Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tuesday Linkorama--UPDATED

Red Hot Hockey hero Ross Gaudet (photo) and goalie Kieran Millan, who has yielded just two goals in his last 182:48 minutes, were named to Hockey East’s weekly list of top performers.

BU is now 7-0-1 in its last eight games at Madison Square Garden, dating back to 1966. We neglected to mention in Sunday’s post that MSG was sold out (18,200) once again for Red Hot Hockey.

►► Video highlights of BU's 2-1 Red Hot Hockey win finally have been posted on YouTube.
Editor's note: some of the sequences in this video clip are out of order. The no-g0al call late in the third period appears in the video before Cornell's tying goal, which was scored at 11:06 of the third.


Q. What Terrier scored the most goals in a game at Madison Square Garden?
A. BU All-American Fred "The Bear" Bassi turned the red light on five times in a 13-6 drubbing of Princeton, on Dec,17, 1966. In the same game, Mickey Gray added four goals.

● Daily Free Press's hockey notebook—The future of Red Hot Hockey; resurgent Nicastro
● Terriers moved to #13 in both the USCHO and USA Today polls.
● USCHO’s Hockey East weekend wrap
● Cornell Sun recap of Red Hot Hockey

Looking ahead
2013 recruit Matt Grzelcyk assisted on the game-winning goal in the NTDP U18s’ 5-4 win against Colby College Saturday night. The Charlestown, Mass., native has a 1-7-8 scoring line, second best among NTDP defensemen.

Looking back--Familiarity breeds success
Before they were BU blueline partners on the Terriers' 2009 NCAA champs, Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen were teammates on the East Coast Selects, and NTDP U17s and 18s. Post-BU, they joined the Colorado Avs together, before trades sent them in different directions. Now the Blues top-scoring defenseman (2-12-14), Shattenkirk is still skating with familiar faces, according to a tweet from United State of Hockey’s Chris Peters. Two new members of the St. Louis defense—Ian Cole (Notre Dame) and Cade Fairchild (Minnesota) were Shatty’s teammates at the NTDP and on the U.S. team at the 2009 World Junior Championships. All three were on the ice for St.Louis 2-1 win against the Caps tonight, with Shattenkirk logging 24 minutes.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Terriers' first on-campus hockey home turns 40 today (updated)



The Walter Brown Arena, BU’s first on-campus hockey home, hosted its first game 40 years ago today—November 27, 1971. During the next 33-plus years, the Terriers would play 528 games at the arena on Babcock Street, adjacent to BU’s West Campus. The final men’s game (video) was played on Jan. 2, 2005, a 2-1 loss to Minnesota.



BU inaugurated Agganis Arena (video) the following night, beating the top-ranked Gophers by the same score.

When Jack Kelley became head coach of his alma mater in 1962, one of the first goals he set was to bring an on-campus facility to Boston University. With the assistance of the support group he founded, The Friends of BU Hockey, Kelley was the driving force behind the arena project, a goal he pursued while returning the hockey program to top tier of Eastern hockey. In 1965, after The Friends reported a pledge list totaling $100,000, BU began a fund raising campaign that would raise $5.5 million for a complex that would house the arena, a basketball gym and a swimming pool. Financing was completed and after two years of construction, the doors of Walter Brown Arena opened as Kelley was about to begin his 10th –and final—season behind the Terrier bench. (Continue reading)

More Red Hot Hockey
● New York Times’ Slapshot blog recap
● Video of the controversial “no-goal” call
● Daily Free Press recap and Gaudet feature
● Ithaca Journal recap
● Jack Parker post-game comments
● Ross Gaudet post-game comments

Gaudet strikes in OT; Terriers edge Cornell, 2-1

(photo courtesy of Adam Wodon, College Hockey News)

Junior Ross Gaudet’s overtime deflection of a Max Nicastro shot at 2:48 of overtimes sent BU and Terrier faithful home all smiles as Red Hot Hockey 3 ended with a 2-1 BU win. It was Gaudet’s first goal of the season. Ben Rosen also drew an assist.

Terriers had taken a 1-0 lead on Adam Clendening’s power play goal—a two-man advantage—in a first period dominated by BU hard-checking that effectively tied up the Big Red. Following a middle stanza in which Cornell had the better chances, the Big Red tied the score in an otherwise evenly played third period. Kieran Millan made an initial save on a shot for the high slot, but Locke Jillson collected the puck and fired it off a Terrier skate and behind Millan on a sharp angle.

BU caught a break minutes later when a Cornell shot off the dasher behind Millan bounced high in the air. The officials lost sight of the puck and whistled the play dead before the puck came down on Millan's back and dropped into the goal. A reviewed confirmed: "No goal."

Red Hot Hockey turned white hot in a frenetic overtime that featured excellent chances at each end of the ice. Millan made one particularly outstanding save before first-star Gaudet’s slick deflection turned on the red light.


Gaudet: “It’s the most exciting goal I’ve ever scored, and one of the best moments of my athletic career.”
► BU's win was its seventh in the past 12 meetings with the Big Red and narrowed Cornell's lead in the overall series--which began with a BU win on an outdoor rink in Ithaca in 1925--
to 23-18-2.

► Like the two previous iterations of Red Hot Hockey, edition #3 was a sellout of 18,200, and there was an electric atmosphere in The Garden all night. While there may have been more Cornell fans in the building, the BU student section deliver the chant of the night—“1970”—a reference to the Big Red’s last national championship. And the BU Pep band outperformed their rivals all night.

● GoTerriers.com recap, comprehensive box score and photo gallery
● Boston Hockey Blog recap
● USCHO recap
● College Hockey News analysis of “no-goal” and winning goal
● Boston Globe recap

Today, Sunday, Nov. 27, marks the 40th anniversary of the first game played at BU men’s hockey’s former home, Walter Brown Arena, now the home of the women’s team. Check back this evening for a new Terrier Tales feature on BU’s first on-campus arena.


Looking ahead
2012 recruit Matt O’Connor picked up his 10th win for BU as Youngtown beat Sioux City, 5-4.

2012 recruit Sean Maguire stopped 20 of 21 shots over a little man than two periods in a relief roll as Powell River fell to Surrey, 4-3, in BCHL action.













Friday, November 25, 2011

Game Day: Red Hot Hockey 3


BU and Cornell return to New York City for their bi-annual tussle at Madison Square Garden. Both the Terriers and Big Red enter Red Hot Hockey 3 at the top of their games. BU has won three straight conference games following a 2-1 OT loss to Merrimack. Meanwhile, Cornell has dealt shutouts to three consecutive opponents, the most recent coming Tuesday, 1-0, against Niagara.

Both teams’ netminders—BU’s Kieran Millan and Cornell’s Andy Iles—were named goalie-of-the-week in their respective conferences.

Cornell, as always under coach Mike Schafer, plays physical, tight-checking hockey. The Big Red’s offensive leaders are junior defenseman Nick D’Agostino (6-6-12), freshman Brian Ferlin (5-6-11)—twice named ECAC rookie-of-the-week—and Greg Miller (2-8-10).

BU, which will be the home team for this neutral-site game and gets the last change, is led by Matt Nieto (8-7-15), Corey Trivino (8-4-12) and Charlie Coyle (9 assists, +10).

Red Hot Hockey will air on MSG Network and DirecTV viewers can watch it on Channel 634.

BU has played ten previous games at Madison Square Garden, including the two previous Red Hot Hockey games and has a 6-2-2 record there. The Terriers first appearance in New York was at MSG III (on 50th Street), an exhibition game vs. St. Nicholas Skating Club in 1926.

The New York’s College Sports Blog talks with senior Kevin Gilroy about pond hockey, playing at Madison Square Garden and other college hockey “special events.”

► Cornell leads the all-time series 23-17-2. The teams have met twice in NCAA championship games, Cornell winning in 1967 and BU winning in 1972. They also met twice in ECAC championship games the same years with the same results.
Check back for more updates

●GoTerriers.com detailed preview, game notes, MSG Network broadcast announcement, WWZN Radio Webcast
● Terriers’ stats
●CHN’s This Week in Hockey East, Tale of the Tape, Tweetcast
●Boston Hockey Blog game preview
●USCHO’s Hockey East picks
●WTBU Sports: Three Things to be Thankful for, Q&A with Matt Nieto
●Ithaca Journal preview
●Inside College Hockey’s Holiday Four-cast

Looking ahead
2012 recruit Matt O’Connor stopped 19 of 20 shots in Youngstown’s 3-1 victory over Fargo to earn his USHL-leading ninth win of the season

Looking back
Former Terrier center Nick Bonino's two goals and an assist led the Syracuse Crunch past the Binghamton Senators, 4-1.

Former BU captain Kevin Shattenkirk has established himself as a driving force for the St. Louis Blues’ offense.

Women’s program
The #5-ranked Terriers travel West to Ithaca, N.Y., for a pair of games against #3 Cornell in what also deserves the title Red Hot Hockey. The game is a rematch of last Spring’s NCAA Frozen Four semifinal in whch BU defeated the Big Red, 4-1.
UPDATE: Cornell took the first game on Friday, 3-1, with Jill Cardella scoring the Terriers' goal. The teams meet again on Saturday at 4 p.m.

● GoTerriers.com preview, game notes, Radio Webcast, Video Webcast

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Midweek Linkorama--updated



Episode 7 of Inside BU Hockey features interview segments with Coach Jack Parker, senior center Corey Trivino and Tim Regan (photo), a BU Hall of Famer and Olympic Silver Medalist. He was named MVP of the 1972 NCAA Championship game in which he shut out Cornell, 4-0.

College Hockey News' latest Hockey East power ratings have the Terriers moving up to #3 behind Merrimack and BC.

Red Hot Hockey
Junior Wade Megan and sophomore Adam Clendening talked with BU Today about Saturday’s third edition of Red Hot Hockey

To get focused on the BU Cornell rivalry, check out a few of the previously posted Terriers Tales articles in the sidebar to the right: BU in the Big Apple, Red Hot Hockey Since 1925 and The Game that Never Was, which was written by former BU blueliner Dave Warner.

Looking ahead
Democrat & Chronicle: 2012 recruit Matthew Lane, one of four Rochester, N.Y. area skaters who recently committed to D1 schools.
● USHL announcement of Lane commitment


2012 recruit Jarrid Privitera suited up for his first USHL game, contributing an assist in Dubuque’s 3-2 OT win over Cedar Rapids.

2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon’s scored his sixth goal in seven games in Indiana’s 4-3 OT win against Green Bay. 2012 recruit Robert Poleselo set up the game-winner for the Ice.

Looking back
Former Terrier co-captain and Hobey Baker Award winner Matt Gilroy is featured in an NCAA promo for the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa.

Chris Bourque’s 10th goal gave Hershey an early lead that ended when David Warsofsky scored his first goal for Providence, but the Bears, who also received an assist from Bourque, earned a 4-3 win.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Red Hot Hockey's special "guest;" recruit news

The third installment of Red Hot Hockey, matching BU and Cornell, is a few days away. We’ve learned that the Stanley Cup will be traveling from Boston to New York for the game. All fans who are registered for BU’s pre-game Pep Rally in the Delta Sky 360 Club luxury lounge are invited to get their photograph taken with Lord Stanley's Cup prior to the game.

On Saturday, Pep Rally attendees must enter Madison Square Garden through the South Concierge Entrance to the left of the main Will Call ticket entrance. This entrance will be open at 6 p.m. The arena will open at 7 p.m.

● The MSG Network broadcast of Red Hot Hockey will include WTBU Sports’ play-by-play announce, Paul Ryan, who will contribute as a reporter in the first intermission.

● Former New York Rangers and BC standout Brian Leetch talks about Red Hot Hockey.

Looking ahead
2012 recruit Matt O’Connor earned the USHL’s designationat Goaltender of the Week for backboning the Phantoms’ win against Chicago and Cedar Rapids.


O’Connor posted a 1.46 goals-against-average and a .957 save percentage in two wins for the Phantoms. He equaled a USHL season high with 44 saves in the 4-1 win over Chicago on Friday. The second-year goaltender then made 23 saves in the 3-2 overtime victory against Cedar Rapids on Saturday, which tied him for the USHL lead with eight victories this season. The 19-year-old from Toronto, Ontario has won each of his last three starts and is fifth overall among League netminders with a 2.36 GAA while ranking tied for third with a .923 SV%.

O’Conner is the only netminder to capture the USHL’s Reebok Goaltender of the Week award twice this season. His coach, Anthony Noreen, noted:

“Matt’s gotten better fundamentally and technically as a goaltender and also stronger physically. But I think the biggest jump since last year has been his mindset from a leadership standpoint. He’s definitely a leader on and off the ice. The guys look to him for stability and he’s given that to us day in and day out.”

The Terriers' newest 2012 recruit, Sean Maguire, reveals his reasons for committing to BU in a Powell River Kings' news release, while his coach, Kent Lewis (also his coach for the World Junior A Challenge), discusses the netminder’s strengths.

"This year he has proven to be one of the elite goaltenders and showcased at the WJAC. Sean’s strengths are his character, his willingness to compete and athleticism"

Among several roster moves made by the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints, 2012 BU recruit Jarrid Privitera was “called up” for this weekend’s games against Omaha and Des Moines. Privitera was a 25-goal scorer last season at The Gunnery School where is a senior.

In other roster news, Jarrid Privitera, a Fighting Saints affiliate list player, will suit up for the team this weekend. Privitera currently plays for the Gunnery Prep, which is the where former Fighting Saint Nick Luukko played his prep hockey. Privitera, a Fighting Saints Futures Draft selection in 2010, is a 5’6, 150 pound forward. He is committed to Boston University, where his brother Alexx is currently on the team. Alexx Privitera played in the USHL for the Muskegon Lumberjacks last season.

“Jarrid has been someone we have been excited about since we drafted him last year,”[Coach Jim] Montgomery said. “He’s a dynamic skater who is a proven scorer as well. We are excited to have him in town, and we welcome him to the Fighting Saints family for this week of games.”

Monday, November 21, 2011

Terriers snare top goalie from World Junior A Challenge

BU took a major step toward completing its 2012 recruit class when it received a commitment from Powell River Kings/BCHL netminder Sean Maguire. The 6’1”, 203 lb. goalie, a Feb. 1993 birthdate, was the all-tournament goaltender at the World Jr. A Challenge earlier this month, where he posted a 1.49 GAA and a .942 save percentage in four tournament games to help Canada West to the gold medal.

Maguire outdueled highly regarded Swedish netminder Oscar Dansk in the semifinal game, won by Canada West, 2-1 in OT. He turned aside 28 shots. Then in the gold-medal game, he stopped 18 shots in a 4-2 win against Canada East. Future Terrier teammate Wesley Myron of the Victoria Grizzlies also played for Canada West.

● Maguire video interview at the World Junior A Challenge


USHR reports that Maguire's pro stock has shot up thanks to his sharp tournament performance. It went on to say that Terrier assistant coach Buddy Powers has been scouting Maguire since last season, when he was co-winner of the league’s Wally Forslund Memorial Trophy (lowest combined GAA—1.88). In ten games for the Kings this season, Maguire has a 2.55 GAA and an .897 save percentage (numbers skewed somewhat, USHR notes, by a 5-3 loss last Friday.

Maguire had a 2.50 GAA and a .903 save percentage in his first year with Powell River and previously played for the North Island Silvertips. He’s the fourth member of BU’s 2012 class now playing in the BCHL, joining Myron and Mike Moran of Victoria and Marc Hetnik, Jr. of Vernon. And he joins Matt O'Connor, now at USHL/Youngstown, as BU's goaltending tandem of the future. All current recruits are listed in the sidebar to the right.

Linkorama
Terriers were named Hockey East Team of the Week following victories against Vermont and New Hampshire. Senior goalie Kieran Millan earned Hockey East recognition as Defensive Player of the Week for his 33 save effort in BU’s 4-1 win against the Wildcats. Wade Megan, Matt Nieto and Corey Trivino all were named to the Top Performers list for the week.

Both Trivino and Nieto have been held pointless only once this season. Charlie Coyle is the conference leader in plus/minus with +10.

In the USCHO national poll, BU moved up a notch to #15. Merrimack, the only remaining undefeated D1 team and the only team to beat BU the past two weekends, has risen to the top of the rankings. Congratulations to the Warrior program for making enormous strides under Coach Mark Denehy.

● Daily Free Press feature: Megan’s improvement
● USCHO Weekly Hockey East Blog: BU is Back
● College Hockey News Weekly Hockey East Blog: Coyle

Women's team
With Marie-Philip Poulin and Jenelle Kohanchuk out of the lineup, freshman Kayla Tutino has stepped up to fill the scoring void. After scoring the shorthanded game-winner in Saturday’s 4-2 win against Connecticut, the right wing from Lorraine, Quebec, scored twice Sunday against Providence, including another GWG, leading BU to a 3-2 win. Tutino is averaging a point a game with nine goals and five assists in 14 games. Senior captain Jenn Wakefield scored her 10th goal as BU improved its record to 9-4-1 and 4-1 in conference play.

Tutino, who is first in the conference and third nationally in rookie goal-scoring, was named Hockey East's Player of the Week, while Isabel Menard, Kerrin Sperry and Tara Watchorn all made the Hockey East Top Performers list for the week.

Terriers lead the nation in penalty killing with a 92.3 percentage and are tied for the lead in short handed goals.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score
● Assistant Coach LaChapelle post-game comments
● Daily Free Press weekend recap and special teams feature

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Surging Terriers tame Wildcats

Terriers earned their third consecutive win and sixth of the season, beating New Hampshire, 4-1, at Agganis Arena. BU broke open a close game with a trio of third-period goals, delivering an effort that Coach Jack Parker called “pretty thorough.” He added:


“I thought we did a good job of controlling the speed of the game and controlling where the puck was going to go. We got it out of our zone pretty well. They tried to bottle us up pretty good at center ice and we figured that out and we did a good job possessing the puck down low in their end.’’


Following an evenly played and scoreless first period, junior Wade Megan (photo) broke the ice midway through the second with a sharp angle shot that riccocheted in off Wildcat goalie Matt DiGiralomo. For the junior wing, who earned first-star honors, it was his fourth goal in three games. UNH knotted the score early in the third on a Trevor van Riemsdyk goal, but that didn’t last long as BU found the net twice in 34 seconds, the first on a Max Nicastro blueline blast and the second when Corey Trivino finished off a two-on-one rush with Chris Connolly. Trivino ran his goal-scoring streak to five games and has goals in eight of the ten games he’s played.

Leading scorer Matt Nieto (15 points) closed out the scoring with a long empty-netter. Kieran Millan earned his fourth win of the season stopping 33 shots including 22 in the final period.

BU has won the season series against UNH, having beaten the Wildcats, 5-0, in the season opener.

● GoTerriers.com recap, comprehensive box score and video highlights
● Noonan/Rollheiser post-game comments
● USCHO recap
● Boston Hockey Blog recap
● WTBU Radio recap
● CHN analysis and box score
● Boston Globe recap
● Jack Parker Post-game comments



● Wade Megan Post-game comments


Looking ahead
Matt O’Connor stopped 23 shots in Youngstown’s 3-2 OT win against Cedar Rapids. He earned his 8th victory against three defeats.

2012 recruit Robert Polesello and 2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon picked up assists in Indiana’s 4-2 loss to Waterloo.

2012 recruit Wesley Myron scored a goal and an assist in Victoria’s 6-5 OT win over Cowichan Valley. Mike Moran also contributed an assist.
● Myron talked with Grizz Roar about playing in the World Junior A Challenge and his commitment to BU.

Looking back
Former Terrier Colin Wilson scored his fifth goal of the season in Nashville’s 4-3 OT win against Columbus.
Video

Among the former Terriers in attendence at last night's game: Marc Hetnik (whose son, Marc, is a 2012 recruit), Jerry August, Don Singer, Chris Mays, Shawn Ferullo, Dale Dunbar, Brian Durocher Bill Pierce, Brian Collins, Rich Brennan, Brad Zancanaro, Mike O'Connell, Bill Whelton, Pat Aufiero and Adam Kraus.

Women’s team
Terriers will complete their weekend action today with a visit to Providence College. Gametime is 2 p.m. The Friars are coached by former BU netminder Bob Deraney.
● GoTerriers.com recap of 4-2 win against Connecticut
● Video highlights
● Coach Brian Durocher comments


Saturday, November 19, 2011

Game Day: Terriers vs. Wildcats






Terriers are back on the Agganis Arena ice tonight for their second meeting of the year with New Hampshire. BU shut out the Wildcats in its season opener, 5-0, but will be expecting a very different matchup as UNH has found its scoring legs of late. Wildcats thumped Lowell, 5-0 last night. Senior Stevie Moses and sophomore Nick Sorkin are UNH's top scorers, each with a 5-7-12 line.

Kieran Millan, who will get the start in goal tonight, was interviewed this past week for HockeyEastOnline’s Five Minute Major series.



BU's lineup for tonight:
Connolly-Trivino-Gill
Nieto-Coyle-Chiasson
Megan-Hohmann-Rodrigues
Courtnall-Rosen-Cissé
Escobedo-Clendening
Noonan-MacGregor
Nicastro-Ruikka
Millan

● GoTerriers.com game notes, WWZN Radio Webcast, All-Access Webcast, gametracker
● Boston Hockey Blog live in-game blog
● CHN’s Tale of the Tape, Tweetcast

Women’s Team
Two short-handed goals by junior Isabel Menard fueled the Terriers to a 4-2 win against Connecticut today at Walter Brown Arena. Kayla Tutino and Tara Watchorn also had goals. Braly Hiller stopped 24 shots to earn her second win.
Box score

Power play goals ease BU past Vermont

BU made it two wins in a row with an uncomfortably close 4-3 win against Vermont at Agganis Arena. Sophomore blueliner Garrett Noonan scored the game-winner on a power play, his fourth goal of the season, earning first-star honors.

The Terriers’ resurgent power play produced two goals in five chances, with a third goal coming seconds after a man-advantage ended. Matt Nieto assisted on both power play goals, setting up Noonan for a wrister from the right faceoff circle and Charlie Coyle from the top of the crease. Wade Megan’s fifth goal of the season broke a 2-2 tie in the second period.

Senior center Corey Trivino produced BU’s first goal–for the third time in the past four games—with a wrist shot from the slot. His seven goals are one shy of his career best, achieved last season. Trivino also won some key faceoff late in the third when the Catamounts were pressing to tie the score and nearly added an empty-netter.

Grant Rolleheiser stopped 31 shots, 13 of them in the final period. He allowed a rebound, leading to Vermont’s first goal, but made numerous strong saves including one on Catamount top scorer Sebastian Stalberg in the game’s final minutes. Terrier coach Jack Parker praised the senior netminder's strong game, but was clearly displeased with his team's third-period effort.

All six members of BU’s top two lines picked up at least one point. Nieto with a team-leading 14 points (7-7) has scored in nine of BU’s 10 games.

● GoTerriers.com recap, comprehensive box score and video highlights
● Noonan/Rollheiser post-game comments
● NESN Video highlights
● USCHO recap
● Boston Hockey Blog recap and analysis
● CHN analysis and box score
● WTBU Radio recap
● HockeyEastOnline recap
● Boston Globe recap
● Burlington Free Press recap

Looking ahead
BCHL
2012 recruit Wesley Myron scored a natural hattrick for Victoria in the final period, turning a 3-3 tie into a 6-3 win for the Grizzlies against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. The 6-2 center, who also had an assist and earned first-star honors, now has an 11-16-27 line in 14 games. Teammate Mike Moran’s assist gave him 32 points for the season, sixth best in the BCHL.
● Times-Colonist recap

2012 recruit Marc Hetnik, Jr., assisted on a power play goal for Vernon, which fell to Surrey, 3-2.

USHL
2012 recruit Matt O’Connor stopped 44 shots to backbone Youngstown’s 4-1 win against Chicago. The 6-5 netminder raised his record to 7-3 and has won three of his past four starts.

Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, a 2013 recruit, recorded a goal for the NTDP U18s in 4-2 loss to Green Bay.

2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon's short-handed goal against Muskegeon was nominated for USHL top play for Weeks 6 & 7. It appears 1:18 into this video clip:



Looking back—injury update edition
Former Terrier Brandon Yip, MVP of the 2009 Hockey East tournament, returned to the Colorado Avalanche lineup Thursday and Friday nights. He’d suffered a broken arm in the Avalanche’s final pre-season game.

Penguins defenseman Brian Strait, who hyper-extended an elbow in his first NHL game this season, has been fitted for a brace and has begun skating and some light passing. He hopes to return to action after the holidays.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Game Day: Terriers vs. Catamounts




BU begins an important two-game weekend tonight against Vermont in a 7 p.m. start that will air on NESN. Whether they’re up or down, the Catamounts seem to always bring their best game against the Terriers. Senior Rob Madore will be goal for the Cats who are led offensively by forwards Sebastian Stalberg and Connor Brickley.

Senior Grant Rolleheiser (photo) makes his second start of the season in goal. He was between the pipes for BU’s 5-4 OT win against UMass and then relieved Kieran Millan during the loss to UMass-Lowell. The Daily Free Press reports that freshman Cason Hohmann will replace Evan Rodrigues on the third line tonight. Garrett Noonan (ankle) is a game-time decision. If he doesn’t play freshman Alexx Privitera, whom Jack Parker says had his best game thus far against BC, will start in Noonan's spot. BU's lineup:
Connolly-Trivino-Gill
Nieto-Coyle-Chiasson
Megan-Gaudet- Hohmann
Courtnall-Rosen-Cissé
Escobedo-Clendening
Noonan-MacGregor
Nicastro-Ruikka
Rollheiser

● GoTerriers.com preview, game notes, WWZN Radio Webcast, gametracker
● Daily Free Press preview of UVM and UNH games
● WTBU Sports preview
● Boston Hockey Blog live in-game blog
● HockeyEastOnline live scoreboard
● College Hockey News Tale of the Tape, Tweetcast
● Boston Globe College Hockey Notebook feature on BU
● Burlington Free Press preview
● Vermont Athletics preview

Red Hot Hockey
BU’s semi-annual holiday matchup with Cornell at New York’s Madison Square Garden is just eight days away and Terrier fans who are attending the pre-game pep rally have something special to look forward to. This year, the rally will be held in the newly renovated Garden’s 10,000 square foot The Delta Sky 360 Club. It’s the new luxury center normally open to fans in the top 800 seats in the building, offering spectacular views, and something unique: the Club is so close to the locker rooms that the players have to actually cross in front of fans in the Club to get to the ice.


Online registration for Red Hot Hockey is closed, but tickets can still be purchased by calling 800-800-3466. Check back for more information about Red Hot Hockey.

Looking back
Former Terrier captain Jay Pandolfo registered the 100th goal of his NHL career in the Islanders’ 4-3 win against Montreal. It was the first goal since February 2010 for Pandolfo who was not in the NHL during the 2010-11 season. Goalie Rick DiPietro replaced injured Evgeni Nabokov eight minutes into the game and earned the victory.
Video link









Thursday, November 17, 2011

Rollheiser to start vs. UVM; Noonan iffy

Boston Hockey Blog reports that senior Grant Rollheiser will be in goal for BU tomorrow night against Vermont because Kieran Millan is being benched for one game for skipping class. The post notes that the Terrier coaches “had wanted to get Rollheiser some game action this weekend anyways.”

Sophomore defenseman Garrett Noonan, who missed the BC game with an ankle sprain, is day-to-day and will be a gametime decision, according BHH.

● WTBU Weekly Notebook
● College Hockey News previews this weekend’s Hockey East matchups
● New England Hockey Journal analyzes the BU-BC game and offers its power rankings.

Frozen Four
Tickets for the Frozen Four, to be played in Tampa this season, go on sale tomorrow. Is it just a coincidence that a former Hobey Baker Award winner, now on the Tampa Bay Lightning blueline, is featured in the advertising?

Looking ahead
NHL Central Scouting released portions of its preliminary “Ones to Watch” list. Among draft-eligibles playing the USHL, 2013 recruit and former Cushing Academy standout Robbie Baillargeon was ranked 11th. United States of Hockey’s Chris Peters’ commented:




Coming over from high school hockey, Baillargeon needed some time to adjust, but by all accounts, he’s right where he needs to be now. He’s been a point-per-game player on one of the better offensive teams in the USHL with six goals and five assists in 11 games. The one thing Baillargeon will have to prove is that he is not just a product of a high-scoring team. That said, the skill set is right where it needs to be and he should continue to rise.


Looking back
In ESPN’s Victoria Matiash’s weekly ranking of the top 75 NHL defenseman, Ryan Whitney is #25 while Kevin Shattenkirk has moved up from #37 to #29 .

Women’s team
The Daily Free Press previews weekend games against Connecticut and Providence College. Captain Jenn Wakefield returns to the lineup after missing two weeks to play for Team Canada in the Four Nations tournament where she scored two game-winners en route to a silver medal.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

NTDP forward commits to BU

NTDP U18 forward Matthew Lane has committed to BU for next season and is the fifth forward in BU's 2012 recruit class. Lane is a 5-10, 178 lb., left-shot forward from Rochester, N.Y., described recently by U.S. Hockey Report as a playmaker whose strength is his speed.


"I was undecided for a while," the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Lane said. "I went on a visit to BU and fell in love with the campus. I knew right away that was where I wanted to be."
Last year, he had a 9-13-22 line for the U17s. After 17 games this season, he has 5-4-9, tied for fourth in scoring on the U18s. Prior to playing for USA Hockey, he skated for the Mississauga, Ont. Minor Reps, scoring 93 points in 72 games. He’d been a fifth round pick in the 2010 OHL draft.

At the recently completed Four Nations tournament in Switzerland, Lane scored goals in two of the three games, one unassisted. The United States of Hockey Web site, reviewing the tournament, posted:




Matthew Lane registered three points and has shown some marked offensive improvement from last season. He has nine points overall on the year. Lane plays with a bunch of energy.

An Amateur Hockey Report review from Jan. 2011:

Matthew is a tremendous skater: Agile and shows different gears that he can kick it in to. Is an energy / grinder type player with competent hands. Nothing too slick but shows flashes of creativity. Played an intense, down –low game with a hard-edged fore-check. Has a great deal of hockey sense and uses it on both sides of the puck. Not the most skilled player but gives it all he has every time he touches the ice.

● College Hockey Inc. report on Lane's verbal
● USA Hockey feature on Lane.
● NY Hockey Journal feature on Lane.
NTDP Media Guide (Lane on pg. 42)

Lane and 2013 recruit Matt Grzelcyk will be at Agganis Arena on when the U18s play BU in an exhibition game on January 8.

► Episode Six of Inside BU Hockey is now available on the GoTerriers.com site and features Bernie Corbett’s interviews with Coach Jack Parker, junior wing Wade Megan and Jason Factor from BU's athletic development office.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Terrier tidbits--UPDATED

Islanders Point Blank examines the development of Corey Trivino (photo), the Isles’ second round draft choice—#36 overall—in the 2008 draft, discussing his progress with Coach Jack Parker and Trivino.

►CHN’s Hockey East power rankings have the Terriers moving up.

Some additional coverage of Sunday’s 5-0 win over BC:
● NESN recap
● Boston Herald recap

Looking ahead
BCLocalNews.com caught up with Victoria Grizzlies forward and BU recruit Wesley Myron following his week with the gold medal winning Canada West squad at the World Junior A Challenge.

Next season, BU will have three Grizzlies (Myron, Mike Moran, Justin Courtnall) and four Vipers (Sahir Gill, Garrett Noonan, Ryan Santana, Marc Hetnik).

Looking back
Former Terrier All-American Colin Wilson banged home the game-winner with 25 second left in regulation as Nashville beat Washington, 3-1. Video.

The News-Democrat, covering the St. Louis Blues, reports on Kevin Shattenkirk’s scoring surge that has made him the team’s co-leader in points with 2-9-11. Meanwhile, SB Reports, looking at NHL trades that haven’t worked out, suggests that Shattenkirk's former team, Colorado, may be having seller’s remorse.
UPDATE: With his assist on the game-tying goal in the Blues' 2-1 win against Detroit last night, the former Terrier captain now leads the team in points with 12.

Women’s team
Daily Free Press recap of BU’s win against New Hampshire.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Monday Linkorama

The Daily Free Press talked with junior blueliner Sean Escobedo and senior captain Chris Connolly about the changes in defensive tactics that keyed Terriers turnaround weekend.
● Post-game comments (video): Megan, Millan, Parker

Following the weekend split of games, BU remained at #16 in the USCHO weekly poll. Merrimack, which edged the Terriers in overtime on Friday, moved up to #2 with 25 first-place votes.

Four Terriers earned spots on the Hockey East weekly top performers list: Alex Chiasson, Wade Megan, Kieran Millan and Corey Trivino.

Millan’s shutout, second of the year and fifth of his career, was BU’s first blanking of BC since Cleon Daskalakis, a former Bruin and a Terrier All-American, backstopped a 3-0 win at McHugh Forum in March 1983.

The Terriers lead the nation in shorthanded goals with five and they have been scored by five different players.

Stick Salute
At the end of Sunday’s game at BC, the Terriers skated over to the contingent of BU fans, mostly students who had made themselves loudly heard throughout the contest, and offered a stick salute. Daily Free Press hockey writer Arielle Aronson asked Escobedo and Coach Jack Parker about the somewhat unusual gesture at an opponent’s rink.


Escobedo: "Yeah. Obviously you could hear them. They were up high, but they were loud and we really appreciated that. That’s why we gave them that salute at the end of the game. For them to come out and support us on the road like that is awesome. Can’t speak enough about that. We have the greatest fans and we were lucky enough to have that."

Parker: "I thought it was great. I told my team to go out and salute them after the game. I thought it was fabulous that they were all there in their game jerseys. Those game jerseys cost a lot more than those [BC superfan] t-shirts."


Looking ahead
2012 recruit centerman Wesley Myron returned from the World Junior A Challenge with a gold medal as a member of Canada West. Myron scored one assist during the tournament and added a goal during an exhibition game. He’ll rejoin the Victoria Grizzlies.

2013 recruit defenseman Matt Grzelcyk picked up an assist in the NTDP U18s’ 6-2 win over Switzerland, clinching the Four Nations championship in Monthey Switzerland.

Women’s team
Isabel Menard and Kerrin Sperry made Hockey East’s weekly list of top performers.

Like the men’s team, the Terrier women lead the nation with five shorthanded goals. They also own the fifth best penalty kill (91.3%) .

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Terriers spank Eagles, 5-0


Friday night, BU played a solid 58 minutes of hockey only to let a win slip away. Two nights later, BU played the full 60 and came away with dominating 5-0 win against #2 ranked Boston College in a nationally televised game at Conte Forum. Wade Megan led the scoring with a power play goal and a shorthander, while Corey Trivino, Alex Chiasson and Chris Connolly also had two-point games.

Trivino struck on a wrister from the high slot in the first minute of play, taking a drop pass from Sean Escobedo. Megan doubled the lead in the final minute of the first on BU’s first power play of the game. Midway through the second, Chiasson one-timed a laser past Parker Milner, again on the power play. Then Matt Nieto converted a Charlie Coyle centering pass from the crease for his team-leading seventh goal. Megan closed out the scoring late in the third on a breakaway with BU down a man.

Kieran Millan stopped all 21 BC shots en route to his second shutout of the season. Terrier took far too many penalties against the dangerous Eagles, but the penalty kill was superb, holding BC to 9 shots on 8 man-advantage opportunities while notching a shortie. For the Terriers, the only other negative was that the bus ride home was too short.

While Trivino, who missed Friday’s game with an ankle injury, returned to the lineup, BU played without Garrett Noonan, who also was nursing an ankle.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score
● USCHO recap and photo
● Daily Free Press recap
● WTBU Radio recap
● CHN analysis
● HockeyEastOnline recap
● SB Nation recap with Coach Jack Parker comments
● NESN In-game Blog
● Boston Globe recap
●Video highlights

Check back for further coverage

Looking back
Former BU captain John McCarthy scored a third-period goal—assisted by another former captain, Sean Sullivan—to bring Worcester even with Providence, but his former teammates, Dave Warsofsky and Colby Cohen, were the victors as the P-Bruins edged the IceCats, 3-2.

Looking ahead
2013 recruit Danny O’Regan is headed to the Tier 1 Midget Nationals with the Cape Cod Whalers U18s, who beat the GBL Bruins—and 2013 recruit Brendan Collier—in the Massachusetts Midget State Tournament championship game, 6-4. Former Terrier standout and Stanley Cup champ with Montreal Ed Ronan is one of three coaches for the Whalers’ whose roster includes his son, Corey, and former Terrier Mark Fidler’s sons, Mark and Trevor. We’ll post further details on the tournament's semifinal and final games when they’re available.

Game Day: BU-BC at Conte Forum



Terriers meet archrival BC for the first time this season in a nationally televised (CBS College Sports) game beginning at 4 p.m. ET.


The #2 ranked Eagles are coming off a 2-1 win against Northeastern this past Friday. Parker Milner has inherited the goaltending duties from John Muse and junior Chris Kreider leads BC in scoring with 8-8-16.

● WWZN Radio Webcast
● Boston Hockey Blog's live blog
● CHN's Tale of the Tape

Between the first and second periods of the CBSCS broadcast, there will be hockey roundtable discussing “Do NHL teams respect NCAA programs for their player development. Preview

Looking ahead
2013 recruit Robbie Baillargeon continues to wield a hot stick for Indiana, registering his second two-goal game in a week for the Ice, who fell to Muskegon, 5-4. The former Cushing Academy standout has found the net five times in his past four games. Recap

Delivering his second strong effort of the weekend, 2012 recruit Matt O’Connor turned aside 19 shots as Youngstown upended defending USHL champ Dubuque, 5-2.

Looking back
Two All-American defensemen from BU’s 2008-09 NCAA championship team—Matt Gilroy and Kevin Shattenkirk—went head to head in St.Louis where the Blues blanked Tampa Bay, 3-0. Shattenkirk scored his second goal of the season.

Women’s team
Terriers picked up a pair of conference points with a 5-2 win against New Hampshire, led by two Isabel Menard goals and Caroline Campbell’s first collegiate goal. After spotting the Wildcats a 1-0 first-period lead, BU scored three times in the middle stanza with goals from Jill Cardella, Kaleigh Fratkin and Menard. After UNH narrowed the margin to 3-2 in the third period, goals by Campbell and Menard put the game away. Goalie Kerrin Sperry stopped 18 shots.
● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive box score
● WTBU Sports recap and Campbell feature
● Video highlights
● Coach Brian Durocher post-game comments (video)
● Campbell post-game comments (video)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Terriers lose heartbreaker in overtime

BU held a 2-1 lead over Merrimack for more than 40 minutes, but Warriors' netminder Joe Cannata stopped 36 BU shots, allowing his teammates to tie the game in the final minutes, then win on the first shot of overtime, 3-2.

Playing their best hockey since the Denver game, the Terriers took a 2-1 lead late in the first period on a power play goal by Garrett Noonan and a assistant captain Justin Courtnall (photo) conversion down low of slick entry pass by freshman Cason Hohmann.

BU had numerous chances to increase its lead in the second period, with an extended power play, but the Warriors’ goalie, with the third best GAA in the nation, turned them away. Merrimack is killing penalties at a greater than 90% clip.

In the third period, #4 ranked Merrimack failed to score on three power plays, but after Charley Coyle took a questionable interference call with 2:24, the Warriors pulled their goalie and scored on the ensuing 6 on 4. Overtime lasted less than half a minute as a Merrimack shot deflected off a skate past Kieran Millan. The Terrier netminder made 27 saves, including 13 of 14 in the third period.

Ultimately, it was BU’s failure to cash in more than once on nine power plays—they had 18 power plays shots, just one goal—that cost it the game.


“That was the difference in the game, obviously,” said coach Jack Parker on his team’s lack of production. “I was happy with the way we moved the puck. We got chances. It was better earlier, but at the end we had a few too. I think when you get that many [power plays] you get worn out with the same guys, too, so we got a little tired.”

He added, “I was very pleased with how my team played all night
long from the start to the finish.”


BU outshot Merrimack and won the faceoff battle, but fell just short on the scoreboard.

Terriers must regroup to face top-ranked Boston College Sunday afternoon (4 p.m.) in a nationally broadcast game on CBS College Sports.

● GoTerriers.com recap and comprehensive recap
● Boston Hockey Blog recap and power play analysis
● CHN’s Takeaway analysis
● USCHO recap
● Video highlights


Looking ahead
2012 recruit Robert Polesello scored a goal and two assists in Indiana’s 5-4 overtime loss to Green Bay. 2013 recruit Rob Baillargeon assisted on Polesello’s power play goal.

2012 recruit Matt O’Connor stopped 33 of 35 shots in Youngstown’s 2-1 loss to Muskegon

2012 recruit Mike Moran set up each of his linemates for first-period goals, but Surrey took charge in the second period, outscoring Victoria, 8-5.

Looking back
John Curry, BU’s MVP and Hockey East Player of the Year in 2006-07, stopped 29 of 31 shots in Team U.S.A.’s 2-0 loss to Slovakia in the opening game of the Deutschland Cup. Former BU All-American Freddy Meyer also is on the U.S. squad.

Former BU co-captain John McCarthy scored Worcester’s first goal, then assisted on the game-winner in the IceCats’ 3-2 win against Bridgeport.

Dave Van der Gulik assisted on two Lake Erie goals as the Monsters dumped San Antonio, 4-1.

Women’s team
Terriers face off with New Hampshire at Walter Brown Arena at 3 p.m. this afternoon. Check back for game day information.

Senior captain Jenn Wakefield, playing for Team Canada in the Four Nations tournament, scored the first goal against Finland and then assisted on another in Canada’s 5-0 opening-game win.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Game Day: Terriers vs. Warriors--UPDATED



The 16th ranked Terriers take on #6 Merrimack at Agganis Arena in a 7 p.m. start. The Warriors, at 7-0-1, are the last undefeated team in U.S. college hockey. While BU holds a substantial lead in the all-time series (74-14-6) between the teams, last season the Terriers tied the Warriors twice and lost to them once.

Senior forward Ryan Flanigan (10 points) and senior goalie Joe Cannata (1.41 GAA) lead Merrimack.

BU will be without senior center Corey Trivino due to an ankle injury. He’ll be replaced on BU’s first line by Sahir Gill. Senior Kieran Millan starts in goal. BU's lineup for tonight:

Connolly-Gill-Rodrigues
Nieto-Coyle-Chiasson
Megan-Gaudet-Cissé
Courtnall-Rosen-Hohmann

Escobedo-Clendening
Noonan-MacGregor
Nicastro-Ruikka

Millan

● GoTerriers.com preview, game notes, All Access Webcast, WWZN Radio Webcast
● WTBU Sports preview and weekly notebook
● Boston Hockey Blog live in-game blog
● Inside College Hockey preview of BU's weekend games
● College Hockey News Tale of the Tape, Tweetcast
● Inside Terrier Hockey, Episode 5, featuring Coach Jack Parker and former BU captains Peter Marshall and Joe Pereira
● USCHO's Hockey East picks

HockeyEast has announced the composite schedule of all televised games involving conference teams. At least eleven more BU games will be televised on the various outlets (NESN, NBCSN, CBSCS). The first of them is this Sunday afternoon’s first meeting of the year with Boston College, a 4 p.m. start at Conte Forum, airing on CBS College Sports.

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