Game Day: BU vs. St. Francis Xavier (exhibition)

Co-captains Garrett Noonan and Patrick MacGregor will lead the Terriers into their first game action tonight, an exhibition contest with St. Francis Xavier of Canadian Intrauniversity Sports Conference. Puck drop at Agganis Arena is 7 p.m.

New head coach David Quinn will have his first opportunity to see his club in game conditions.  While it’s expected that Quinn will try out numerous line combinations, sources tell THFB that returning top scorer Danny O’Regan has been centering junior Evan Rodrigues and freshman Robbie Baillargeon, while junior pivot Cason Hohmann has had sophomores Matt Lane and Sam Kurker as his wings. Another line combined three first-year skaters: Brendan Collier, Tommy Kelley and Nick Roberto.

The X-Men played their fourth pre-season game on Thursday, doubling up Aigles Bleus de Moncton, 4-2. Two seasons ago, the X-Men outscored BU, 6-4 in an exhibition game.

Tonight's exhibition game is the first of 14 home contests to be Webcast on Terrier TV, as will next week's season opener against UMass (10/11) and the Holy Cross game (10/12). We'll soon post the full TV and Webcast schedule 

● GoTerriers.com preview, GameTracker, WTBU Sports Radio Webcast, Terrier TV Webcast (subscription) , 2013-14 BU Hockey Prospectus

● CIS Blogs’ David Kilfoil talked with BloggingonBabcock about St. Francis Xavier and the CIS.

►THFB Trivia: When was the last time two BU defensemen served as Terrier co-captains?  It was 1987 when BU was led by Quinn and Tom Ryan, who is the longtime analyst on BU Hockey broadcasts and the father of freshman blueliner T.J. Ryan.

►United States of Hockey’s pre-season players to watch list includes sophomores Matt Grzelcyk and Danny O’Regan.  Dave Starman, a USCHO national columnist and CBS Sports Network analysts for college hockey, says Grzekcyk is among the players he expecting to have a standout season. He points out:

"I think he could be a big-time player this season. He was great last year and under new coach David Quinn, a former BU defenseman who is all energy and very demanding, a player with Grzelcyk’s skills could be scary. His playmaking skills are a combination of tremendous vision, excellent passing skills, quick release and an ability to get shots to the net."

 ►The Western College Hockey Blog’s Hockey East preview ranked the Terriers sixth, the same as where the coaches’ pre-season polled placed them.

► Bay State Sports has posted a three-part series looking at the 2013 recruit class.

Forwards, Part 1, Forwards Part 2, Defense

Looking ahead

2014 recruit J.J. Piccinich scored twice for Youngstown, but it wasn’t enough as Cedar Rapids edged the Phantoms, 4-3. Piccinich, who tied the game in the third period with his second marker of the evening, now has five goals on 13 shots in five USHL games, which ranks him second in the league.  Youngstown head coach Anthony Noreen, noting Piccinich’s improved maturity since last season, explained:

"Both of those were goal-scorer's goals. He doesn't over-handle the puck. He puts it on net and gets it there before the goalie is able to set. That's what goal-scorers do. It's not always the placement or how hard you shoot it."

Looking back

THFB contributor defkit points out that, with his opening night goal against Florida, Alex Chiasson has scored seven times in his eight NHL starts.

Matt Nieto, who made his NHL debut Thursday night for San Jose playing 9+ minutes, isn’t the only former Terrier who is making California his hockey home this season. Recent grads Ben Rosen and Sean Escobedo, who had been in Bridgeport Sound Tigers camp, have been assigned to the ECHL Stockton Thunder, and Corey Trivino, who was in Florida Panthers camp, has signed with Stockton to make a trio of ex-BU players on the roster.

John McCarthy, a co-captain on BU’s 2009 national champions, has been recalled to San Jose. He had been assigned to AHL Worcester last week after clearing waivers. McCarthy has skated in 51 NHL games for the Sharks.