.