Wednesday, March 27, 2024

UPDATED Terriers prep for NCAA clash with RIT; Watch Party; Regional previews; IBUH & BHB Podcasts

#2 Terriers are in Sioux Falls for Thursday's NCAA Regional game against Atlantic Hockey champion #17 RIT at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Puck drop is at 5 p.m. ET. Nebraska-Omaha, who will face Minnesota in the other semifinal, is the tournament host.  

●  Tournament schedule and TV times

 

WATCH PARTY IN BOSTON

BU Athletics is sponsoring a Watch Party for the semifinal vs RIT at Game On! on Landsdowne Street at 5 p.m. Details are here. 

Check back for additional coverage as it become available.

► Day two in Sioux Falls Photo Gallery

► Boston Hockey Blog has Terrier comments from today's press event 

 

Episode 10 of Inside BU Hockey features Bernie Corbett's interview with Head Coach Jay Pandolfo.
 

 

                                                                   

►In the new episode of Terrier Hockey Talk, the BHB crew breaks down BU’s Hockey East playoff run and previews the NCAA regionals. Listen on Spotify.

 


BU Hockey Writer Scott Weighart, in a new article, Terriers to Face a New Foe in RIT in NCAA Tournament, points out that Thursday’s NCAA Regional matchup with RIT, will make the Tigers the 76th opponent BU has faced in its 102 season history.

RIT, by virtue of its Atlantic Hockey championship, earned the 15th seed in the NCAA field. Looking at the Pairwise ranking, the Tigers are #23, while the Terriers are #2.

In terms of strength of schedule, BU is—and has been—#1 for most of the season, while RIT, playing in a weaker conference, is a surprising #56.

But lest anyone think the Terriers will have a cake walk, there many indications pointing otherwise. Looking at NCAA team statistics, RIT is sixth in goals per game at 3.92, just one spot behind BU’s 4.05. Defensively, they’re yielding 2.31 GPG to the Terriers’ 2.41. And RIT is strong on the PK, killing at an 86.4 rate.

RIT is 27-10-2 and 18-7-2 in conference. They own out-of-conference shutout wins over Clarkson (4-0) and Notre Dame (3-0).

Most year, Atlantic Hockey gets one team into the national tournament and, far more often than not, that team has faced one of the top two seeds and lost. But there is a history of teams from that conference pulling off stunning upsets. Perhaps the most famous was in 2006 when Holy Cross upset Minnesota (top seed in the bracket and #2 overall), 4-3 in overtime.

In 2009 when BU was en route to its 5th championship, Air Force upset Michigan in the first round. More recently, the Falcons scored first-round wins in 2017 against Western Michigan and 2018 against St. Cloud, but didn’t advance further.

RIT is the only Atlantic Hockey team to reach the Frozen Four. In 2010, the Tigers defeated top seed Denver, 2-1, and then second seed UNH, 6-2, before succumbing to Wisconsin, 8-1, in the FF semifinal.

Once again, BU will be facing one of the top D1 goalies in Tommy Scarfone. The junior from Montreal is tied for eighth in GAA with 2.183 and is third in save percentage with .928. He yielded just six goals in five Atlantic Hockey tournament games.

RIT has a veteran defense with three seniors and a grad student, led by Hobey-nominee Gianfranco Cassaro, D1’s top goal-scoring defenseman (17-19-36) and Aiden Hansen-Bukata with 31 points.

Junior center Carter Wilkie and senior Cody Laskosky lead the attack with 41 and 40 points respectively. Laskosky missed Atlantic Hockey tournament games with an injury.  They’re supported by two 19-goal scorers in grad student Elijah Gonsalves and freshman Matthew Wilde. 

● RIT’s most recent line-up and individual stats.

● RITathletics.com Game Notes, schedule

 

● USCHO's preview of the Sioux Falls regional explains why each team will or won't advance to the Frozen Four.

● College Hockey News preview of the Sioux Falls regional: oldest team vs. youngest.

►Latest polls: USCHO, USA Today/The Rink Live

►In light of the Terriers’ PK and power-play struggles in the Hockey East final, Boston Hockey Blog’s Brendan Norstrom examines what went wrong and how to right the ship moving forward. 

● Boston Hockey Blog  Should BU’s special teams

►It's the last day to enter College Hockey News' Bracket Contest 

► Four Terriers were named to Hockey East's weekly Top Performers list: 

Lane Hutson, BU (So., D; North Barrington, Ill.) Scored the game-winning goal on the power play in BU’s 4-1 win over Maine in the Hockey East semifinal. He then added an assist in the championship game and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Macklin Celebrini, BU (Fr., F; Vancouver, B.C.) Posted four points on a goal and three assists in the Hockey East championship weekend.

Ryan Greene, BU (So., F; Paradise, Newf.) Scored two goals in the Hockey East semifinals, a 4-1 win over Maine, and set up both of BU’s goals in the championship game.

Mathieu Caron, BU (Jr., G; Abbotsford, B.C.) Made 32 saves in a 4-1 victory over Maine in the semifinals, backboning the Terriers into the Hockey East title game.


Looking ahead

2024 recruit Alexander Zetterberg finished the regular season Ã–rebro HK J20 with a 21-37-58 scoring line in 45 games. His team will continue play in the J20 Nationell playoffs. BU fans will likely have a chance to see him in the IIHF World U18 Championships this spring.

Scott Wheeler's latest top 64 draft rankings for The Athletic (subscription) had Celebrini #1, Cole Eiserman #4, Cole Hutson #31 and Kamil Bednarik #46. Zetterberg was given honorable mention. 

Looking back

Charlie McAvoy scored his 10th goal and added an assist in the Bruins’ 4-3 win against Florida. Matt Grzelcyk assisted on McAvoy’s tally while Evan Rodrigues scored the Panthers’ opening goal, his 11th of the season. 

Max Willman's third-period goal was the game-winner in the Devils' 6-3 win over Toronto. It was Willman's second of the season.   

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Site Meter