Game Day: BU visits UMass

Terriers are in Amherst for their second and final regular-season matchup with Massachusetts. BU defeated the Minutemen, 3-1 in its regular-season opener at Agganis Arena in October.Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.

UMass is led by Senior Colin Sheary (20 points). Steven Iacobellis and Branden Gracel are the top goal-scorers with 10 apiece. Junior goalie Steve Mastalerz has a 2.66 GAA for the 7-16-3 Minutemen.

BU, still seeking its first road win, will be bolstered by the improved health of junior Evan Rodrigues and sophomore Ahti Oksanen (photo). Freshman Robbie Baillargeon and Oksanen are the Terrier point leaders with 18 while Danny O’Regan, who scored in each of last weekend’s games tops the goal-scorers with eight.

Sophomore Matt O’Connor will get the start in goal tonight for BU. Check back later for the Terrier lineup

● GoTerriers.com preview, Game Notes, NBC Sports Radio Webcast

● Boston Hockey Blog live in-game blog

● Daily Free Press preview

● USCHO picks and predictions

● College Hockey News Tale of the Tape

   

►In case you missed it: Episode 15 of Inside BU Hockey

Looking ahead

The Hockey News’ Prospect Watch list of key January NCAA commitments includes 2014 recruit Brandon Hickey, a 6-2 left-shot defenseman for the AJHL Spruce Grove Saints.

Coming out of the Alberta Jr. A League, Hickey is a smooth-skating defenseman with the Spruce Grove Saints on track to join B.U. next year. A good bet to go in the second or third round of the NHL draft this summer, Hickey plays a calm game and has a nice offensive upside to his game.

Might there be another Saint in BU’s future? An item in the Wisconsin State Journal reports that highly regarded Spruce Grove forward Cameron Hughes, whom the Badgers and Michigan State also are recruiting, has a visit to BU scheduled. 

Looking back

Former BU captain Jay Pandolfo officially retired from professional hockey after 15 NHL seasons. An All-American, Hockey East Player of the Year and Hobey Baker Award finalist as a senior, Pandolfo scored 79 goals--tied for 9^th in BU history with John Danby, Ed Lowney, Shawn McEachern-- and is #11 in points with 169. He helped BU reach the NCAA Final Four all four years and played in two national championship games, 1994 and 1995. He spent most of his professional career with New Jersey, playing a defensive role in two Stanley Cup championships, and finished up with his hometown Boston Bruins.

Former Terrier Ken Rausch, a member of the 1995 national championship team tweeted: "With Jay Pandolfo retiring, there are no former college teammates of mine still playing. We are officially old!"

While nearly every member of that team went on to play at some professional level, only  seven, including Pandolfo, reached the NHL. Who are the other six ? Leave your answers as a comment.

That  1994-95 squad was the final Team to win the Beanpot and Hockey East in the old Boston Garden. In the HE title game, BU edged Providence, 3-2. Rausch scored the Terriers’ first goal and Mike Grier the second. Who scored the game-winner and final college hockey goal at Boston Garden?  Again, put your answer in comments.

With the Beanpot beginning on Monday, the Boston Globe assembled a group of hockey veterans who played in the first Beanpot Tournament in 1952, even before the event had that name. Among them is former Terrier forward Dick Rodenheiser, who scored 54 goals and 37 assists in two varsity seasons. Earning All-American honors in 1952-53, he led BU to the NCAA tournament. A member of the BU Athletics Hall of Fame, he later won a silver medal at the 1956 Olympics and was part of USA's first gold medal team in Squaw Valley, California, in 1960.

Women’s Team

BU begins a home-and-home series with Connecticut tonight. First up is a 7 p.m. start at Freitas Ice Forum in Storrs. The teams will play tomorrow at Walter Brown Arena with puck drop set for 3 p.m.  The teams last met in November when six Terrier skaters scored goals as BU recorded a 6-2 win.

● GoTerriers.com preview, game notes, Game Tracker, TerrierTV Webcast

● Daily Free Press preview

IBUH features Moccia; Strait in the Stadium Series

Episode 15 of Inside BU Hockey features Bernie Corbett’s interviews with head coach David Quinn, senior goalie Anthony Moccia, who made his first regular-season appearance last Saturday, and Dave Goucher, the radio play-by-play voice of Bruins hockey and a 1993 BU grad. Moccia is a former captain and MVP at Buckingham Brown & Nichols. Goucher was recently named Massachusetts Sportscaster of the Year. 

Looking ahead

The USPHL New Jersey Hitmen confirmed Ori Abramson’s commitment to BU for 2014-15: 

Wayne, NJ - The Jersey Hitmen is proud to announce that defenseman, Ori Abramson, has committed to Boston University for the fall of 2014. An imposing 6'5 figure, Abramson, is a USPHL all-star and the sixth leading defensive scorer in the league. Known for being a physical presence and a tremendous skater for his size, Abramson has grown into a top USPHL all around defender.

"Perseverance its the word that comes to mind when I think of Ori," commented coach Toby Harris. "Ori is one of the most strong willed players that has ever donned the Hitmen blue. Fighting through sickness as a freshman at Providence, deciding to take another year of junior to get back to hockey east, Abramson transformed his game and approach and it has truly paid off."  Harris continued, "Our staff and locker room is so excited for Ori's accomplishments and we know he will be a great success at BU. Coach Quinn, Powers and Greely are getting a warrior in Abramson."excited for Ori's accomplishments and we know he will be a great success at BU. Coach Quinn, Powers and Greely are getting a warrior in Abramson."

With four points in last weekend's Hitmen split vs Bay State, Abramson was named USPHL Premier Division Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in January.

Terrier Trivia: Who was the last member of the Jersey Hitmen to play for BU? Put your answer in comments.

Looking back

Former Terrier assistant captain Brian Strait, now patrolling the Islanders blueline, took timeout from preparing for tonight’s Stadium Series match-up with the Rangers to visit Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park. 

Former BU All-American and Hobey Baker finalist Colin Wilson, recently moved from wing to the center position he played at BU, earned kudos from Predators coach Barry Trotz for his smooth transition back to his natural position as Nashville beat host Winnipeg in Wilson’s hometown.

Wheeling’s Sahir Gill is tied for third among ECHL rookies with 29 points (8g-21a).

Tuesday Linkorama--UPDATED

On Monday, Danny O’Regan, who scored in each of the two games against Vermont, was named to Hockey East’s weekly top performer’s week. Today, the second of his two goals, featuring a spin-o-rama and a goal-mouth deke, was #1 on the NCAA’s Top 5 Plays of the Week. (video)  

The Daily Free Press talked with senior goalie Anthony Moccia, who saw his first-ever regular-season action in Saturday night’s loss to the Catamounts, surviving two UVM power plays.

BU Today sat down with first-year coach David Quinn, who talked about his up-and-down inaugural season, and asked several Terriers about life with the new guy.

Looking back

Another former Terrier turned coach is earning kudos for success in prep hockey. NHL standout Tony Amonte, now in his fourth year as Thayer’s head coach, has returned his prep school alma mater to the ranks of New England’s top preps. The Tigers are third in the latest USHR poll with a 14-2 record, rebounding from last season’s 6-19 record. Amonte score 126 points in two seasons at BU helping the Terriers reach the NCAA Final Four both years (1990 & 1991). He would amass 900 points in 15 NHL season and scored the championship goal in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey (video).

 

Looking ahead

SB Nation reports Coach Quinn is watching 2015 recruit Bobo Carpenter and #3 ranked Austin Prep vs. #7 Springfield Cathedral tonight. Carpenter, who was ranked #146 in the recent NHL Central Scouting midterms, got AP on the board with a wrist shot, in a game that ended in a 3-3 tie.
● ESPN Boston recap

This past Saturday, Carpenter scored on a blueline blast to help the Cougars claw their way back from two goals down to edge #9 Arlington Catholic, 3-2.
● ESPN Boston recap 
● Boston Herald recap

     

With his hattrick against Benilde St. Margaret’s Saturday, sophomore Clayton Keller, a 2016 BU recruit, is Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep’s top scorer with 55 points (25-30). 2014 recruit Chase Phelps, with three points against BSM, is close behind at 47. OverTheBoards.com’s Jasper Kozak observed:

Keller is playing at an insane level. He struggled to be a consistent impact forward initially (just a 98) at the U18 level but now, he's starting to take over games. Really smart on the puck and natural scoring ability