I finally got around to finishing the Report Card I started last week with the Dmen and goalies for this year's BU Terriers. So here are the forwards and how I "grade" their seasons. This is way too long for one post but oh well.
9 Alex Chiasson- The junior assistant captain recovered from being benched in an October game for his lack of effort on the defensive end of the ice and turned out to be the most productive forward on the team. He was also an unquestionable emotional leader which hit its peak in Game 3 of the HE QF series versus UNH when Chiasson scored the game-winning goal. The goal ended UNH's season after a series that included 11 periods of hockey. He put up the most points in a long time for a BU right wing with his 15-31-46 line on the season. He has since signed a professional contract with the Dallas Stars. He certainly has the potential to be a solid NHL player one day.
Grade: A-
17 Matt Nieto- The sophomore wing was second on the team in points with a 16-26-42 line on the season. Nieto was a risk to leave for the NHL this summer but seems to have decided to stay for at least one more season and build off of his solid sophomore season. He will certainly be a top line forward for the Terriers next season as he is one of the few top 6 forwards returning and is one of the fastest,if not the fastest, skater in the country. He was also second on the team with a +18 rating.
Grade: A-
12 Chris Connolly- The two year captain and leader of the Terriers was the 3rd member of the team to hit 40 points this season with his 9-31-40 line. Connolly not only was a top line forward, but also kept the team together as they went through off-ice turmoil this season. He is one of the few 2 year captains in BU history and did a terrific job in the second half of the season scoring big goals for the team. He is the player Coach Parker was most emotional talking about after the last game and with good reason. Connolly never took a shift off and is certainly held a work effort the rest of the team emulated.
Grade: B+ As a captain: A
28 Sahir Gill- The sophomore posted a solid 12-19-31 and sat down for an interview with us in December so that's a pretty damn good year. Oh yeah, the team also went like 18-3-1 when he recorded a point in a game. Now next year we just need him to have a point every game and BU will be a posting a 43-0-0 record. Gill enters his last year of draft eligibility in this year's draft and one would think he will get that phone call from an NHL team this June but, if not, he will be a hot commodity on the free agent market once he graduates in 2 years. Either way, Gill has two (hopefully) promising years ahead of him here at BU where he will become a leader on and off the ice for the 47 (it's actually like 14 but same shit) recruits we have coming in the next two seasons.
Grade: B
18 Wade Megan- The newly elected 2012-2013 BU mens ice hockey captain had a stellar year for BU leading the team in (greasy) goals while posting a 20-9-29 line. The junior from Canton,NY really turned it around from a below average sophomore season and became one of the leaders on the team through his hard work. He is certainly a great choice as captain and will do big things next year for BU.
Grade: A-
26 Evan Rodrigues- The freshman winger started off slow with some trouble adjusting to the larger bodies in the NCAA game. He had a solid second half of the season and eventually posted a 2-10-12 line and +3 rating in 35 games. Rodrigues looks to build off his second half success to be a consistent top 6 forward next season and certainly could be since he easily lead the team in "just missed goals". If Rodrigues doesn't post 25+ points next season, I would be shocked.
Grade: C+
23 Cason Hohmann- The freshman center/wing also struggled adjusting the college game but was flying full speed by the end of the season and eventually posting a 2-6-8 line for the Terriers. He is a another young player that will thrive after a full year in the strength and conditioning system and I would expect him to develop and be a force next year.
Grade: C+
22 Ross Gaudet- The redshirt junior forward was one of the key leaders off the ice for the Terriers and also a crucial 3rd/4th line player on it. He was one of the 4 main forwards on the penalty kill and also chipped in offensively with a 5-2-7 line. Gaudet will graduate in the next month and could end his hockey career or he could return for his 5th year if he enrolls in a graduate program a la Ryan Ruikka. It will be up to Gaudet to make this decision in the coming month but if his career is over, he will be sorely missed on the PK and in that locker room for sure next season.
Grade: B
19 Justin Courtnall- The assistant captain isn't going to blow you away with his 4-3-7 line on the season but he had a huge impact on the season for the Terriers. He single-handily sparked the Terriers to climb out of a 3-0 deficit in Game 3 against UNH with big hit after big hit and his nose in on a goal eventually scored by d-man Garrett Noonan. Courtnall was an emotional leader for this team and figures to be an A next season as well. The team feeds off of his energy and missed him after he was ejected from the NCAA loss to Minnesota.
Grade: B+
15 Ryan Santana- The junior forward missed the first half of the season due to 0ff-season shoulder surgery but provided a much needed spark and depth when he returned. He ended up posting a solid 3-4-7 line in only 22 games. Santana will be a key leader next season and seems to be a staple on the 4th line with Courtnall.
Grade: B
8 Ben Rosen- The junior forward was forced to jump up to the second line center job after two mid-season departures and did a great job considering he was a d-man two seasons ago. Rosen posted a 1-6-7 line but most of his work went unnoticed as he worked hard along the boards and was a very responsible center in his own end of the ice. Rosen will be a key componet in the lineup next year but seems to fit more naturally into a 3rd or 4th line role where he can really grind.
Grade: B+
27 Yasin Cisse- The redshirt freshman winger battled through his first season since two major achilles injuries. The winger battled for time throughout the year and eventually posted a 2-3-5 line. Cisse will be a force in Hockey East next year and for years to come and would not surprise me at all if he put 30+ points next year possibly as the 1st line RW. He will certainly be given every opportunity on the top 2 lines if he works hard this summer.
Grade : B-
16 Kevin Gilroy-The senior provided a boost on the 4th lines throughout the season and posted a 2-0-2 line in 16 games. He also did great work off the ice for Autism research and he will be missed in the BU community next year.
Grade: B-
BOD's
20 Matt Ronan-Ronan only appeared in one game for the Terriers this season as he switched positions from forward to d-man. This was a 4-2 win at Merrimack and Ronan did not seem out of place in his limited ice time that night. He also sat down for an interview with us along with Jake Moscatel so he gets points for that too.
Grade: A+
Trading Deadline Pickups:
14 Jake Moscatel- Moscatel joined the team halfway through the season to provide depth and did just that. Moscatel dominated team warm-up skates often being the fastest guy out there on gameday skates.
Grade:A+
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