National polls, weekend recap

Both polls came out today and put BU #12 nationally in the USCHO and USA Today polls. BC remains the top team in both receiving a majority of the votes in both polls. Here is the top 5 of each polls and notable others throughout Hockey East.

USCHO:

1. BC(42) 7-1-0

2. Colorado College(5)4-0-0

3. Michigan 6-1-0

4. Western Michigan(1) 5-0-3

5. Minnesota 7-1-0

7. Merrimack 6-0-0

12. Boston University 3-2-1

20. Maine 3-2-1

USA Today

1. BC(30)

2. Colorado College(3)

3. Michigan

4. Notre Dame

5. Minnesota

7. Merrimack

12. Boston University

The INCH power rankings also came out today and place BU up two spots to #14 in the country. For some reason they respect the EZAC and have Colgate, Union, and Yale ranked ahead of BU despite Yale's unproven 1-0-1 record and Union's loss to UNH this weekend. Everyone will find out how weak that conference is once they all fail to make a Frozen Four again. Yes Yale that is directed at you. Also here is a recap of BU players mentioned in the HE performances of the week

Hockey East Weekly Top Performances:

Charlie Coyle So, F- Recorded a goal and three assists in the weekend home and home series with UMass.

Sahir Gil So,F-Scored three points against UMass including the tying goal Friday night

Matt Nieto So, F- Recorded two goals, including the game winner Saturday, and two assists in the series with UMass

Career Milestones/Who is Hot/ Trends

Sahir Gil - Has a point in all six games this season

Matt Nieto- Has scored a goal in all six games this season

"Boston University: Dating back to last season, sophomore Matt Nieto has scored a goal in eight straight games, the longest streak by a Terrier since Chris Drury scored in nine straight games from Nov. 1-26, 1996…The Terriers have outscored their opponents 10-2 in the second period this season but have been outscored 10-3 in the first period…BU went to overtime with UMass in both ends of this past weekend's home-and-home series and came away with three points. The Terriers have not lost a conference game in overtime since Feb. 21, 2003, at Providence…BU erased a 2-0 deficit on Friday before coming all the way back from a 3-0 deficit in Saturday's overtime triumph…Sophomore Charlie Coyle currently sports a league-best plus-9 rating and has recorded two points in each of the last three contests…BU leads the nation in shorthanded goals this season with four…Senior goaltender Grant Rollheiser (Chilliwack, B.C.) earned his first start since last December on Saturday and overcame a three-goal first period to record 29 saves in the victory. He is now 12-7-4 in his career with a 2.91 GAA…Travis Roy was the recipient of Boston University's prestigious Young Alumni Award on Saturday as part of this year's Alumni Weekend."

Hockey East Power Rankings

So after the first weekend where every team has competed in conference play, I figured it was about time to reveal my first Hockey East power rankings. So here we go

1. Newton University-Boston College 7-1 (5-0)- undefeated in the conference so far but haven't exactly faced any of the big boys yet. Their conference opponents combined record is 6-14-2. Not exactly facing the top of the conference so far. This changes this weekend as they play Maine Friday night at home before playing UMASS once again on Saturday night.

2. Merrihack 6-0(4-0)- I'll give Merrimack this. They look good so far but like BC haven't played any of the top tier of Hockey East besides Maine where they squeaked out a 2-1 win in their season opener. They are going to have a couple quality wins to sell me but so far they seem legit.

3. Maine 3-2-1 (3-1)- Maine's only loss comes to Merrimack(even though it was at home) and they competed in their series in North Dakota out of conference. Maybe Whitehead will build an actual team this year with the loss of Nyquist... just kidding it is Tim Whitehead we're talking about.

4. BU 3-2-1 (2-1-1)- Obviously inconsistent so far but I believe Hockey East will get four teams into the NCAA by the end of the season(not necessarily in this order) but as of now BU has plenty to prove. We will see if Saturday's dramatic OT win over UMASS sparks the team to go on a run if they have another "let down" game in Lowell this Saturday.

5. UNH 2-4-1(1-3)- Obviously UNH got off to a terrible start but I believe that got it on track this weekend with a pair of convincing wins over Union and Northeastern. They will be right there at the end of the season fighting for the NCAA's as usual(but never actually winning anything of importance). They have two home games this weekend so it will be interesting to see how the team performs.

6. PC 2-3-1 (2-2) -PC came out flying in conference play but were quickly silenced with a sweep by Maine this past weekend. They get UVM for two this weekend at home which is a series in which if they want to be considered legitimate contenders, need to take 3 points.

7. Northeastern 1-4-1(1-4-1) Northeastern beat UNH at home when UNH was still reeling but then lost to them this past weekend back at UNH. Northeastern is better than their record indicates since their losses have come to BC, Merrimack, Maine,and UNH so don't count them out.

8. UVM 1-3(2-2)- They really haven't done anything noteworthy thus far besides win @ Minnesota but that is one more accomplishment than the teams I am listing below them have accomplished thus far.

9. UMASS 1-3-2 (0-3-2)- Ok this is a bit of a stretch considering their only win is against Bentley. They did go into Matthews and tie NU though and they gave BU a hell of a weekend this past weekend despite choking away multiple goal leads in both games.

10. UML 2-3(0-2)- They failed to give BC much of a fight this weekend despite outshooting them in both games but not scoring. Learn how to score and beat someone besides Minnesota State without losing to UCONN and get back to me. Yes, I am writing this very different than if I was traveling to Lowell this weekend. If I was making the trip, I would have placed Lowell in first and been praising Mickey Ward because I value my own life. Of course, that is assuming anyone in Lowell can read or would read this shitty blog but hey you know what I mean.

BU takes 3 out of 4 points on the weekend

The BU Terriers mens ice hockey team certainly enjoys making games interesting. The team began the weekend climbing out of a 2-0 deficit at the Mullins Center to salvage a 2-2 tie. This was due largely to the solid play of senior goalie Kieran Millan. Millan made 33 saves including many crucial ones in the 3rd period and OT. UMASS got out to an early lead with a PP goal by T.J. Syner and padded the lead with a goal by Connor Sheary midway through the second. BU would climb back within one with a goal by sophomore Matt Nieto who has a goal in every game thus far this year. The Terriers tied the game for good when Sahir Gil flipped the puck over UMASS goalie Kevin Boyle who has on his stomach in the crease. Overall, it wasn't a great effort Friday night and the team seemed happy to get a point behind Millan while Parker said there would be changes in the lineup for Saturday's matchup. He wasn't kidding.

Last night, they won an OT thriller 5-4 after trailing 3-0 at the end of the first period. The buzz before the game was over the benching of assistant captain Alex Chiasson who has been playing well offensively but not working hard enough defensively. Parker benched him to send a message and wake him up. We will see with time if it sends the message to him and the rest of the team. Back to the game, the team gave up some tough goals early as the first UMASS goal was a result of goalie Grant Rollheiser inability to cover up the puck. The second goal was a bad break as Ryan Ruikka attempted to clear the puck on the penalty kill and the puck took a weird bounce ended up right in front of the goal to be tucked in. The third UMASS goal was a result of a poor play by Charlie Coyle as he took the puck out in front of his own net and was pit pocketed by Sheary who roofed it past Rollie. The score remained that way until mid way through the second when BU seemed to wake up and UMASS fell apart. BU scored goals by Garrett Noonan on a great pass from Corey Trivino and then Sahir Gil scored as well to make it a one goal game entering the third.

In the third, BU took over the game. BU tied the game shorthanded on a goal from Charlie Coyle 9:51 into the third. BU then took the lead two minutes later on Corey Trivino's fourth of the year. UMASS would tie it at 4 on the PP after Charlie Coyle took his second penalty of the game for an unnecessary hit. The game would remain tied until OT when Matt Nieto would score his sixth goal in as many games and give the Terriers a huge 2 points to keep pace in HE. Who said Parker can't motivate? The Terriers return to action next Saturday at UMASS Lowell.

This weekend certainly was nowhere near as well as BU needs to play to go anywhere this season but it is a step in the right direction as they recovered from early deficits both nights. Both goaltenders played well and seem to give Parker a viable option to keep Millan on edge. I wouldn't expect to see Rollie again for a couple weekends unless Parker feels comfortable playing him against Merrimack or BC in two weeks and those teams seem like the two best teams in the league currently.

BSRS Hockey East Picks - October 28 and 29

In a new installment here at BSRS, your favorite bloggers will be attempting to predict the winners and losers of all the Hockey East games each weekend (including out of conference games involving a HE team). We realize that the season has been going on for a few weeks, but we 1.) Are lazy and 2.) Wanted to use the first few weeks to get a reading on each of the teams (or at least that's our story). The picks will be posted each Friday, and the results will be posted the following Monday. Here are this weeks picks!

FM = Feliz Miguel QQ = QuackQuack Ray = Raymundo GW = George Washington

Friday, October 28

BU @ UMass
GW - BU 4 UMass 3
FM - BU 4 UMass 3
QQ - BU 5 UMass 3
Ray - BU over UMass

Merrimack @ Vermont
GW - Merrimack 5 Vermont 1
FM - Merrimack 4 Vermont 3
QQ - Merrimack 3 Vermont 2
Ray - Merrimack over Vermont

Providence @ Maine
GW - Maine 3 PC 2
FM - Maine 4 PC 2
QQ - Maine 5 PC 2
Ray - Maine over PC

Boston College @ UMass Lowell
GW - Boston College 4 UML 1
FM - Boston College 5 UML 2
QQ - Boston College 5 UML 4
Ray - Boston College over UML

Union @ New Hampshire
GW - Union 3 UNH 2
FM - Union 3 UNH 2
QQ - UNH 5 Union 4
Ray - UNH over Union

Saturday, October 29

Merrimack @ Vermont
GW - Merrimack 4 UVM 2
FM - Merrimack 3 UVM 2
QQ - UVM 4 Merrimack 3
Ray - Merrimack over UVM

Northeastern @ New Hampshire
GW - Northeastern 3 UNH 1
FM - UNH 3 Northeastern 1
QQ - Northeastern 5 UNH 3
Ray - Northeastern over UNH

Providence @ Maine
GW - Providence 3 Maine 2
FM - Maine 3 PC 2
QQ - Maine 4 PC 3
Ray - Maine over PC

UMass @ BU
GW - BU 3 UMass 2
FM - BU 4 UMass 3
QQ - BU 4 UMass 3

UMass Lowell @ Boston College
GW - BC 4 UML 1
FM - BC 5 UML 1
QQ - BC 6 UML 2
Ray - BC over UML

Thursday Morning Links

So we are one day away from what could be the turning point in the BU Terriers' season. There are many questions to be answered and I personally can't wait to see how they respond tomorrow night at UMASS which will be televised on NESN at 7pm. Now here are some good articles and quotes leading up to the weekend throughout Hockey East. Stay tuned as BSRS will releases our first of many weekly Pick Em's for Hockey East. Four of our "expert" bloggers will cast picks each week and we will see who knows the most about Hockey East.

Daily Free Press article about Terriers' inconsistency this season...much better than a certain article that called for Parker's job on Tuesday. A pretty good read

USCHO article about how much UNH sucks so far this season and how coach Dick Umile might bench his frozen pizza goalie after USCHO tabbed him the best in the nation(USCHO cover jinx?)

A preview for the women's hockey NCAA championship rematch series between BU(runner-up) and Wisconsin this weekend in Madison.

Also we have a nice motivational quote from UMASS sophomore F Mike Pereira(younger brother of former Terrier Joe Pereira) " BU players,hockey have that swagger to them, that snob sort of thing." Well I am sure the Terriers will explain what that swagger is all about this weekend Mike. Not the smartest thing I have ever heard anyone say.

A mid-week preview from Boston Hockey Blog with some interesting quotes from Parker on his defensemen so far this season. It gets even more interesting you look at this Tweet from Terriers defenseman Adam Clendening to Garrett Noonan which seems to hint they had a nice chat with Coach Parker this week and will be playing together again this weekend: " GarrettNoonan13 it'd be rude not to rekindle an old flame is epic fashion this weekend. #playgoodoruwillbesat #DPs"

BU Weekend Preview: October 28 and 29 Edition

After a disappointing (and frankly somewhat embarrassing) loss to lowly Holy Cross this past Saturday, your BU Terriers look to rebound with a pair of games against UMass - Amherst.  BU travels to the always classy Mullins Center on Friday, and the Minutemen make the trek out to Boston on Saturday.  Without further adieu (as I know you minutemen only have an attention span of, well, about a minute), here's what to watch for in this weekend's home and home with UMass...

I Think You're Doing it Wrong...

The story of the season thus far for UMass has been poor goaltending.  In 4 games this season, freshman Kevin Boyle and Sophomore Jeff Teglia have allowed 16 goals - including 6 to PC alone.  While some UMass fans (cough Fear the Triangle cough) will be quick to point out that BU's own Kieran Millan has only fared slightly better than the dynamic duo out in Amherst, I'll remind them that he's only given up 12 goals - and a third of those have been on the power play. Plus he's won in conference. And has a National Title. But I digress.

Does That T Stand For Temper?


In only 4 contests this fall, Senior Co-Captain TJ Syner has racked up 6 penalties totaling 20 penalty minutes.  This includes a 10 minute misconduct penalty received against BC.  Yikes. While I can appreciate just how irritating BC can be, it stands to reason that Mr. Syner probably has a bit of a temper (and certainly knows what the inside of the sin bin looks like).  Don't be surprised if Chiasson and/or Noonan get him all riled up over the weekend.

Living in Your Older Brother's Shadow


Any BU fans who followed this team last year (or any of the three previous years before that) will remember the name Joe Pereira, or "Bulldog" as he was sometimes known.  Bulldog's younger brother, Mike Pereira, is in his sophomore season for the Minutemen after putting up some decent numbers as a freshman.  Don't let that fool you, however, as Joe will always be better than Mike.  Plus, Mike doesn't have an awesome nickname like Bulldog. Chant Idea - Joey's Better

BU Quick Hitters


-Look for Senior Grant Rollheiser to probably get a start in net over the weekend. I'm guessing at home on Saturday, but either day wouldn't really surprise me.
-Both Matt Nieto and Corey Trivino look to continue 6 game point streaks over the weekend, dating back to last season's Hockey East quarterfinal matchup with Northeastern

Stay tuned for more on Hockey East/BU as the week progresses...

BU Hockey is in Good Hands with Parker

So I wake up this morning and first thing I see on my computer is this article by a BU student and Dogpound member. The title reads: " End of the Road has come for Parker". Well now you have got my interest because I have always stood behind Coach Parker whether it be on the USCHO boards or in the comment section of the Boston Hockey Blog. For whatever reason, some people find it easy to blame him and take his words out of context in their search to get rid of Parker. Same types of people who were calling for Claude Julien's head two years ago and probably will be again in the next couple of weeks.

First, to address the article...If you want to make the argument for Parker to step down, four games into the season isn't the time to do it. You want to make this argument right after a season ends so you can look at the season as a whole or the last three seasons as a whole or however you want to look at it. We are talking about this only because of ONE game. A game in October. Are you kidding me? Yeah yeah every game counts but don't pretend that a Beanpot championship game means the same as a game against Holy Cross in October. Yes, they should have won the game and some of that blame comes back to the coaching staff, but there is plenty blame to go around. The defense needs to improve and for those who are going to say NiCastro and Clendening haven't developed under Parker, why have Garrett Noonan and Pat MacGregor grown as defensemen since arriving on campus? This team has to continue to grow and get more consistent through the season to go anywhere but four games into a season isn't the time to decide if it will happen or not. That is up to the coaching staff and the players. The loss at PC is bad and the team didn't show up to play the first 10 minutes but they did tie that game up by the 3rd period. You still think Parker can't motivate them to dig in and make a comeback? Even if it eventually ended in a loss.

Now let's break down one part of this article that really bothers me...

"Parker could have watched film from Providence last year, even under an old coach, or he could have watched highlights of Union College, where Nate Leaman previously coached."

So let me get this straight...you are going to sit a bunch of 20 year olds down and have them either a.) watch tape of PC under a different system or b.) watch tape of Union with completely different players than PC. Either way, it is a waste of time for everybody involved. You can't blame a loss on a failure to look at useless video.

Lastly, the fact that we have drafted NHL prospects only speaks to Parker's ability to recruit and even he has said that he tries to mix guys with high NHL potential and guys who are more likely to stick around for all four years. This isn't a drawback. BC has just as many drafted players and they have left early too. BC had forward Cam Atkinson leave last season and forward Chris Kreider will leave after this season. It has nothing to do with your ability to recruit or motivate your guys. It is pretty well noted that Jerry York will try to talk guys into staying more while Parker will give the guy an honest opinion of what he thinks is best for the player. If anything, that is a respectful thing to do. Parker isn't going to pull the "Please stay with us and go to church every Sunday" routine like York does.

Jack Parker is still a damn good hockey coach until this season proves otherwise. You can't judge a season based on four games. If you want to have this conversation, talk to me in March or not at all because if the season ends in April, I am not going to listen. Remember when the 08-09 BU Terriers lost two at home to UVM in October? Oh right no one does cause they had 4 losses the remainder of the season and 35 wins. That probably won't happen this year but a couple wins this weekend should shutup the haters for the time being. If you don't think the team is going to come out flying after being doubted all week, then there's something wrong up in your brain. GO BU! Fuck the Parker haters.

BU loses to Holy Cross,chaos ensues

The #7 BU Terriers mens ice hockey team lost in a classic trap game 5-4 to the College of Holy Cross at Agganis Arena Saturday night. It marked the Terriers first ever loss to an Atlantic Hockey team and has caused alot of backlash from fans. I have read fans on various websites blaming Coach Parker, Kieran Millan, Charlie Coyle to the band. Now let's not go turn into the Red Sox here. Was the game ugly? Of course. I was beyond angry walking out of the rink Saturday night. There is a reason I waited over 24 hours to post something. It is because it is just ticking me off and it is tough to put a positive spin on anything that happened. The Terriers got outworked and simply didn't execute hard enough to win the game in front of a fairly full Agganis Arena due to parents' weekend.

Wade Megan was thrown out of the game in the third for a hit from behind which was a penalty but I can't blame Megan for playing hard. He was skating around hitting guys trying to wake up his team the whole third period. I won't get into how the call was changed based on the injury to the opposing player. It is always scary when a guy gets hurt but don't make it a major penalty because of it or guys will be milking injuries all over the country to get a call.

Now to begin, there is plenty of blame to go around here but it doesn't all fall on Coach Parker. He does need to find a way to motivate better and mentally prepare the team for games against lower ranked opponents such as PC and Holy Cross. We will see first hand if he can do it this week against UMASS who has one win this year, against Bentley. Some of the blame falls on the coaching staff's shoulders but certainly not all of it.

Next, sophomore first round pick Charlie Coyle has been singled out along with other forwards for not producing. Let's take a look at the top two lines this year shall we?(through 4 game splayed)

Alex Chiasson- 4g,3a,+7- 7 points

Charlie Coyle- 0g, 5a +6, 5 points

Matt Nieto- 4g, 1a, +5, 5 points

Chris Connolly- 0g, 3a, +0, 3 points

Sahir Gil, 1g, 4a, +0, 5 points

Corey Trivino 3g, 2a, 5 points +1

These top two lines of forwards are dominating when they are on the ice. The 3rd and 4th lines are struggling but the third line is two freshman with Cason Hohmann and Evan Rodrigues(both who have showed signs of catching up with the college game so far). The defensmen are struggling at times and leaving Kieran Millan out to dry. These problems will get less apparent with hard work and the return of injured players Ryan Ruikka and Yasin Cisse. Cisse can bring another scoring touch to the 3rd or 4th line while Ruikka will create competition among defenseman as one of the four lower defenseman: Escobedo, Nicastro Clendening, or Privaterra will need to sit every game once Ruikka returns and is 100%.

Kieran Millan needs to get a game off this weekend to give Grant "Rollie" Rollheiser a chance to play well and push Millan to raise his level of play as well. Then again, we are only four games into the season. Last year this team began 6-0-4 and rose to be #1 in the country and then fell from there. The positive spin to this year is that problems are being diagnosed earlier in the year with more time for them to be addressed by the coaching staff and veteran leaders on the club. They could go unanswered and BU could miss the tournament for the 3rd year in a row or the questions will be answered and this team will be stronger because of it. So don't jump off that bridge yet and leave the fucking band alone.

BU rises another spot in polls, BC falls from #1

Despite last Friday's loss to Providence, the BU mens ice hockey team rose a spot to #7 in the latest USCHO poll, due in large part to a victory over #3 Denver on Saturday. The polls mean nothing, especially this early in the season but it is good to see that the Terriers are respected nationally as a top 10 team which I believe they really are. The Terriers look to hold pace with only one game this weekend at Atlantic Hockey powerhouse Holy Cross...well Atlantic Hockey contender Holy Cross. Here is the rest of the top 10 and significant others

1. Michigan(+3) 4-0 and just destroying whoever they play even without defenseman Jon Merril

2. BC(-1)- The loss to Denver bumps them down a spot but they still remain one of the top teams in the country and I still hate them. That is all

3. Denver- Took care of business perfectly for us last weekend, winning down in Newton and losing in Boston

4. Colorado College(+3)

5. North Dakota(+1)- took 3 out of 4 points from Maine to make up for last year's sweep at the hands of the Black Bears

6. Notre Dame(-4)- Drop down four spots but they open their new rink Friday night so that should make highlight news whether they win or not

7. BU(+1)- Just gotta keep building off the Denver win and not overlook Holy Cross this weekend

8. Minnesota(+6)- The sweep of state rival Duluth certainly helps this young team gain some confidence

9. Yale(+1)- They still haven't played so I have no idea how they stay in the polls

10. Miami(-5)- They seem to be in for a down year without Miele and Campfer

13. Merrimack- Merrihack just sneaking out wins over Army and Maine so far. Northeastern should test them at Lawler Friday night.

18. Maine(-1)- Managed to take one point in North Dakota and get back to the HE schedule this weekend.

Others receiving votes : Providence- 69, UNH - 12, Lowell-12, Northeastern-3

Also here are the inch power rankings and the usa today poll.

Weekend Recap- BU hockey splits weekend pair

First, we will start with the bad. BU lost 5-3 to Providence College on Friday night down in Schneider Arena. The night started off poorly for the Terriers as they sat in traffic for over 2 hours as they arrived late at the arena forcing the game to start 15 minutes late. The Terriers played like they were still on the bus in the first ten minutes as PC quickly jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead as the defense specifically Sean Escobedo. BU began to turn the tide in the game and quiet down the uneducated crowd. PC scored again late in the first to make it 3-0 and a steep hill to climb out of it. The Terriers began to do just so as sophomore Matt Nieto and senior Corey Trivino scored quickly in the second to start the come back. The score remained 3-2 throughout the second as goalie Kieran Millan settled in and made some great saves. The Terriers eventually tied the score just 3:13 into the third to make it 3-3. The Terriers couldn't complete the comeback though as PC took the lead for good on a powerplay with 6-5 junior Miles Harvey's first career goal. PC added an empty net goal to make it 5-3 and serve BU's first loss of the season.

Now to comment on the atmosphere at Schneider. It was the most full I have ever seen it at the traditional basketball-first school. Turns out basketball was the reason all of the fans were there as they were waiting for late nite madness tickets and they soon all left with ten minutes left in the third. The ice was also in rough shape and their was fog throughout the rink making visibility tough at times. Overall, the fans were loud but had very little to offer besides "Let's Go Friars" and "F*** BU". Not a very family friendly atmosphere as a fan even ran on the ice as the game concluded and was quickly escorted off the ice but we saw him in the parking lot later so those PC police really cracked down on him hard. The fans were all 'lubed' up and gave Matthews(NU) and Mullins(UMASS) a run for their money as the most annoying,classless crowd I have encountered. They will be nowhere to be seen the rest of the season Iam sure but Friday night certainly wasn't a good reflection upon their school.

Now on to the good game. BU hosted #3 Denver, who was fresh off a 4-2 win out in Newton over BC on Friday night. BU came out flying to atone for Friday night's loss. They scored on a sweet move by junior forward Alex Chiasson on a backhand to forehand move and then flip over Denver goalie ,junior Adam Murray. The Terriers played much better defensively and came out flying the begin the second period. They scored their second goal on a senior Corey Trivino hustle play shorthanded. He scored on a wrap-around after Murray mishandled the puck behind his own net. On the same powerplay, Matt Nieto scored on back hand 5 hole after a great pass from Charlie Coyle who played a great game along with the rest of his line(Nieto and Chiasson). That put Denver in an early hole that grew larger as Wade Megan scored on the powerplay later in the second to give BU a four goal lead with one period left. This lead almost did not hold as the Terriers allowed 3 goals in the third but Kieran Millan but made some key saves and the team competed hard once it became a one goal game. Great 4-3 win for BU!

Overall, the Terriers showed some great spurts throughout the weekend and looked bad at other times. They still search for the more consistent focus and execution throughout the game but they showed the grit to come back Friday night and to hold on to a lead Saturday night against a highly skilled team like Denver. The Terriers might fall in the polls as a result of the PC loss but in October it is more important to get wins and the Denver win will be huge come March as they try to get back to the NCAA tournament. Below are the press conference from Saturday night from Coach Parker and Matt Nieto/Alex Chiasson.

BU Hockey Weekend Preview: 10/14 and 10/15 Edition

After thrashing UNH for their first win of the year last Saturday, your BU Terriers look to continue their solid play against two quality opponents over the weekend.  While only one of the games counts for league standings, you better believe they'll both be good tilts. Without further ado, here's what to expect/look for this weekend.

Friday, October 14: BU at PC


While PC has long been a cellar dweller in Hockey East, the tides may be turning down in Providence as the Nate Leaman era begins for the friars.  Leaman, you may remember, was formerly the coach at Union College, leading Union to an ECAC regular season title and an NCAA tournament appearance this past season.  He takes over for the lowly Tim Army, who leaves behind the bitter taste of 6 miserable seasons, as well as his generally untalented son.  


PC graduated their top 4 leading scorers from last year, and will be looking to junior Tim Schaller (5g, 14a last season) to lead their scoring.  On the defensive side, Senior goalie Alex Beaudry will again get the majority of the work for the Friars in net.  He posted a respectable .902 save percentage and a 3.27 gaa in 31 games last season.  He will most likely be spelled by backup and fellow senior Justin Gates, who appeared in 8 games for the Friars last season and posted a .888 save % as well as a 3.24 gaa.


For whatever reason, the Friars always seems to play BU tough. They've won the season series against us a few times in the past handful of years, and should again be a tough test on Friday.  If you can't make it down to Schneider Arena on Friday, NESN will be broadcasting the game. So tune in!


Saturday, October 15: UDenver at BU


For the first time since 2009, BU and the University of Denver will meet Saturday night at Agganis.  BU is 3-2 against Denver in their last five meetings, and 6-4 in their last ten.  Denver, currently ranked third in the country, kicks off the regular season on Friday night at BC, and takes the green line a few miles down the road for Saturday.


The Pioneers return a boat load of talent from last year's roster, including many of their top scorers.  Drew Shore (23g, 23a), Jason Zucker (23g, 22a), and Luke Salazar (17g, 11a) look to lead the forwards in the scoring department after all posting solid seasons last year.  On the defensive side, David Makowski (6g, 24a) will anchor the blue line for the Pioneers.  In net, junior Adam Murray will be the #1 goaltender for Denver until Sam Brittain (.921, 2.28 last season) returns from suspension.

Denver looks to be a real tough test for this Terrier team.  While it doesn't count in the Hockey East standings, it gives the rest of us an early look at how good this year's Terrier squad really could be.

WEEKEND PREDICTION


Friday: BU 4 PC 1
Saturday: BU 4 UD 3

Denver down 2 goalies heading into BC/BU weekend

Denver University is already down their #1 and #3 goalies for this weekend's trip east to play #1 Boston College and #8 Boston University. It now appears that there is a chance that their #2 goalie and projected starter for both contests, junior Adam Murray, is less than 100% even though he is expected to play in both games according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. Murray sustained a 'lower body' injury in an exhibition game last weekend against the US under 18 team and is expected to practice with a light load this week. If he were to get hurt or be unable to play, then #4 goalie and former DU rugby player Zach Hope would be thrusted into action as #1 goalie Sam Brittain is out until the second half recovering from major off season knee surgery. The #3 goalie, freshman Juno Olkinuora, is serving a three game suspension from playing in a league with professional players. These circumstances could leave the #3Pioneers in pretty desperate times if Murray's injury were worsen during either of the games this weekend. This would force Hope to play in his first ever D1 hockey game against a top 10 team. Denver/BC will be broadcast live on CBS sports network at 7:30 while BU/PC will be on NESN beginning at 7 on Friday. BU/DU will not be broadcasted Saturday night at this time.

New polls released from USCHO Week 2

The new polls were released this afternoon with some fairly major moves as the voters only have one weekend of action to vote on so fairly big moves aren't unexpected. Here is what the top 10 and other notables look like. The first number would be the USCHO.com poll with the second being the USA Today poll.

1. Boston College - #1 in both polls after winning the Ice Breaker Tournament. Yeah yeah no one cares about that tournament. We won it last year and looked how that ended up.

2. Notre Dame- #2 in both polls make it two Catholic schools at the top of the polls and the most arrogant ones at that. Excuse me while I go puke my brains out.

3. Denver- #3 have not played a game yet but will certainly be tested as they travel to BC and BU this weekend for a pair of great non-conference games

4. Michigan 4/5- Michigan wins 3 games to start off the year granted not against the greatest opposing teams

5. Miami- 4/5- Their loss this weekend drops them down three spots

6. North Dakota- #6 They got romped by BC this weekend which isn't a great sign but it is a long season and their mascot is still racist as Feliz Miguel would say.

7. Colorado College- 7/8- Thank you for raping BC last year in the tournament.

8. BU- 8/7- Jump two and drop one in each poll after the 5-0 win over #15 UNH.

9. UMD- The defending champs stay in the top 10 even after a loss.

10. Yale- You play in the EZAC. Your games shouldn't even count in the polls.

13. Merrihack- A nice win up in Orono keeps the Warriors in the polls and moving up

15. UNH- Frozen pizza looked be thawing a little bit giving up four goals to BU behind an inexperienced blue line

17. Maine- The Black Bears split a weekend at home which is what Maine fans have grown accustomed to under Timmy.

Others receiving votes: UMASS, Northeastern? Fuck you Saponari

Here are some other links about BU's win this weekend and Millan's play

Millan

3 big findings from HE this week

BU opens up the season with 5-0 win

Boston University Terriers came out slugged, out hit and out played UNH in their first game of the season. The 5-0 win gives the Terriers a good start off to the season as a whole while also giving them a quick head start in the conference. The first period was very physical and hard hitting but was a scoreless one. The second period was a different story as the Terriers scored twice to take control of the game. Wade Megan scored the first on a great pass from senior captain Chris Connolly. Connolly then found a streaking Corey Trivino who finished the play to make it 2-0 going into the third period. Matt Nieto then put the game out of reach with a goal 2 minutes into the third and Alex Chiasson added an empty netter with Kevin Gilroy also scoring on a wrap around to account for the 3 Terrier goals in the third. Sophomore Charlie Coyle and Sahir Gil added 2 assists for BU. The Terriers played solid throughout the game and when they(read Clendening) did make a few bad pinches, they were bailed out by Hockey East Defensive player of the week Kieran Millan who stopped all 35 shots he faced. For more info and postgame remarks follow this link. BU killed all 6 UNH powerplays and did enough to get four goals on USCHO's #1 goalie Matt "Frozen Pizza" Di Girolamo. He did make 32 saves out of the 36 fired at him. The Terriers continue their HE schedule with a visit to PC on Friday at 7 in a game that will also be aired live on NESN. BSRS will be well represented at the game so there is really no reason not to go. Go BU!

Why Millan Starts Saturday Night

So after the debacle that was the exhibition game Saturday night against St. Francis Xavier, everyone and their brother is calling for BU head coach Jack Parker to start three year back up goalie Grant Rollheiser over three year starter and national champion Kieran Millan. This is all of course, based on one exhibition game where Millan gave up five goals on 17 shots and Rollheiser made seven saves in the third. After the game, Parker and junior forward Wade Megan gave Millan a vote of confidence, both saying they expected him to be ready. Millan simply laid an egg Saturday night but Rollheiser also benefited from playing a team with a 5-0 lead and his own team attacking to try to come back and win the game so naturally he would be tested less. Rollheiser played better in the opportunity provided to him but the decision for the season opener vs. #11 UNH. Fans are willing to start a career backup despite all the stats in the world to go against it.

Let's throw some numbers down on the board shall we?

Millan's career stats at BU

08-09 29-2-3, .921 Save percentage, 3 Shutouts, 1.94 GAA, 776 saves 35 games

09-10 16-16-0 .891 , 1 shutout, 3.15 GAA, 797 saves 32 games

10-11 16-10-8 , .919, 1 shutout, 2.68 GAA, 1085 saves, 36 games

Rollheiser's career stats at BU

08-09 6-4-1, .897 , 1 shutout, 2.13 GAA, 201 saves, 12 games played

09-10 2-1-1, .876, 3.39 GAA, 156 saves 7 games played

10-11 3-2, .885, 3.98 GAA, 123 saves 5 games played

Now I think the records speak for themselves all three years and if they don't sell you the GAA from last year. Millan made a whopping 962 saves more than Rollheiser last year. Millan has lead to BU to 61 wins in his three year career compared to 11 from Rollheiser. It is fair to state that Millan has been given a majority of the chances to start but he has earned those chances. He should not be pulled based off an exhibition performance on the day of his first day of practice. Rollheiser looked good and has earned a chance to make his fair share of starts this season(maybe the first being at PC next Friday) but not on opening night at home against a top team in the country and your league. If Rollheiser outplays Millan over the first month of the season, then we can have this argument but until then stop embarrassing yourselves. Fans need to educate themselves before coming to drastic opinions that they came when they are about five Nattie lights into the night. Millan is the goalie to lead this team and he has already show he is capable of putting them on his back. If the fowards pick it up from last year and Millan is the exact same goalie, then this team is a Frozen Four team, no doubt in my mind. Show a little loyalty and keep the faith BU fans.

Grading the Terriers: Pre-Season Edition

Well that was ugly.

In their first on-ice action of the 2011-2012 campaign, the BU Terriers men's hockey team looked rusty in a 6-4 loss to St. Francis-Xavier on Saturday night.  While the score shows a somewhat tight contest, the game was never really in doubt - SFX led by as much as 5-0 before Ben Rosen potted BU's first goal of the game early in the third period.

In a new segment I'm trying out this year, I'll be grading the Terriers after each weekend of play on your standard A to F scale. Hopefully I'll be handing out more A's than F's...

FORWARDS
Much like the rest of the team on Saturday, the forwards looked rough early and turned it on as the game progressed.  Junior Wade Megan was easily the best forward on the ice for BU, potting two third period goals and playing all around solid hockey.  After Megan, though, there wasn't too much to write home about. Justin Courtnall and Kevin Gilroy both played decent, but not great.  Chiasson, Trivino and Connolly all tallied assists in the game, but we need more on the defensive side out of those guys for this team to be successful.  Sophomore Charlie Coyle had an assist as well, but that was easily washed out by his team worst -3 on ice.  Fellow sophomore Matt Nieto was barely noticeable out there, not a good sign for somebody who is supposed to be a difference maker.  Freshmen Evan Rodrigues and Cason Hohmann both looked as one would expect for two kids playing in their first collegiate game - a little tentative and shaky.  Hopefully the on-ice experience of Saturday night will show itself as the season progresses.

GRADE: C


DEFENSEMEN
Where to begin...

Quite honestly, none of the 7 defensemen who played on Saturday night looked good.  If I had to choose one who was slightly better than the rest, it would probably be Ben Rosen, the junior defenseman turned forward turned defenseman again.  He started the Terriers scoring off with a quick wrister early in the 3rd, was +1 for the game, and never really looked out of place defensively.  Beyond Rosen, however, the rest of the d-core was pretty weak.  If they weren't getting burned on a bad pinch or simply being out of place, they were committing penalties which put the X-Men on the power play (of the 7 penalties called on BU, 6 were attributed to defensemen).  Freshmen Alexx Privitera was the worst of the bunch, committing two penalties and looking simply lost on the ice. While he did tally a goal in the 3rd, he was easily the worst of the bunch.  Sophomore and BSRS favorite Garrett Noonan also did not impress against SFX, committing a slashing penalty and attempting to do too much with the puck almost every time it came to rest upon his stick.  While the goalie is often blamed when goals are scored, a good chunk of the blame for Saturday night's thrashing has to be placed on the D.

GRADE: D


GOALTENDERS
The only way to describe the goaltending performance of Kieran Millan on Saturday night is "ugly". While Kieran posted strong numbers in his junior season and stole a number of games for the Terriers throughout the season, he took a giant step backwards against SFX.  Allowing 5 goals on the 17 shots he faced, Kieran looked overmatched and out of place.  While the D-men in front of him certainly did let him down a number of times, at the end of the day it is Kieran's job to stop the puck - and he couldn't get the job done on Saturday.

Fellow Senior Grant Rollheiser played the 3rd period for the Terriers, stopping all 7 shots he faced in 17:37 of ice time.  If Millan continues to look shaky as the first weeks of the season pass, look for Rollie the Goalie to perhaps get a shot in net.

GRADE: Millan - D; Rollheiser - B+