This Day in BU Hockey History-- Terriers win 1978 NCAA Championship

The first four seasons of Jack Parker’s tenure as BU’s head hockey coach ended the same way: An ECAC championship followed by a deflating loss in the NCAA semifinals.  In 1977-78, the script changed. While the Terriers failed to defend the ECAC title, they would complete a remarkable 30-2-0 season by winning the third national championship in program history and the third in eight seasons. 

Thirty-six years ago today, in the only national championship game played by two schools located on the same street, BU defeated BC, 5-3, at the Providence Civic.  Two days after dispatching defending NCAA champ Wisconsin, 5-2, the Terriers overcame an early Eagle lead on the strength of two goals apiece by top scorer Mark Fidler and Tony Meagher. Three future 1980 Olympic gold-medalists also had a hand in the victory: Dave Silk knotted the score at 2-2 in the first; Jim Craig turned aside 28 BC shots; and, co-captain Jack O’Callahan (photo) earned Most Outstanding Performer honors.

The season had featured a 21-0 start, a Beanpot championship game (BU 7 Harvard 1) delayed nearly three weeks by the Blizzard of ’78 (BU beat BC 12-6 that night) and a clutch 5-3 road win against Providence in the NCAA play-in game that put BU in the Final Four for a fifth straight year.

● Terrier Tales: That Championship Season

● Team stats

● College Hockey Weekly’s 11^th Greatest Team of All-Time

● Sports Illustrated  Final Four report ; Peter Gammons analysis of 1977-78 team

● Blizzard of ’78: Marooned at the Garden

● Video remembrances of the Blizzard Beanpot (Parker, Silk)

Looking ahead

With two points against Youngstown this past Sunday, 2014 recruit Jack Eichel moved up to eighth place on the NTDP all-time points list with 123, moving past ex-Terrier Matt Nieto and Peter Mueller.

Looking back

Nieto recorded his 14^th assist in the Sharks’ 2-1 shootout loss to Calgary.  He now has 24 points in his inaugural NHL season.

Alex Chiasson picked up his 19^th assist of the season in Dallas’ 2-1 win against Winnipeg. The former BU MVP has a 12-19-31 scoring line for the Stars.

Women’s Team

The Daily Free Press talked with Head Coach Brian Durocher--who was a co-captain of BU's 1978 national champs--to  review the Terriers’ season that culminated with a third consecutive Hockey East Championship and a fifth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament.