Our Interview With BU's Own Garrett Noonan

We want to thank Garrett for agreeing to do the interview and answering our questions.  If people like this interview, we hope to interview other players in the future.

How was playing at MSG this past weekend in Red Hot Hockey?

GN - Obviously a good experience, it was sold out and stuff. I don’t even think the Beanpot (when they played BC) had quite as big of a crowd. Definitely a good experience. Obviously winning is even better. Just fun to see that crowd and play in such a famous arena like that.

How was the locker room?

GN - “It was good but I guess one of the basketball teams from the NIT trashed the Rangers locker room. We got where Philly was right before our game.”

Was there anything you said to the freshman before the game?

GN - I think there was only one freshman in lineup. But no, I didn’t say much. I’m not that guy. I just say have fun. He got here for a reason. Just let him have fun with it and take it all in. That is what the older guys said to me when I was a freshman”

It seems like you really feed off the crowd during games, especially the end of the Denver game.  Has that always been the case?

GN - Yeah I love the crowd. They definitely get me going. I like big crowds, I think I play better in bigger games with big crowds. I feed off the crowd ands stuff like that. I like going on the road a lot and playing in hostile environments.”

Well that segues right into another we question we had – what’s your favorite road trip to make?

GN - I love UNH, Maine, and then obviously BC because I hate them. Yeah UNH and Maine are crazy environments. I love that. Maine’s awesome. I’m sure it will be nice to play in Matthews with a full house since the students were on break last year when we were there. I can’t wait to play in Matthews when it is packed.”

You mentioned you hate BC – I don’t know if you were joking or not, but have you always been a BU guy?

GN - I was always definitely a BU kid. Yeah I really don’t like BC.  I don’t know what it is. I know a lot of CM kids have always gone to BU to play hockey and I followed in their footsteps. My coach in high school always liked BU. Growing up I went to BU games and I always loved BU. That’s how I ended up here.

Do you remember your first goal at BU?

GN - Yeah it was against BC, good to get the first one out of the way against them.  But yeah I think either Chiasson or Connolly passed it to me and I just kind of banged it home, pretty greasy goal.  Had a nice celebration in front of the Eagles bench and rubbed it in a little.

Speaking of CM kids going to BU, I think 3 of your coaches went to CM - Parker, Bavis and Powers.  You guys ever talk about your CM days?

GN - Yeah actually on Thanksgiving morning practice, I said to Coach Parker that he should let me out early so I could get to the CM football game but he wasn’t having any of it. He shut me down pretty quick (laughs). We talk about it sometimes and mess around about it but not too much.”

Ever trash talk to Gaudet (who went to Austin Prep) or any of the guys, especially when the Super 8 comes around?

GN - Oh yeah definitely. I guess Coyle can trash talk me because Weymouth beat us his freshman year, my sophomore year. Somehow they beat us. Still pisses me off. But yeah I don’t think we ever lost to Gaudet so whenever my CM coach comes over, I trash talk a little bit and give it to Gaudet. Yeah it’s fun definitely.

Do you have a favorite chant that the Student Section does at Agganis?

GN – Uhh..

Or do you want to start one?

GN - You guys can make that happen? (laughs) Yeah I like when they chant about BC there. I don’t know what they say exactly but I love that one. I like all of them really. When you chant the people’s name after they score, that is always awesome. It’s awesome I love the environment.

Word on the street is that you’re pretty good at NHL 12 – is this true?

GN - Yeah it’s true. I was good when I first got it. I started off like 20-1 online.  And then I got really good and got like 100 wins and 15 or 10 losses. Then my account shutoff. It has been suspended for weeks now so I’m thinking of starting one on Nieto’s account because I can’t figure out why it’s frozen. I might start on his and just start fresh. Nieto only plays COD anyway.  But yeah I was ranked real high for a while then I was depressed when it froze. You know you get over it.

Any particular team you play with?

GN - Last year I loved Vancouver. This year I like Tampa Bay. Philly sometimes cause they have a good goalie now. Montreal is fast so I like them.

GW - I can’t play with Montreal.

GN- Well I’m a Maple Leafs fan so that’s no big deal for me. I can understand why you guys can’t. I don’t blame you guys.

Obviously you’ve won the Super 8, played in the Beanpot, at Madison Square Garden, etc. What’s your favorite game or memory to this point?

GN - Like before the game, probably my favorite game was BC-BU at the Beanpot but obviously we lost so it wasn’t great really. My favorite game…Madison Square Garden is up there but that might just be because it is recent, close in my mind. When I played junior hockey in Vernon, we played in the BCHL championship game 7 and we won. We went on and won all of Canada when I was up there. Game 7 of the BCHL championship was probably the best of my career. So fun to play in.

Speaking of the BCHL, can you compare playing in Canadian Juniors to playing D-1 as far as crowds and atmosphere go?

GN – It’s more of a different crowd. It is more of a town thing up there, the whole town goes to the games. Here it is the students and the student sections are crazy. Not many crazy fans out there. They don’t chant as much. I like the crowds in college more because it is a little more crazy and hostile. But it was awesome up there too because everyone was so loyal and loved the team.

You were obviously drafted by Nashville this past summer - can you talk about that experience? How did you find out you had been drafted?

GN - Yeah I was sitting in the rink and I was watching the draft because Nieto and Clendening were there (at the draft).

Parker was there too, right?

GN - Yeah Coach Parker was there too. I was watching it and I had interviewed with some teams and stuff like that but I didn’t know what was gonna go on. Got a call and they said they drafted me and stuff like that. And so they said I had to be down there the next day. I got down there and stayed for like 8 days.  Went to the rookie camp and stuff like that. It was an awesome experience. Really tough camp conditioning wise but great experience to meet the staff and stuff like that.

Did you consider any other D1 teams besides BU?

GN - There were other schools that I was talking to. I remember it was down to BU and Providence. I grew up going to Providence games and my family loves both schools but when you think of wanting to be a pro hockey player I think BU does a good job at developing good pros. And I know (Kevin) Shattenkirk and Colin (Wilson) were here, and just looking at the d-men that I have played here it’s just a good tradition and whenever you get a chance to go to BU you can’t pass that up.  Plus the coaching staff and how famous they are, it was just too good to pass up. And sitting here now I know I’ve definitely made the right choice.

Who grew the greasiest Movember stache?

GN - Santana’s got a pretty greasy muzzy there.  I know I couldn’t grow one so I didn’t even try.  If Gill grew one it would have be funny, wish he kept it a little longer. We’ll have to get on him next year.

In your time at BU, who’s had the best flow?

GN - Me and Nieto had it last year going on for a while, I don’t know if this year we decided not to or something but I think I’m going to grow it out again and just be greasy.  Nicastro had some nice flow last year, Rosen too.  I like to throw myself in that race. But Nieto had good flow.  And Gill too.

We’ve got a few twitter ones for you now. You’re stuck on a deserted island. You get three wishes – go.

GN - You mean like 3 people I’d bring?

Sure, we’ll go with that.

GN - I’d probably bring Lady GaGa, she’s one of my favorites.  And then just a couple of my friends - Gill, Clendening, Nieto.  Any of those guys, any of my teammates you could bring with me and I’d be good.  We’d have GaGa singing to keep us entertained, we’d be good.

Another twitter question – which guy on the team thinks he has swag but actually doesn’t?

GN - I’m gonna go with Kieran Millan (laughs).  I know he has a girlfriend and stuff but he thinks he’s something else in the locker room sometimes.  But he has no swag, no style.  Just ugly (laughs).  So that’s who I’m gonna give it to.

Which guy on the team would you not want to room with on the road, and vice-versa?

GN - I room with Nieto and I wouldn’t change that.  But in the summer I live with Nieto and Gill and that’s awesome too.  Those two are great.  Who I wouldn’t want to live with on the road…would probably be (Alexx) Privitera, maybe?  He’d probably be talking or laughing the whole night, keeping me up. So probably him.

Last one – do you have any favorite quotes from Coach Parker, either during practice or games?

GN - Probably just when he blows the whistle after me or Clendening do something wrong.  He just stops and makes us do an end to end lap in front of the whole team.  He just stops and says “Give me a double” which just means start skating until he tells you to stop (laughs).  And when he says that I kind of start laughing on the inside. 

BREAKING NEWS: Information That Needs to Be Heard Now For This Weekend

Parker Milner: Moms name: Cheri (dad is chris if you go that way). He does have sisters too but according to BC website they are younger than him so I will not name. So just remember if you hear us at the game yelling out Cheri, join in cause she sucks too, if catch my drift...

10 reasons why BC Sucks

We will get our interview with fan favorite Garrett Noonan up sometime late tonight or tomorrow morning so for now I am going to mock a similar post I made from last year on BC week but mix it up to make it even better. Here we go...Here is last year's post for reference

1. You call yourself Boston College yet you aren't a college or in Boston- Save the crap where Conte technically falls on the last corner of Boston. It takes you over an hour to get to the state house or the north end. You are just a bunch of losers going to school in Newton with a bunch of rich fucks.

2. We beat them 5-0 in November- Suck my nuts. We embarrassed you on national TV and are going to do it again Friday. That was all without Garrett Noonan. Now we got him at 100% and you don't stand a chance. Sucks to suck.

3. All BC students think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread- This is why I hated BC even before I came to BU. Memo to BC students- just because you take religion classes and tell yourself that you are so cool does not make you any better than anyone you arrogant pieces of shit.

4. Jerry York is a pious fuck- This guy is just one of those people who is way too nice. It is like Tim Tebow 50 years later in life. My favorite clip of York is when he was discussing how great the team mass before everygame was. Seriously bro? Team mass? Just let everyone pray or do whatever the fuck they want to do before the game instead of forcing them to listen to some retard BC priest(I'm Catholic so I can say this and not offend anyone)

5. Parker Milner is a sieve- Guy gives up more rebounds and soft goals than any goalie I have ever seen. Swiss cheese anyone?

6. BC fans are all pink hat frauds- For a school that pretends that sports are such a big part of the student life, they really have poor attendance unless the game is a rival or on television. It is easy to show up when the team is good. The true fans show up when the going gets tough. These kids are all sitting in some shitty Newton bar like "OMG today in religion class, the priest said we were the best because we were taking religion classes". Yeah how is that religion class going to help you get a job or perform it well? Just curious. I'm all for church on sunday if that's what you want to do but don't force every student to take it.

7. Bald eagles almost went extinct- Yeah such a good mascot. Eagles is just so original too. Fucking uncreative idiots.

8. Their AD is full retard- C'mon man you never go full retard. Just fire Spaz already and maybe you will be relevant again someday.

9. Tommy and Cam Atkinson beat up innocent bikers- See, you certainly didn't reflect upon your religion classes before you beat the piss out of this kid.

10. BC takes up a valuable spot in the Beanpot- BC has as much right to play in the Beanpot as Alaska -Anchorage. Fuck these losers.

That's all I got for now. Stay tuned for the transcript on that Garrett Noonan interview.

BU moves up to #13 due to 4 game winning streak

BU moved up in the polls 2 spots to #13 as they approach the end of the first semester of play on the season. Hockey East took home all of the first place votes as Merrimack remained #1 in the poll and took home 48 of the 50 first place votes with #2 Boston "superfraud" College taking home the other 2 votes for whatever reason. The voters do realize they squeaked by Yale and had lost 2 in a row before that to ranked teams right? Anyway, polls mean jack shit but here is what the top 10 and significant others looks like this week in the USCHO.com poll

1. Merrimack 9-0-1- Ranked #1 as they should be but their schedule get tougher quickly as they move through December and January as they have 2 left with BU, and 3 with BC. They also have all 3 left with UML(see, I am giving Lowell a chance of beating Merrimack. Who said I don't respect Lowell? Well they were right but Lowell seems to have moved up from awful to middle of the road.)

2. BC aka Newton University 10-4-0- They suck and are going down Fri, Sat. BU sweep here we go.

2. Notre Dame 10-3-3

4.UMD 9-3-2

5. Minnesota 11-4-1 - Easily the most inconsistent team in the country. Either very good or making dumb mistakes left and right

6. Ferris State 10-3-1

7. Ohio State 10-3-1- They got Urban Meyer as their coach! wooo oh maybe not for hockey but whatever

8. Colorado College 7-4-0

9. Union 7-3-3

10. Denver 6-4-3

13. BU 7-4-1

14. Yale 5-3-1

17. Cornell 6-3

19. Michigan 7-7-2 - Going 4-7-1 since you were #1 will drop you 18 spots real quick

- INCH moves BU up to #15 but didn't approve of Gaudet's Tebowing celebration Saturday...such haters. Also, since it is BC week let's cue the music

BU wins Red Hot Hockey 2-1 in OT...Time to Tebow

BU won the 3rd installment of Red Hot Hockey at Madison Square Garden between BU and Cornell(ECAC). BU had won the first game in 2007 6-3 and then skated to a 3-3 tie in 2009. Last night, the game again went to overtime after an exciting 60 minutes of hockey. The game ended on a Ross Gaudet goal on a tip off a Max NiCastro slapper to give BU the 2-1 win. The win did not go without a disputed call, as Cornell believed that it had scored the go ahead goal on a fluke play where the puck went wide of the net and bounced back up and off goalie Kieran Millan's shoulder and into the net. The play was called no goal as the ref apparently blew the play dead as the puck hit some netting above the glass and that call stood after a review. From what I have heard, it was a pretty cut and dry call and the right one. Cornell coach Mike Schafer,however, disagreed after the game saying " If it sounds like sour grapes, it is. As a player, you don't get many chances (to win RHH)...that opportunity is gone and they were pretty disappointed with the result". Schafer went on to say that "There was no whistle. Everyone in the rink could hear there was no whistle." Yeah bud, the refs just made up the call to do Parker a favor because he always speaks so highly of them. It is just the typical Ivy league attitude that if they lose at anything, it is because they got robbed and not just because they lost the game. Cornell played well throughout the game and maybe didn't deserve to lose but they did and their coach did them no favors by complaining about it after. Go do some calculus you losers and continue to play in your weak EZAC conference.

Kieran Millan made 23 saves in a great effort from the senior while Adam Clendening tallied his first goal of the season. Props to coach Parker for rolling all 4 lines in OT as the fourth line eventually produced the winning goal for the team. Junior Alex Chiasson and fan favorite Garrett Noonan had assists on the Clendening goal while Ben Rosen and Max NiCastro had the helpers on the Gaudet's game winner. The highlight of the night had to be Ross Gaudet celebrating in a Tebowing fashion a la Tim Tebow dropping to a knee and praying as soon he scores for Denver. If you live in a cave and don't know what this is, just check it out below.

Also it is officially "Fuck BC" week. So I'll be the first to say it, BC sucks!

BC sucks

Update- Here is the video feed of the controversial call last night. Pretty clear that the puck went in after the whistle. So all the Cornell fans can suck it.

Cornell-BU- Red Hot Hockey Round 3 Preview

This Saturday, the 3rd bi-annual Red Hot Hockey will take place at Madison Square Garden. #17 Cornell Big Red (6-2-0) take on our #15 Boston University Terriers(6-4-1). BU is 1-0-1 in the biannual event winning it 2007 and tying 3-3 in the last meeting in 2009. Cornell comes in on top of the EZAC and off a win last night against Niagra. Cornell goalie Andy Iles has pitched 3 straight shutouts, granted they were against Quinnipiac, Niagra and Princeton but it is still an impressive streak that has improved his numbers to .918 and 2.00 GAA. This team should provide a stiff test for BU who has won 3 in a row with starting goalie Kieran Millan only allowing 1 goal in his last two starts against BC and UNH. Rumor also has it that the Stanley Cup will be in the building and there are still cheap tickets available. Stay tuned for some good stuff in the next week and a half leading up to BC next weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there.

My prediction: BU 5 Cornell 3

BU moves up to 15 in new polls

The BU mens' ice hockey team has moved up to #15 in the new USCHO.com poll released today while remaining the first team out in the USA Today poll. They also moved up to #18 in INCH power rankings which mean even less the meaningless polls besides national perception of the team. Here is the top 10 of the USCHO.com and my expert opinion on each along with some other notables.

1. Merrihack 8-0-1- they should have been first place last week so it is where they belong. It is weird that they get there by not playing a game this past weekend.

2. Notre Dame 9-2-2 - I was a fan of this team for one night and they came through with that 3-2 OT win over BC on Friday night. Now back to rooting against you for every game.

3. Minnesota 11-3-0 They have lost the last two Friday nights before rebounding to win their Saturday night games

4. Colorado College- 7-2-0

5. Boston College 9-4-0-

6. Minnesota-Duluth 9-3-2 - The defending national champs look strong after getting swept by Minnesota earlier in the year

7. Ferris State 10-3-1

8. Yale 5-1-1

9. Ohio State 10-3-1 - Went into Michigan this weekend and swept the Wolverines which is an impressive feat that puts them atop the CCHA standings

10. Denver 5-3-3

11. Michigan

15.BU -Gotta keep riding this 3 game winning steak into RHH this weekend at MSG

17. Cornell- Take on BU this weekend in Red Hot Hockey in NYC

Also receiving votes were UMass-Lowell, UNH , and Providence.

-Also, in the Hockey East press release, goalie Kieran " XBox is more fun than class" Millan earned himself the HE defensive player of the week for stopping 33/34 shots against UNH Saturday night. Terrier forwards, Wade Megan, Corey Trivino and Matt Nieto also found themselves in the Top Performers Categories. The press release also mentions sophomores Garrett Noonan(for already matching his goal total from last season with 4) and forward Charlie Coyle for leading the league with a +10 rating.

BU beats UNH 4-1 - gets first 4pt weekend of the year

The BU mens ice hockey team swept their first weekend of the year with a 4-1 win over UNH last night at Agganis Arena. The first period was scoreless and a strong defensive period for both sides with the first goal coming on an odd angle shot from junior Wade Megan to make it 1-0 BU. University of No Hardware tied it up early in the third on a Trevor van Riemsdyk wrister that beat Kieran Millan stick side. The Terriers responded with two goals three minutes later. The first from junior defenseman Max NiCastro and the second from senior forward Corey Trivino(8th of the year). Matt Nieto sealed the win with an empty net goal from his own zone as the puck trickled on edge and curved into the vacated UNH net as Matt "Frozen Pizza" Di Girolamo had vacated the net after making 23 saves on 26 shots. The Terries return to action next weekend in a non-conference tilt at Madison Square Garden against Cornell of the EZAC in "Red Hot Hockey". Hopefully BU can keep the solid play going as they have shown during this 3 game mini winning streak.

BU squeaks by UVM 4-3

The BU mens' ice hockey team won back to back games for the first time this season with a 4-3 win over the University of Vermont last night at home. BU fell in an early hole after a Blake Doerring goal to put UVM up 1-0. BU quickly responded with a Corey Trivino goal from Sahir Gil and then a Charlie Coyle powerplay goal to put BU up 2-1 heading into the second. UVM tied it on another scrappy goal but BU went ahead for good on a Wade Megan and then scored again on a Garrett Noonan powerplay goal. UVM scored on a late powerplay goal but BU hung on for a big conference win. Coach Parker was less than pleased with the effort in the 3rd as you can see here. Look for a full 6o minute effort from BU tonight with UNH and it's frozen pizza goalie tonight.

Hockey East Picks: November 18 and Beyond

Rankings
1. Feliz Miguel (21-5-3)
2. George Washington (17-9-3)
3. Raymundo (16-10-3)
4. QuackQuack (14-12-3)

Friday, November 18

Maine at Massachusetts

GW- Massachusetts 3 Maine 2

QQ- Massachusetts 4 Maine 3

Ray- Maine 4 Massachusetts 2

FM- Massachusetts 4 Maine 3

Northeastern at Providence

GW- PC 4 Northeastern 3

QQ- PC 4 Northeastern 3

Ray- Northeastern 3 PC 1

FM- PC 4 Northeastern 1

UMass Lowell at New Hampshire

GW- UNH 3 Lowell 2

QQ- Lowell 4 UNH 3

Ray- UNH 2 Lowell 0

FM- UNH 2 Lowell 1

Vermont at Boston University

GW- BU 5 UVM 3

QQ- BU 5 UVM 3

Ray- BU 4 UVM 3

FM- BU 4 UVM 3

Boston College at Notre Dame

GW- BC 4 ND 3

QQ- BC 6 ND 5

Ray- BC 3 ND 0

FM- BC 5 ND 3

Saturday, November 19

Massachusetts at UMass Lowell

GW- Lowell 4 Massachusetts 3

QQ- Lowell 4 Massachusetts 2

Ray- Massachusetts 3 Lowell 2

FM- Lowell 4 Massachusetts 2

New Hampshire at Boston University

GW- BU 4 UNH 3

QQ- BU 4 UNH 2

Ray- BU 3 UNH 0

FM- BU 3 UNH 2

Vermont at Northeastern

GW- Northeastern 3 UVM 2

QQ-  Northeastern 4 UVM 3

Ray- UVM 1 Northeastern 0

FM- Northeastern 3 UVM 0

Tuesday, November 22

Massachusetts at Vermont

GW- Mass 3 UVM 2

QQ- UVM 3 Mass 2

Ray- UVM 3 Mass 2

FM- Mass 3 UVM 1

New Hampshire at Harvard

GW- UNH 4 Harvard 2

QQ- UNH 5 Harvard 4

Ray- UNH 4 Harvard 1

FM- UNH 4 Harvard 2

Wednesday, November 23

Alab-Huntsville at Merrimack

GW- Merrimack 4 UAH 2

QQ- Merrimack 6 UAH 1

Ray- Merrimack 3 UAH 0

FM- Merrimack 6 UAH 0

Friday, November 25

Alab-Huntsville at UMass Lowell

GW- Lowell 4 UAH 3

QQ- Lowell 5 UAH 2

Ray- UAH 2 Lowell 1

FM- Lowell 4 UAH 1

Miami vs Providence

GW- Miami 3 PC 2

QQ- Miami 4 PC 3

Ray- Miami 3 PC 2

FM- PC 5 Miami 4

Colgate at Vermont

GW- Colgate 4 UVM 1

QQ- Colgate 4 UVM 3

Ray- UVM 1 Colgate 0

FM- Colgate 5 UVM 2

Northeastern at Michigan

GW- Michigan 10 Northeastern 2

QQ- Michigan 74 Northeastern 1

Ray- Michigan 4 Northeastern 0

FM- Michigan 4 Northeastern 1

Saturday, November 26

Massachusetts at Quinnipiac

GW- Mass 3 QU 2

QQ- QU 4 Mass 2

Ray- QU 2 Massachusetts 1

FM- QU 4 Mass 3

Boston College at Yale

GW- BC 5 Ylae* 3

QQ- BC 5 Yale 3

Ray- Yale 3 BC 1

FM- Yale 4 BC 2

Princeton at Providence

GW- Princeton 3 PC 2

QQ- PC 5 Princeton 3

Ray- PC 3 Princeton 1

FM- PC 4 Princeton 2

Alabama-Hunstville at UNH

GW- UNH 5 UAH 2

QQ- UNH 6 UAH 2

Ray- UNH 4 UAH 1

FM- UNH 4 UAH 0

Clarkson at Maine

GW- Clarkson 3 Maine 1

QQ- Maine 5 Clarkson 4

Ray- Maine 1 Clarkson 0

FM- Maine 3 Clarkson 1

Cornell vs. BU

GW- BU 4 Cornell 2

QQ- BU 5 Cornell 3

Ray- BU 19 Cornell 0

FM- BU 4 Cornell 3

Sunday, November 27

Dartmouth at Vermont

GW- UVM 2 Dartmouth 1

QQ- UVM 3 Dartmouth 2

Ray- UVM 3 Dartmouth 1

FM- Dartmouth 4 UVM 3

Prez Cup and BU Mens Bball

So the Presidents Cup is coming up for golf and the USA is 6-1-1 (its too dark to play in South Africa bs). Before every Presidents Cup I feel we always have the edge. This year I dont. USA golf is not the same it,used to be. USA golfers have been playing 2nd fittle to those snubby Euros. I expect close matches throughout. This is the golf course that the USA has its only lost in this competition. I forsee a close L by USA. Tiger SUCKS know has nothing to do with this.

In other news, SI recent magazine issue ranked BU mens basketball favorites in America East stating "back-to-back NCAA trips for Terriers for 1st time as PF Jake O'Brien returns from broken foot to complement guard Darryl Partin."also SI cited the fact there are 4 returning starters. Got to say, am intrigued.

Hockey East Power Rankings 11/15

Here are my Hockey East Power Rankings about a month into the season.

1. Merrimack 8-0-1(6-0-1)- Merrimack only has one legitimate win on the resume so far but you can't hold an easy schedule against them as they only play who is on the schedule.

2. BC 9-3-0 (7-2-0)- BC has looked quite beatable the last few weekends with losses to UMass at Mullins and at home to BU. Look for the Newton fairies to keep falling throughout the season if they can't play a physical, grind it out style when they don't have their 'A' game.

3. BU 4-4-1 (3-3-1)- BU has been inconsistent all season long but put together two efforts that were good enough to win against two top 10 teams this weekend. I expect this type of play to continue and for them to establish themselves in the same level as Merrimack and BC soon.

4. Lowell 5-3-0 (3-2-0) - Lowell has won 3 games in a row and seem to have found a style that fits their roster. First year coach Norm Bazin has done quite the job turning that program around. See who says that I can't be nice to Lowell?

5. UNH 4-4-2 (3-3-1)- UNH seems to have figured it out after that bad start but a tie at home versus UVM certainly doesn't comfort anyone either.

6. PC 6-3-1 (4-2-0)- PC is another program turning the corner behind a first year head coach. They don't have as many high quality wins as Lowell so they remain lower for now.

7. Maine 3-6-1( 3-5) - Maine is going in the wrong direction once again and seems unable to get enough goal tending to win consistently.

8. UMass - 4-4-2 (2-4-2)- UMass has also won 3 games in a row now including a win over BC and I'm tempted to put them ahead of Maine but for now they hold down the 8 spot.

9. UVM 1-5-1 (0-4-1) - UVM beat the #1 team in the country so they got the 9 spot ahead of NU.

10. NU (1-7-2)- This team must drive their fans nuts. They consistently play 1 or 2 goal games that they ultimately lose. Poor Vinny Saponari...oh wait I don't feel bad at all. Cue the music!

BU splits "Biggest Weekend of the Year"

Coming into this weekend's games against two top 10 teams, BU fans were anxious to see what this team could do against the top of the conference. BU came out Friday night versus Merrimack and despite giving up the first goal, found themselves in a position to win. They lead 2-1 in the third with less than 2 minutes to play when Charlie Coyle was called for "interference" which lead to the tying Merrimack goal. Merrimack then won the game 3-2 on a opportune goal in OT. The loss was a tough one to watch especially when Coyle was whistled for simply being bigger than the guy he came into contact with. Tough game to lose but the Terriers certainly showed that they can beat the #2 team in the nation and the next two games should be nailbiters just like this one.

The game last night well I can't think about it and not laugh. BU went into Conte Forum down in the suburb of Newton and thrashed the Boston College Eagles 5-0. Kieran Millan recorded his second shutout of the season behind some stellar defense who was missing sophomore standout and BSRS favorite Garrett Noonan due to an ankle injury. The Terriers got goals in the first and last minute of the first period from Corey Trivino and then Wade Megan. Those goals sandwiched 5 BU penalties which they killed and certainly reminded fans of the way they killed penalties last year. The Terriers also got goals from Alex Chiasson and Matt Nieto along with Megan's second of the night. Kieran Millan made 21 saves in the shutout. The win improves BU's record to 4-4-1 overall and 3-3-1 in Hockey East while also coming #16 in the USCHO poll this week. Below are the post game pressers from Coach Parker, Wade Megan, and Kieran Millan. Stay tuned for more about this weekend and looking forward to next weekend's games versus UVM and UNH.

BC sucks! BU wins 5-0

What a great game by BU. That is how good this team can be when they play hard for 60 minutes. BC also didn't show up and couldn't pass. Oh well for now just enjoy! more detailed review of the weekend to come soon.

Hockey East Picks - November 11 and 12 Edition

Here is week 3 of our Hockey East pick'em. After two full weekends here are the standings. Myself and QQ have some work to do to catch up FelizMiguel and Raymundo who widened their lead last week.

FM 14-3-2 - 30pts (Last Week 6-2-1)

Raymundo 12-5-2 26pts (Last Week 4-4-1)

GW 11-6-2 24pts (Last Week 5-3-1)

QQ 9-8-2 20 pts (Last Week 2-6-1)

Friday 11/11- Happy Veterans Day

NU@BC

GW- BC 5 NU 1

Raymundo- NU 2 BC 1

FM- BC 5 NU 2

QQ- BC 5 NU 4 (OT)

Merrimack @ BU

GW- BU 3 MC 2

Raymundo- BU 3 MC 2

FM- MC 5 BU 4

QQ- BU 5 Merrihack 2

UML@Maine

GW- UML 3 Maine 2

Raymundo- Maine 3 UML 0

FM- Maine 3 UML 2

QQ- Maine 5 UML 4

Holy Cross @ UMass

GW- UMass 4 Holy Shit 2

Raymundo- UMass 2 HC 2

FM- UMass 5 HC 3

QQ- UMass 5 HC 2

Alabama-Huntsville @ PC

GW- PC 5 Team that won't exist after this year 2

Raymundo- PC 3 UAH 1

FM- PC 3 UAH 1

QQ- PC 4 UAH 3

Saturday 11/12

NU@ UMass

GW- NU 4 UMass 3

Raymundo- NU 3 UMass 0

FM- UMass 3 NU 2

QQ- NU 4 UMass 3

UML@Maine

GW- Maine 4 UML 2

Raymundo- UML 2 Maine 1

FM- Maine 4 UML 2

QQ- Maine 4 UML 3 (OT)

UNH@UVM

GW- UNH 4 UVM 3

Raymundo- UNH 1 UVM 0

FM- UNH 5 UVM 2

QQ- UNH 5 UVM 3

Alabama Huntsville @ PC

GW- PC 4 Team that won't exist after this year 1

Raymundo- PC 2 UAH 1

FM- PC 5 UAH 0

QQ- PC 4 UAH 3

Sunday 11/13

BU@BC

GW- BU 4 BC 2

Raymundo- BU 97 BC 0 (Raymundo must have been under the influence of something when he made his picks)

FM- BU 4 BC 3

QQ- BU 5 BC 3

Rock Chalk Terriers: Preview Part I

Anyone think Pat Chambers is rethinking his career move over the summer now?  Although the Terriers broke a decade-long tourney berth cold snap this past March, they enter this season with a great deal of uncertainty as the two men who were most responsible moved on to what at the time seemed like greener pastures.  As the new-look team prepares to take the court against the lesser of our two Hated Crosstown Rivals (take a moment to be depressed that the game will be received among the BU student body with near-total apathy), perhaps it would be as good a time as any to refresh the memories of you, our loyal readers, in regards to some storylines that ought to have a great bearing on the new Terrier season.

1.  New Coach Joe Jones Replaces Departed Pat Chambers

• I wish the man who orchestrated nothing less than my favorite sports memory (yes, including the hockey championship) at BU all the best at what's left of Penn State after the rioting.  I just hope the Bryce Jordan Center is left intact because he truly is an exciting, dynamic coach who deserves a shot at building a power-conference program.  I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of hiring Joe Jones to replace him at first.  An 86-108 record at Columbia is quite an eyesore and his last gig was as a Steve Donahue assistant at BC. That being said, he has seemed to be keeping up with Chambers' strides on the recruiting trail and by all accounts is also an energetic character.  Color me cautiously optimistic on this hire.  The last 'Nova assistant we hired worked out okay in the end.  

2. I Am Jake O'Brien's Raging Broken Foot

• This was a much bigger blow to the team's chances this year than perhaps the loss of Chambers.  With John Holland leaving, Jake O'Brien was expected to be the one to take over as leader of the Terriers on the court.  This will not come to pass, unfortunately, as he will miss the entire season due to complications from that injury suffered against the UMass on last New Year's Eve.  His was a huge absence last year that will be even more pronounced without John Holland.  Which brings us to...

3. How Do You Solve A Problem Like Graduation?

• In very Greg Jennings-esque manner, John Holland put the Terrier basketball team on his back and basically beat Stony Brook singlehandedly in the AE Championship game last March.  That was a good thing.  A bad thing is when that aforementioned star exhausts his eligibility.  Players like Darryl Partin and defensive ace Pat Hazel must step up in a big way this year and underclassmen like D.J. Irving and Dom Morris must make significant strides to compensate for losing the conference's best player.

Those three keys will have a big influence on how this season turns out for the Terriers.  I personally believe they still have the talent to compete for the AE title this year and that either Partin or Irving could potentially be the conference POY.

To finish up part 1 of this preview, here's a look at how me and my esteemed colleague QuackQuack think the Terrier rotation will shake out

1. G D.J. Irving--pretty obvious, he was the go to point man last year as well. 

2. Here we have some disagreement.  QQ thinks sharpshooter Matt Griffin will get the nod at SG while I personally think Zach Chionuma will eventually earn that nod with stronger defense and his own scoring ability.  A reach to be sure, but he's got that potential.

3.  F Darryl Partin--the obvious choice.

4. F Dom Morris--perhaps the only beneficiary of the O'Brien injury.  Was a solid shooter and defender last season.  Pelage could perhaps challenge but he never has made that jump in productivity the last couple years so it is difficult to imagine him unseating Dom.

5.  C Pat Hazel--A monster defensively and on the boards.  Will not be challenged, even by huge RS FR Piotrowski.  Definitely his spot to lose.

More BU hoops coming Friday!

Weekend Preview Part 1- BU takes on two of the top 10

First, I would like to thank all the readers as we had our best day ever today without blogging a single word which is pretty impressive. We were honored to be apart of Ice is Life's "This Week in Disrespect" and will continue to disrespect them along with the rest of Hockey East. Now back to the important issues in life...like this weekend's with two top teams in BC and Merrihack.

I'll begin with Merrimack. They travel down from North Andover to the Greek on Friday night for the highest profile game of the night in Hockey East unless you consider the high IQ match up between Maine and UMass-Lowell up in Orono more exciting(Yes I am still disrespecting and probably have made numerous grammatical errors doing so). Northeastern travels to BC in the other high profile matchup of the night. Merrimack comes into Agganis Arena ranked #6 and #4 in the two national polls. They are also the only remaining undefeated team in the nation as they stand at 7-0-1(5-0-1). They are lead offensively by senior Ryan Flanigan who leads the team in goal and points(5,5-10). Defensively they are lead by senior goalie Joe Cannata who is sporting a 1.41 GAA and .939 S%. Merrimack is lead in penalty minutes by junior defenseman Kyle Bigos who leads the team with 22 penalty minutes after his astounding 221 penalty minutes in his first two seasons at Merrihack. He still has a long way to go to get on BU great Eric Gryba's level where he accumulated 354 penalty minutes but he has the potential and track record to get it done. Bigos is a goon and Gryba was just a clean,big defenseman who got whistled for being bigger and hitting harder than everyone else. Don't ask me what the difference is. Gryba is the man and Bigos is on the other team so he is a goon. I gurantee that he will get into it after the whistle with multiple BU players on Friday night because that is just the type of punk he is.

Back to Merrimack as a team though, they have a system and stick to it. BU battled to go 0-1-2 with Merrimack last year as the season series was decided by one goal. They work hard, block shots and get in shooting lanes and will be a tough test for BU as they face their most important weekend of this young season. Stay tuned for predictions and a BC prediction sometime between now and Sunday at 4.

BSRS Exclusive Video

The following conversation is totally made up and not a reflection of any real conversations that have taken place before between Jerry York and Jack Parker. GO BU and enjoy

York Parker Convo
by: Matthew_Pereira

It's Monday so here come the meaningless polls

Both the USA Today and USCHO.com polls were released today with BU dropping 4 spots in the USCHO poll to #16 nationally and also dropped out of the USA Today poll when it was released this afternoon. The Terriers also fell out of the INCH power rankings after last week's 7-1 loss to Lowell.

The top 10 and other notables of the USCHO.com poll looks as follows:

1.Minnesota

2. BC "Newton University"

3. Colorado College

4. Michigan

5. Western Michigan

6. Merrihack

7. Notre Dame

8. Ferris State

9. Union

10. Minnesota Duluth

12. Denver

13. Yale

16. BU

19. Quinnipiac

- The Terriers look to bounce back and take a step forward this weekend as they host #6 Merrihack on Friday night and travel down to the suburb of Newton on Sunday afternoon to take on BC. Big chance for the team to show what they got after all the haters calling for everyone to get kicked off the team on Saturday. Be sure to get to Agganis and be loud Friday. We are accepting all suggestions for signs that won't get taken away by the Agganis po po. If you need a smile on this Monday, just watch BU alum Matt Gilroy make the Florida Panthers look silly yesterday.

Well that was ugly...

Well that is a night all BU fans would want to forget and I am sure some have due to the immense amount of alcohol that was consumed afterwards. This type of game could be referred to as laying an egg, just sucking, etc. Let's just hope this is the lowpoint of BU hockey for the next 10-15 years. If you want to read about the actual game, a 7-1 BU loss at Umass-Lowell, follow the link because I was there and I honestly just want to forget about it. These are the nights I am glad that I am not a journalist because being forced to cover a game like that must be painful. To all the people who think Parker should step down, shut up. It is early November and the team has a chance to right the ship and fix what is wrong with the mentality of this team. They need to figure it out with two top 10 teams coming up this weekend with Merrimack at home Friday night and traveling to #1 BC on Sunday. There should be no shortage of motivation for this team but you never know which team will show and there lies the problem. I remain optimistic that it will get turned around and this is a NCAA team but this weekend is huge toward indicating that. That is all I got so excuse while I go vomit somewhere.

P.S. I am running out of pictures of people jumping off large objects to post after these games.

BSRS Hockey East Picks: November 4 and 5

In the second installment of our Hockey East picks, QuackQuack and myself look to catch up with Feliz Miguel and Raymundo, both of whom laid down 8-1-1 records last week:

Standings After Week 1:
FM - 8-1-1
Ray - 8-1-1
QQ - 7-2-1
GW - 6-3-1

Luckily, the Hockey East season is a long one and I'm banking on the fact that FM is a BU and UNH homer, which hopefully will come back to bite him. Anyways, here's our picks for this weekend:

Friday, November 4

Maine @ BC
GW - BC 4 Maine 3
QQ - Maine 5 BC 4
FM - BC 4 Maine 3
Ray - BC 4 Maine 2

Northeastern @ Merrimack
GW - Merrimack 3 Northeastern 1
QQ - Merrimack 4 Northeastern 2
FM - Merrimack 4 Northeastern 1
Ray - Northeastern 3 Merrimack 1

UMass @ UNH
GW - UNH 3 UMass 2
QQ - UNH 5 UMass 3
FM - UNH 4 UMass 2
Ray - UNH 3 UMass 0

Vermont @ Providence
GW - PC 4 Vermont 2
QQ - PC 4 Vermont 3
FM - PC 3 Vermont 1
Ray - Vermont 2 PC 2

Saturday, November 5

BC @ UMass
GW - BC 5 UMass 2
QQ - BC 12 UMass 3
FM - BC 5 UMass 2
Ray - BC 5 UMass 3

BU @ UMass Lowell
GW - BU 4 UML 2
QQ - BU 4 UML 2
FM - BU 4 UML 2
Ray - BU 4 UML 1

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

Maine @ UNH
GW - Maine 4 UNH 2
QQ - Maine 5 UNH 4
FM - UNH 5 Maine 4
Ray - UNH 4 Maine 2

Vermont @ PC
GW - PC 3 Vermont 2
QQ - Vermont 3 PC 2
FM - PC 4 Vermont 3
Ray- Vermont 3 PC 2

And yes, you read that right - Quackquack picked BC to win 12 to 3 on Saturday...

Anti-trap game rant- Coach Parker, feel free to use this before the game

-photo taken by Debra Pereira

*The following post could be considered offensive by some people

-So the knock on the BU hockey game so far this year has been the inconsistency from game to game. Granted it is early in the year but fans have a short grace period after the last two seasons of inconsistency. This has been true so far this year as well... up UNH, down PC, up Denver, down Holy Cross, and then they fought from deficits to earn 3 out of 4 points from UMass- Amherst. Some haters are saying Coach Parker can't motivate the team anymore. I personally don't believe that and expect to see our first complete effort of the season this Saturday night. But, to leave nothing to chance in this weekend with a single game at the lowly UMass-Lowell(home of crack and trap games), I am going to motivate the team myself because the whole team obviously reads this crappy blog. Here is a collection of bulletin board material from this week. If you don't like it stop reading here...

First off, I am going to show how some of the 'experts' out there don't think you even belong in the discussion among the best teams in the conference...“ Let’s go obvious…Maine, BC, Merrimack are all as good as advertised:…But the fact that each of the clubs came away with wins in each of these games is an early, and important, proving point that all can win.” Link. This was Jim Connolly from USCHO who went out of his way to state that Maine, BC, and Merrimack are as good as advertised while conveniently leaving out BU. Fuck that. Prove this idiot wrong. Crush Lowell. This clown is writing you off after six games like the media hack that he is. Maine has proven more than you supposedly despite taking 1 point from a middle of the road North Dakota team and losing at home to Merrimack. BC and Merrimack are good but haven't played a rigorous schedule so far and BU atleast deserves to be in the discussion.

Second off, he(Connolly) thinks Lowell is better than you...“UMass-Lowell gets my vote for most improved…Coach Norm Bazin has this team playing a high octane game, transitioning quickly from defense to offense and shooting from anywhere.” As Denny Green once said, "Why don't you just crown their asses then?". He thinks Lowell is most improved and will probably pick them to beat you. Prove this clown wrong and send the shithole of a city that is Lowell back to their respective crackhouses.

Third, while he is building up your opponents, he is tearing you down like the idiot he is...“ BU and Umass, despite playing an entertaining series, have some big problems to address. For BU it is a slow start. Both nights this weekend, the Terriers behind the Minutemen…But BU fell behind early to other teams namely Providence and Holy Cross and those games resulted in losses.” Hey thanks captain obvious. We're trying to move past PC and HC games after learning from them not remember them. Why don't you mention how we(BU not me personally- I am aware I am not on the team) fought back in each one of those games, tying PC and coming within one against HC. Take a positive spin on BU for once instead of being a biased BC fan clearly. Shutup this superfraud and destroy Lowell.

Edit- * Connolly released this article today which just restates what he already said claiming BU has a major "red flag" since they have faced some early deficits.

Next, I have a quote from a frustrated UMass fan after this past weekend with their usual whining because they can't find a way to be relevant in Hockey East. Here it is “ I’m just frustrated because this is not a good BU squad. What I saw this weekend makes me think that Jack Parker is just about done with coaching. The talent is top notch, but BU was sloppy, unfocused, and undisciplined. Umass should have taken 4 points.” Yeah, you think Jack Parker is done? Well fuck you then. Kiss his rings you dumb prick. Unfortunately for Umass, "should have" doesn't mean jack shit. Jack Parker's teams came out and fought back to win some points. Don't hate on us because we're just better than you and can have an off-night and get no puck luck and still beat your asses. I mean with that being said, we have to put together 60 minutes so we can shutup the haters and prove to be the great team that we are. Just got to keep getting better each game and peak when we get to Tampa in April.

Now, we have the great Lowell "Ice is Life" blog hating on our season so far and thinking they have a chance this weekend. Let's make these thoughts go away by the end of the first period with a nice big 4-0 lead for Millan. First, "The only favored team to not earn all four points this weekend was BU, which settled for three from UMass Amherst, drawing 2-all on Friday out west before coming back to the big city and coming back from a three-goal first-period deficit to win 5-4 in overtime.” Okay, so that isn't negative but fuck it. Don't rub it in that we didn't get all four points. Hey 3 points is greater than 0. Their quotes continue though, with(referring to Matt Nieto's goal streak) " Yeah against Amherst. Who cares? Pendenza could that in his sleep. And as for his performance this season, putting up points against the likes of Holy Cross and UNH isn’t something to be bragging about. Get a life, fan boy.” Oh yeah? beating Denver doesn't mean anything? They are better than Minnesota State I will throw the house/dorm on that one. Shut these guys up and do it quick. I don't want to listen to these drug dealers still screaming about Micky Ward is the 'pride of Lowell'. We all know crack is the real pride of Lowell.

Then, they follow up those two gems with "“ Only one game this weekend, against a BU team that took 3 point from Amherst, but is winless on the road. Let’s hope that streak stays alive.” Yeah,yeah we've only played two road games you idiot. It isn't like we are in January and still don't have a road win like Lowell last year. First and only road win was 1/21 @ Merrimack of all places. That was also your only road win but hey 1-13-4 is a decent road record no worries. Once again, shut these idiots up. Haters are going to hate alot less if we go out there and play as Coach Parker would say "thorough" hockey.

Then we got one more great quote from the Lowell fans with this one tonight "“ You lost to HC who lost to UCONN who beat us so we re not that bad.” Oh ok buddy whatever helps you sleep at night.

So if the team did read this then hopefully they will have even more motivation than they already have to bury these guys this weekend. If you are a Lowell fan and going to whine in the comment section, please do. It is strongly encouraged. Don't get too far from that crack pipe though or the withdrawals will take over and you won't be able to type. Go BU!

Weekend Preview: November 4 and 5

After a hard fought 3 point weekend against UMass - Amherst this past weekend, your Terriers face another branch of the UMass system this weekend.  That's right, BU will travel up to everybody's favorite mill town turned heroin dealing hotspot on Saturday for a one night stand with the River Hawks.  Here's what to look for on this post-Halloween weekend...

WE'RE GOING STREAKING
BU's own Matt Nieto is currently in the midst of a potentially historical streak.  Dating back to last season's Hockey East quarterfinals against Northeastern, Nieto has scored in 8 straight games. 8. To put that into perspective, the current NCAA points leader hasn't even recorded a point in his last 8 games, never mind a goal.  If he can score on Saturday, he'll tie Chris Drury's best streak of 9 straight games with goals. Let's see if Matt can even hit double digits...

How's the Weather Down There?
Once again, UMass-Lowell finds themselves in the cellar of Hockey East.  Having already dropped their first two in conference games (albeit both to BC), Lowell looks to be on a one way ticket right back to the bottom of Hockey East.  And to those Lowell fans who think that the future is bright, let me just remind you guys that you won 4 Hockey East games last year. 4. Good luck climbing out of that hole.

They Give You the Pads for a Reason...
In 5 overall games this season, UML goalies have allowed 16 goals this season, a number which wouldn't be that bad if they had scored more than 15 of their own goals.  If you aren't going to blow the doors off offensively, you gotta stop the puck from going in the net - and the revolving door of goalies which UML employs have not been able to do that. In 5 tilts, they've allowed 16 goals, good for a 3.19 goals against average, and a .863 save percentage. Yikes. Hey guys, just a tip - try using the blocker once in a while.

Stay tuned to the blog for our Hockey East picks in the next few days!