Monday, April 29, 2013

Roberto adds scoring punch to 2013 recruit class




Last week, we reported that highly-regard Kimball Union Academy forward Nick Roberto was being recruited by BU after decommitting from Maine.  The 5-9, 170 lb., right-shot forward, who earned 2012-13 USHR Prep Forward of the Year honors, visited BU on Thursday and now has committed to BU for the 2013 season.
(Photo courtesy of Dave Arnold Photography) 
 
The Wakefield, Mass., native joins two close friends in BU’s 2013 recruit class. Prior to KUA, Roberto spent two seasons at Malden Catholic as a teammate of Brendan Collier as the Lancers won their first of three consecutive Super 8 titles in 2010-11. The other is KUA’s captain, 6-5 defenseman Doyle Somerby, of whom Roberto told the Maine Hockey Journal, ““We have been good friends since [we were] nine years old playing together.”

Transferring to KUA as a junior, he had a 14-15-29 scoring line in 29 games. In the 2012 Simmons/Piatelli NEPSIHA Championship game, Roberto scored the overtime game-winner that gave KUA a 3-2 victory and a record-setting 27th win. Along with Roberto and Somerby, a third BU recruit, defenseman Jonathan MacLeod, now with the NTDP U17s, was on the title-winning Wildcat team.

A gritty forward with speed and a strong shot, Roberto’s offensive game blossomed further this past season when he led the Wildcats in goal-scoring en route to a 28-3-0 record and the top position in the New England prep polls nearly all season long.  Scoring 23 goals and 25 assists in 29 games, Roberto skated on KUA’s top line with BC recruit JD Dudek and UMass recruit Casey Miller, whose father, Paul Miller, played for BU’s 1978 national champions.

In December, Roberto led KUA to its first Flood-Marr tournament championship in 21 years, earning MVP honors for his three goals and strong play in all three zones. His coach Mike Levin said, “He was very good from the get-go. He scored some big goals. But it wasn’t just the points; it was all the other things he was doing.”

More recently, Levine pointed out, “Nick is a high energy guy, is quick, does not shy away from physical play, and has established a nice touch over the past two seasons.”  He added that “We are very excited to have three kids from KUA commit to BU over the past two seasons.”

Roberto, who also visited New Hampshire and Providence College, becomes either the fifth or sixth forward in the 2013 recruit class, depending upon whether St. Sebastian's center Tommy Kelley comes next season or in 2014. He joins Collier, 2011 USHR Prep Forward of the Year Robbie Baillargeon, Kevin Duane and Jarrid Privitera.
● OverTheBoards.net report 
ESPN Boston report
● Elite Prospects stats

Looking back
The Sporting News talked with Kevin Shattenkirk about his progress as an NHL blueliner, especially in the defensive zone.

New England Hockey Journal tracks Charlie Coyle’s path from Thayer Academy to BU and now to the NHL, where he’s scored eight goals and six assists in 37 games with Minnesota and has earned a spot on the Wild’s top line.

The South Bend Tribune spoke with Jack Parker and former BU All-American goalie and 1980 Olympic gold medal winner Jim Craig about his recruitment to BU in the late 70s. Craig, also a member of the 1978 BU NCAA title team, was in South Bend for a fundraiser.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Return to Fenway



BU will play its second outdoor game of the modern era on January 11 as it returns to Fenway Park to take on Maine in “Frozen Fenway 2014.” The game is the nightcap of a Hockey East doubleheader that will see defending conference champ UMass Lowell meet Northeastern in the first game.

On January 9, 2010 with a light snow falling, the Terriers defeated BC, 3-2  (video), before 38,472 fans at Fenway, the largest crowd to see a college game in the Eastern U.S. and outdrew the NHL’s Winter Classic by 360.

Next season’s outdoor meeting with the Black Bears is a conference game, one of 20 Hockey East games for BU in the new conference schedule. With Notre Dame becoming the 11th Hockey East team in 2013-14, each team will play the other ten twice. As a result, out-of-conference schedules will expand from 7 to 14 games. Thus far, the Terriers out-of-conference schedule includes: Cornell (Red Hot Hockey), Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, North Dakota (2), Rensselaer, Holy Cross, Bentley and two Beanpot games.

BU’s will begin next season on Friday, October 11 against UMass-Amherst and then take on Holy Cross the next night.

Boston Hockey Blog report

Looking ahead
In NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, 2014 recruit goalie Shane Starrett was rated #15 among North American goalies. The 6-4 netminder from Bellingham, Mass, who completed a standout season with the Selects Hockey Academy U18s, had been ranked #35 in the midterm rankings.

2014 recruit Jack Eichel and Team USA take on host team Russia tomorrow in the semifinals of the World U18 Championships in Sochi. Eichel, who is the youngest player on Team USA, has a goal and an assist in five games.

Several internet sources have reported that Kimball Union Academy forward Nick Roberto, who recently decommitted from Maine, is being recruited by BU and several other Hockey East school. The Wakefield, Mass., product scored 23 goals and 25 assists in 29 games this past season for the Wildcats, who were captained by 2013 BU recruit Doyle Somerby. Roberto was named USHR’s Prep Forward of the Year.

Looking back
Returning to the ice after six weeks on the injured list, Nick Bonino earned second star honors with a pair of assists in Anaheim’s 3-1 win against Edmonton.

Kevin Shattenkirk scored his fifth goal of the season in the Blues’ 5-3 loss to Colorado.

Alex Chiasson remained out of the Stars’ lineup tonight with an injured shoulder, but hopes to return for Dallas’ regular-season finale against the Red Wings.


Women’s Team
Senior Jennelle Kohanchuk, junior Marie-Philip Poulin and three former Terriers, Jenn Wakefield, Catherine Ward and Tara Watchorn, were named to the initial Team Canada roster for the 2014 Olympic Winter games in Sochi, Russia. In 2010, Canada won the Olympic gold medal, defeating Team USA behind a pair of Poulin goals.
Roster
 

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Terriers to retire Parker’s number



Six weeks ago when Jack Parker announced that he’d step down at BU head hockey coach after 40 seasons, he reminded fans and the media that he has two daughters and more than 200 sons. He also noted that he’s “closer to Travis [Roy] than any of my players.”

That close relationship will be punctuated for BU fans every time this visit Agganis Arena because the uniform number Parker wore as a Terrier player and captain in the 1960s, #6, will soon take its place alongside Roy’s #24 as the only uniform numbers retired by BU.

BU athletic director Mike Lynch announced the uniform number retirement at last night’s 50th Annual Friends of BU Hockey Banquet emceed by Bernie Corbett. In addition recognizing the members of his final senior class, Parker, who wore #6 due to his admiration for Boston Celtics’ legend Bill Russell, offered words of praise for senior members of the BU band, the Daily Free Press writers and uber-fan Sasquatch. He also introduced former BU head coach Jack Kelley, who had been the driving force in organizing the Friends in 1962.

Six perpetual awards were handed out at the banquet:
● George V Brown Most Valuable Player Award presented by former Terrier captain Tom O'Regan presents to Wade Megan and Sean Escobedo.
● Ed Carpenter Leading Scorer Awards presented by former Sports Information Director Ed Carpenter to Danny O'Regan.
● Most Improved Player Award presented by former Terrier goalie Jim McCann to Cason Hohmann and Jake Moscatel.
● Friends of Hockey Al Sidd Unsung Hero Award presented by Coach Parker to Evan Rodrigues.
Bennett McGinnis Award for Spirit presented by Mike Eruzione to Ryan Santana.
● Mike Boyle Terrier of Steel Award for top Terrier in the weight room and with off-ice training. presented to Ryan Ruikka.

Other recognition included :
● Gerry Eilberg Scholarship Award for the player with the highest standard of athletic and academic performance to Matt O’Connor.
● Clifford P. Fitzgerald Scholarship for an outstanding junior or senior defenseman to Garrett Noonan.
● Most Honored Opponent over the past 25 seasons to former BC former Brian Gionta. Blog contributor CDRAL points out that in 1988, the first most honored opponent award, covering 1963-1988, went to Cornell goalie Ken Dryden.
● Special recognition by Autism Speaks to Coach Parker and AD Lynch.

Among the former Terriers in attendance,in addition to those mentioned above, were:
Peter Brown, Bill McCormack, Terry Meagher, Scott Young, Darrell Abbott, Frank D'Orio, Dennis O'Connell, Paul Giandomenico,Vince Mullins, Travis Roy, Dan Ronan, Rich Brennan,  Tim Regan, and Scott Shaunessy.

USCHO report
Banquet photos on Friends of BU Hockey Twitter
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