Conference honors for Farrance, Tuch, Commesso; '70-'71 Flashback--Harvard stuns BU

Senior defenseman David Farrance has been named as a Hockey East first-team All-Star for the second year in a row. An ACHA first-team All-American last year, he was a Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2019-2020 as well as a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award recognizing the top American-born player in New England.

● HockeyEastOnline report

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Proud to have ✌🏻 Terriers on this year’s @hockey_east All-Rookie Team!

Tuch was the only unanimous selection and Commesso was the lone goalie on the squad. #ProudToBU pic.twitter.com/AdRCcswBIV

— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) March 11, 2021

Freshmen Luke Tuch and Drew Commesso have been named to Hockey East’s Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team. Tuch was the only unanimous pick for the seven-member team. BU has had at least one member on the conference All-Rookie team every year since 2007-08 (link) and, in four of the past six seasons, two Terriers have been selected.

● Hockeyeastonline.com report

● GoTerriers.com report

● Terriers on Hockey East All-Rookie Teams (2000-2021)

Senior captain Logan Cockerill was runner up for the Gladiator Custom Mouthguards Best Defensive Forward Award, which a year ago was won by Patrick Curry.

Coach Albie O'Connell's Weekly Media Call.

’70-’71 Flashback March 12, 1971 Harvard 4 BU 2

Top-ranked BU’s drive for its first ECAC Championship was derailed in the tournament semifinal as Harvard upset the Terriers, 4-2, at Boston Garden. The loss put BU in the tournament consolation game and cast serious doubt on the Terriers chances for an NCAA tournament bid. (Note: at the time only four teams—2 East, 2 West—received bids).

The game was the third meeting of the season between the Crimson and the Terriers.  The teams played to a 4-4 tie early in the season and then BU dispatched Harvard, 4-1, in the Beanpot championship game.

The keys to Harvard’s win were playing penalty-free—thus negating BU’s 40%-success power play—and the goaltending of Bruce Durno. 

Harvard took an early lead after back-to-back penalties by Steve Dolloff and Toot Cahoon creating a 5-on-3. Dave Hynes, who would win tournament MVP honors, took a pass from Joe Cavanagh and beat Dan Brady, just before the first penalty ended. Late in the opening period, Bill Corkery doubled the Harvard lead.

BU finally got on the board late in the middle period on a Guy Burrowes goal, but the tight-checking Crimson would add two more goals, increasing the lead to 4-1 in the third period. Ron Anderson brought BU closer late in the period, but Durno slammed the door after that.

BU’s record fell to 25-2-1 and Brady, who had 29 saves, suffered his first loss of the season after 14 wins. Harvard would go on to beat Clarkson in the tournament title game and earn an auto-bid to the NCAAs in Syracuse, N.Y., a week later. BU would be matched in the ECAC consolation game with defending NCAA champion Cornell, the only other team to beat BU that season.

Looking back, Jack Parker—an assistant on Jack Kelley’s staff at the time—recalled:

It was almost shocking after we’d beaten Harvard in the Beanpot (just 18 days prior). We lost because they shut down our power play, which no one could ever do…because they never took a penalty. Once again, we were on the outside looking in. That was one of the most down moments I’d ever seen for Jack Kelley. If he was ever going to win the ECACs, this was the year. Fortunately, we were playing Cornell in the consolation with a chance to redeem ourselves. If there was no consolation game, we would not have gone to the NCAA tournament.

For the fans of BU nation, the loss seemed to end a spectacular, dominating season short of its major goals—the ECAC and NCAA titles. But that wasn’t the case. There was still a chance for BU to gain an NCAA bid.

Parker added: "Yes, we did think there was a chance. I don’t know if this is true or not, but [Colgate Coach] Ron Ryan was on the selection committee and let Jack know “you might not be out of it; they want to look at the consolation game. No guarantees.”

Tomorrow: BU vs. Cornell.

Looking ahead

The BCHL has finally received the Provincial go ahead to start--yes, start--its season with games set to start in April. One of the top Junior A leagues in Canada, the BCHL has been a training ground for many Terrier recruits--among them, David Van der Gulik, Dante Fabbro, Ty Amonte, Jay O'Brien and Cade Webber. Two 2021 recruits, Quinn Hutson and Charles-Alexis Legault left their BCHL teams last fall when the league shut down (after participating in a 14-game pre-season tournament) and joined USHL teams. Hutson is with Muskegon and Legault is with Lincoln. One other recruit, Tristan Amonte, Ty's brother, remains on the Penticton Vees roster.