I think I found a new team to hate more than the Patriots, Red Sox, Boston College, Liverpool, Chelsea, Cowboys, Arsenal & Miami Heat. Screw you Manchester City!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Terriers' Report Card- Forwards and the BOD
I finally got around to finishing the Report Card I started last week with the Dmen and goalies for this year's BU Terriers. So here are the forwards and how I "grade" their seasons. This is way too long for one post but oh well.
9 Alex Chiasson- The junior assistant captain recovered from being benched in an October game for his lack of effort on the defensive end of the ice and turned out to be the most productive forward on the team. He was also an unquestionable emotional leader which hit its peak in Game 3 of the HE QF series versus UNH when Chiasson scored the game-winning goal. The goal ended UNH's season after a series that included 11 periods of hockey. He put up the most points in a long time for a BU right wing with his 15-31-46 line on the season. He has since signed a professional contract with the Dallas Stars. He certainly has the potential to be a solid NHL player one day.
Grade: A-
17 Matt Nieto- The sophomore wing was second on the team in points with a 16-26-42 line on the season. Nieto was a risk to leave for the NHL this summer but seems to have decided to stay for at least one more season and build off of his solid sophomore season. He will certainly be a top line forward for the Terriers next season as he is one of the few top 6 forwards returning and is one of the fastest,if not the fastest, skater in the country. He was also second on the team with a +18 rating.
Grade: A-
12 Chris Connolly- The two year captain and leader of the Terriers was the 3rd member of the team to hit 40 points this season with his 9-31-40 line. Connolly not only was a top line forward, but also kept the team together as they went through off-ice turmoil this season. He is one of the few 2 year captains in BU history and did a terrific job in the second half of the season scoring big goals for the team. He is the player Coach Parker was most emotional talking about after the last game and with good reason. Connolly never took a shift off and is certainly held a work effort the rest of the team emulated.
Grade: B+ As a captain: A
9 Alex Chiasson- The junior assistant captain recovered from being benched in an October game for his lack of effort on the defensive end of the ice and turned out to be the most productive forward on the team. He was also an unquestionable emotional leader which hit its peak in Game 3 of the HE QF series versus UNH when Chiasson scored the game-winning goal. The goal ended UNH's season after a series that included 11 periods of hockey. He put up the most points in a long time for a BU right wing with his 15-31-46 line on the season. He has since signed a professional contract with the Dallas Stars. He certainly has the potential to be a solid NHL player one day.
Grade: A-
17 Matt Nieto- The sophomore wing was second on the team in points with a 16-26-42 line on the season. Nieto was a risk to leave for the NHL this summer but seems to have decided to stay for at least one more season and build off of his solid sophomore season. He will certainly be a top line forward for the Terriers next season as he is one of the few top 6 forwards returning and is one of the fastest,if not the fastest, skater in the country. He was also second on the team with a +18 rating.
Grade: A-
12 Chris Connolly- The two year captain and leader of the Terriers was the 3rd member of the team to hit 40 points this season with his 9-31-40 line. Connolly not only was a top line forward, but also kept the team together as they went through off-ice turmoil this season. He is one of the few 2 year captains in BU history and did a terrific job in the second half of the season scoring big goals for the team. He is the player Coach Parker was most emotional talking about after the last game and with good reason. Connolly never took a shift off and is certainly held a work effort the rest of the team emulated.
Grade: B+ As a captain: A
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Sorry Bruins Fans
So I am sorry for the game yesterday. But you must shift focus on hating the Rangers & Flyers. So Sens and whoever plays the Flyers. I like Nashville.
Monday, April 23, 2012
All Time MLB Team Past & Present
This past weekend a few friends and I started to chat about baseball players while we watched the Perfect Game and the Yankee vs. Red Sox game. We came to the conclusion that you should split the group up into players you have seen play(being TV or in person) and players before your time. So I decided to let you guys see it and wouldn't mind your thoughts.
DURING MY TIME:
3 OFs: Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Susuki, Vlad Guerrero
3B: Chipper Jones
SS: Derek Jeter
2B: Dustin Pedoria
1B: Albert Pujols
C: Pudge Rodriguez
DH: Matt Kemp
5 Starting Pitchers( no specific order): Pedro Martinez Randy Johnson Greg Maddux Roy Halladay Mike Mussina
Relief Pitcher: Mariano Rivera (G.O.A.T)
So right off the bat I was looking for people to get on base such Ichiro and Jeter. My 3-6 hitters would have ton of power betwwen Big Al and KGJr and Vlad. Chipper and Pedoria are specifically to get those power hitters back into the dugout with hits. Pudge is there specifically for defensive purposes. Matt Kemp is your do everything guy. He can hit anywhere in the lineup. The pitchers only task is to get through 8 innings and give the ball to Mo. Pedro is my first starter with Maddux my 2nd, Big Unit my 3rd, Doc the 4th and Mussina is the fifth.
Before My Time:
3 OFs: Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron
3B: Mike Schmidt
SS: Ozzie Smith
2B: Joe Morgan
1B: Lou Gehrig
C: Yogi Berra
DH: Ted Williams
5 Starting Pitchers( no specific order): Sandy Koufax Nolan Ryan Tom Seaver Bob Gibson Dwight Gooden
Relief Pitcher: Rollie Fingers
Willie Mays and Ozzie Smith take turns leading off and are either 1 or 2 in hitting order. Lou is my 3rd hitter before Ruth as the 4th and Hank 5th. Ted is after with Morgan and Schmidt right after. Yogi is last because "if there is fork in the road, take it." Pitchers will be told to strikeout opposition so my average defense can look good. Sandy to Seaver to Ryan to Gibson to Gooden. Rollie comes in for emergencies only.
DURING MY TIME:
3 OFs: Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Susuki, Vlad Guerrero
3B: Chipper Jones
SS: Derek Jeter
2B: Dustin Pedoria
1B: Albert Pujols
C: Pudge Rodriguez
DH: Matt Kemp
5 Starting Pitchers( no specific order): Pedro Martinez Randy Johnson Greg Maddux Roy Halladay Mike Mussina
Relief Pitcher: Mariano Rivera (G.O.A.T)
So right off the bat I was looking for people to get on base such Ichiro and Jeter. My 3-6 hitters would have ton of power betwwen Big Al and KGJr and Vlad. Chipper and Pedoria are specifically to get those power hitters back into the dugout with hits. Pudge is there specifically for defensive purposes. Matt Kemp is your do everything guy. He can hit anywhere in the lineup. The pitchers only task is to get through 8 innings and give the ball to Mo. Pedro is my first starter with Maddux my 2nd, Big Unit my 3rd, Doc the 4th and Mussina is the fifth.
Before My Time:
3 OFs: Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron
3B: Mike Schmidt
SS: Ozzie Smith
2B: Joe Morgan
1B: Lou Gehrig
C: Yogi Berra
DH: Ted Williams
5 Starting Pitchers( no specific order): Sandy Koufax Nolan Ryan Tom Seaver Bob Gibson Dwight Gooden
Relief Pitcher: Rollie Fingers
Willie Mays and Ozzie Smith take turns leading off and are either 1 or 2 in hitting order. Lou is my 3rd hitter before Ruth as the 4th and Hank 5th. Ted is after with Morgan and Schmidt right after. Yogi is last because "if there is fork in the road, take it." Pitchers will be told to strikeout opposition so my average defense can look good. Sandy to Seaver to Ryan to Gibson to Gooden. Rollie comes in for emergencies only.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Guest Post #7
We have another guest post for you today from "Mr. Welch". I'll let the post speak for itself so enjoy.
Commonly people are asked to use just one word to describe some aspect of their life, and generally that one word does not do justice to what is being depicted. Despite this frequent failure I am going to attempt to do just that, in answering the question I asked myself, “Describe The Dog Pound, BU’s student section, in one word.”
Many frequent answers to represent this group of 18-22 year olds would be dedicated, passionate, loyal, loud, rowdy, or even crazy. And none of these are wrong, and at different points along my 4 year journey through this group I would have used multiple words off of that list, but none of them are my answer anymore.
When I think back on this year it is amazing what we did as a group. From 5th year seniors, who remember watching a goalie other than Kieran or Rollie stand in the BU net, to the wide-eyed freshman who went to her first game because her friends were going and she had nothing better to do, we always were working together in unison, even if we didn’t know the name of the person next to us. No one was concerned about how they would personally benefit or be recognized, it was just hundreds of kids trying to make sure everyone around them enjoyed feverishly supporting BU, and always offering suggestions to improve that experience.
There is no shortage of examples of how we worked together. From the two unique ways we got into the same section at both BC away games (which I will not post online so that we can do it again next year), to handing over money to a stranger who promised to give you NU tickets a few weeks later, to following someone you had never met before to a different state using public transportation. These are not the actions of your average student section. Your average student section meets up at a home game and chants together for two hours, and then disassemble and do not interact until they see each other at the next home game. That is not us.
We worked together, we trusted each other, we spent money we didn’t have and time we should have been studying to support our team and encourage others to do the same. We discussed supporting our team so much that whenever you signed into Facebook between October and March you were virtually assured to have a dozen notifications from people you weren’t even FB friends with.
We travelled all across New England, and sometimes farther than that, spending weekend after weekend in a car, bus, train, hotel room, and away rink with people that we had no idea even existed when BU first took the ice in October. I’ve seen people meet in The Dog Pound become close friends, roommates, even boyfriend and girlfriend. At some point in this journey unified by one cause we all become connected, and it’s a bond that BU students who don’t follow our team don’t understand, and forget about successfully explaining it to your family. It is inexplicable, but it is also undeniable.
What is even more shocking about how well we get along is that a group of sports fans of this size, from this diverse of a background have every reason not to. Nowhere else is there a group with this many passionate fans of the Yankees and Red Sox, Rangers and Devils, Penguins and Flyers, Celtics and Lakers, who can all put their differences aside and only focus on the one team they have in common, the Terriers. It doesn’t matter what we don’t agree on, our passion towards the one thing we do agree on outweighs the rest. Your college team is unlike any other team you support; you’re not a fan of athletes that may as well live on a different planet from you. Instead, you are a supporter of your classmates, they relish that support and together you and them define your school and give yourself an identity. You are not someone along for the ride; you are helping to navigate us along that journey.
Commonly people are asked to use just one word to describe some aspect of their life, and generally that one word does not do justice to what is being depicted. Despite this frequent failure I am going to attempt to do just that, in answering the question I asked myself, “Describe The Dog Pound, BU’s student section, in one word.”
Many frequent answers to represent this group of 18-22 year olds would be dedicated, passionate, loyal, loud, rowdy, or even crazy. And none of these are wrong, and at different points along my 4 year journey through this group I would have used multiple words off of that list, but none of them are my answer anymore.
When I think back on this year it is amazing what we did as a group. From 5th year seniors, who remember watching a goalie other than Kieran or Rollie stand in the BU net, to the wide-eyed freshman who went to her first game because her friends were going and she had nothing better to do, we always were working together in unison, even if we didn’t know the name of the person next to us. No one was concerned about how they would personally benefit or be recognized, it was just hundreds of kids trying to make sure everyone around them enjoyed feverishly supporting BU, and always offering suggestions to improve that experience.
There is no shortage of examples of how we worked together. From the two unique ways we got into the same section at both BC away games (which I will not post online so that we can do it again next year), to handing over money to a stranger who promised to give you NU tickets a few weeks later, to following someone you had never met before to a different state using public transportation. These are not the actions of your average student section. Your average student section meets up at a home game and chants together for two hours, and then disassemble and do not interact until they see each other at the next home game. That is not us.
We worked together, we trusted each other, we spent money we didn’t have and time we should have been studying to support our team and encourage others to do the same. We discussed supporting our team so much that whenever you signed into Facebook between October and March you were virtually assured to have a dozen notifications from people you weren’t even FB friends with.
We travelled all across New England, and sometimes farther than that, spending weekend after weekend in a car, bus, train, hotel room, and away rink with people that we had no idea even existed when BU first took the ice in October. I’ve seen people meet in The Dog Pound become close friends, roommates, even boyfriend and girlfriend. At some point in this journey unified by one cause we all become connected, and it’s a bond that BU students who don’t follow our team don’t understand, and forget about successfully explaining it to your family. It is inexplicable, but it is also undeniable.
What is even more shocking about how well we get along is that a group of sports fans of this size, from this diverse of a background have every reason not to. Nowhere else is there a group with this many passionate fans of the Yankees and Red Sox, Rangers and Devils, Penguins and Flyers, Celtics and Lakers, who can all put their differences aside and only focus on the one team they have in common, the Terriers. It doesn’t matter what we don’t agree on, our passion towards the one thing we do agree on outweighs the rest. Your college team is unlike any other team you support; you’re not a fan of athletes that may as well live on a different planet from you. Instead, you are a supporter of your classmates, they relish that support and together you and them define your school and give yourself an identity. You are not someone along for the ride; you are helping to navigate us along that journey.
As a senior I am sad about leaving, not because I won’t be able to support this team anymore, I’ll still be at as many games as possible, but because I will never be able to embark on a journey with a group like this again. Normal people don’t become close friends with people who have season tickets near them, normal people go to home games when it is convenient and have never been to an away game, normal people don’t invite random other fans to fill an open spot in their car, normal people think travelling to an away game on a Saturday night means sacrificing part of your weekend, normal people don’t trade tickets with opposing fans so that they can be near people they don’t know that happen to be wearing the same color jersey. Normal people are missing out.
So what one word would I use to describe The Dog Pound? That’s easy: Community.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Terriers' Report Card- Goalies and dmen
This took a few weeks but I am finally sitting down and grading each Terrier's season as a whole. This is my opinion on the goalies and d-men and obviously no one is going to agree so feel free to whine/comment below. I am hoping to have the forwards done before the weekend as well.
Goalies
31 Kieran Millan- Millan had another solid year and wrapped a fantastic 4 year career with BU where he racked up all-time records in wins and saves. He finished this season with nice numbers 20-14-1, .923 save % and 2.60 GAA. Millan was a backbone for this team at times when they needed him to be and will go down as one of the all-time great BU goalies. Millan will sign with the Colorado Avalanche franchise in the coming weeks.
Grade:A-
35 Grant Rollheiser- "Rollie" had another solid year as the backup goaltender to his classmate Millan. Rollheiser made the most of the starts handed to him in the second half of the year. He finished the year with 3-1 record in his four starts, 7 total appearances. He posted decent numbers with .905 save % and a 2.87 GAA. Rollheiser is a pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs and could be given a shot in the ECHL or overseas if he wishes to continue to play hockey.
Grade: B
1 Anthony Moccia- The sophomore third string goalie dressed in 26 games this season but did not see action in any of them. He still led the country in GAA with his 0.00.
Grade: N/A
Defensemen
5 Adam Clendening- The sophomore d-man put up very nice numbers this year racking up 33 points(4g, 29 a) in 38 out of the team's 39 games. He was a key part of one of the best powerplays in the nation. He improved from his freshman year and was named a HE first team All-Star. Clendening does need to defend on the defensive end of the ice and make some better decisions when on the point. He was 50/50 on going pro(Chicago draft pick) to begin the off-season but it now seems like he will return for his junior season. Clendening will need to continue to improve and make his teammates better. If he does this, he could easily be an All-American next year. I am grading him off of his potential. He can be the best defenseman in the country and hopefully we will see that type of play out of him next season.
Grade: B
Garrett Noonan- Noonan was out there with Clendening for the powerplay and potted many goals off of passes from Clendening. The HE 2nd team all-star potted 16 goals and 11 assists in 38 games. He made a big jump offensively from his freshman season and was one of the nice surprises on the team this year. His team-leading +19 shows his competitive nature and his desire to do whatever it takes to win a game. Like Clendening, he needs to improve his play in his own zone before making the jump to the next level in the next 2 years. Noonan was also an emotional leader on this team and could very easily be wearing a letter next season. The fan favorite earned the respect of fans and coaches throughout Hockey East with his play this past season.
Grade: B+
Patrick MacGregor- "Truck" also made a big jump in play from his freshman to sophomore season. MacGregor dressed in 36 games and had 3 assists but that only begins to tell his impact on the ice. MacGregor is a defensive defenseman who plays defense first and worries about his own point total secondarily. He posted a solid +9 rating for the year but will need to improve his decision-making and he will most likely be pushed for a spot in the lineup consistently depending how many recruits are brought in for next season.
Grade: B-
Sean Escobedo- Escobedo really grew as a player this season and became one of the leaders for the club through adversity. He posted a solid 3-10-13 line this season with 2 goals coming one game at Vermont. He is another guy who will have a leadership role next season and has a chance to wear an A since the defense will be the strength of this team next season
Grade: B+
Ryan Ruikka- The redshirt junior performed consistently in his last year at BU posting 5 assists in 29 games played for the Terriers. He was a solid 5/6 d-man for the Terriers providing depth when they needed it most due to the off the ice issues this year.
Grade: C+(Only time he won't get an A this semester)
Alexx Privitera- The leader of the "pony express" made huge improvements from the beginning to the conclusion of his freshman year. His stat line would have been even more impressive than the 4-10-14 line he posted if not for a broken wrist that sidelined him for 4 weeks including both Beanpot games. The rising sophomore will be a key part of the defensive rotation next year and should be a top 4 dman for this club. I am giving him two grades because I feel he performed drastically better in the second half than the first.
Grades: Fall: C, Spring B+
Goalies
31 Kieran Millan- Millan had another solid year and wrapped a fantastic 4 year career with BU where he racked up all-time records in wins and saves. He finished this season with nice numbers 20-14-1, .923 save % and 2.60 GAA. Millan was a backbone for this team at times when they needed him to be and will go down as one of the all-time great BU goalies. Millan will sign with the Colorado Avalanche franchise in the coming weeks.
Grade:A-
35 Grant Rollheiser- "Rollie" had another solid year as the backup goaltender to his classmate Millan. Rollheiser made the most of the starts handed to him in the second half of the year. He finished the year with 3-1 record in his four starts, 7 total appearances. He posted decent numbers with .905 save % and a 2.87 GAA. Rollheiser is a pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs and could be given a shot in the ECHL or overseas if he wishes to continue to play hockey.
Grade: B
1 Anthony Moccia- The sophomore third string goalie dressed in 26 games this season but did not see action in any of them. He still led the country in GAA with his 0.00.
Grade: N/A
Defensemen
5 Adam Clendening- The sophomore d-man put up very nice numbers this year racking up 33 points(4g, 29 a) in 38 out of the team's 39 games. He was a key part of one of the best powerplays in the nation. He improved from his freshman year and was named a HE first team All-Star. Clendening does need to defend on the defensive end of the ice and make some better decisions when on the point. He was 50/50 on going pro(Chicago draft pick) to begin the off-season but it now seems like he will return for his junior season. Clendening will need to continue to improve and make his teammates better. If he does this, he could easily be an All-American next year. I am grading him off of his potential. He can be the best defenseman in the country and hopefully we will see that type of play out of him next season.
Grade: B
Garrett Noonan- Noonan was out there with Clendening for the powerplay and potted many goals off of passes from Clendening. The HE 2nd team all-star potted 16 goals and 11 assists in 38 games. He made a big jump offensively from his freshman season and was one of the nice surprises on the team this year. His team-leading +19 shows his competitive nature and his desire to do whatever it takes to win a game. Like Clendening, he needs to improve his play in his own zone before making the jump to the next level in the next 2 years. Noonan was also an emotional leader on this team and could very easily be wearing a letter next season. The fan favorite earned the respect of fans and coaches throughout Hockey East with his play this past season.
Grade: B+
Patrick MacGregor- "Truck" also made a big jump in play from his freshman to sophomore season. MacGregor dressed in 36 games and had 3 assists but that only begins to tell his impact on the ice. MacGregor is a defensive defenseman who plays defense first and worries about his own point total secondarily. He posted a solid +9 rating for the year but will need to improve his decision-making and he will most likely be pushed for a spot in the lineup consistently depending how many recruits are brought in for next season.
Grade: B-
Sean Escobedo- Escobedo really grew as a player this season and became one of the leaders for the club through adversity. He posted a solid 3-10-13 line this season with 2 goals coming one game at Vermont. He is another guy who will have a leadership role next season and has a chance to wear an A since the defense will be the strength of this team next season
Grade: B+
Ryan Ruikka- The redshirt junior performed consistently in his last year at BU posting 5 assists in 29 games played for the Terriers. He was a solid 5/6 d-man for the Terriers providing depth when they needed it most due to the off the ice issues this year.
Grade: C+(Only time he won't get an A this semester)
Alexx Privitera- The leader of the "pony express" made huge improvements from the beginning to the conclusion of his freshman year. His stat line would have been even more impressive than the 4-10-14 line he posted if not for a broken wrist that sidelined him for 4 weeks including both Beanpot games. The rising sophomore will be a key part of the defensive rotation next year and should be a top 4 dman for this club. I am giving him two grades because I feel he performed drastically better in the second half than the first.
Grades: Fall: C, Spring B+
Guest Post #6
So we suck and haven't gotten around to posting this last guest post(for now) until now so sorry about that. Feel free to continue to submit guest posts and we will keep posting them because they are more popular than our own posts anyway. Here is your post from "Mrs. Hartnell"
Welp, here it is; my attempt at providing a recap of the season. I thought it would be neat to try to summarize this season in one word (that’s what sporty people do, right?). After about 5 minutes of zoning out in math lecture the other day, I’ve decided to name the 2011-2012 men’s ice hockey season…(drumroll please)…The “Really” Season. Weird, I know, but hear me out.
Disclaimer: I don’t know jack about hockey. Really. I pretend like I know what I’m talking about, and sometimes I can pull it off, but seriously. Don’t even try to make sense of my hockey “knowledge.” I just know what uniforms I like/don’t like and who has the best looking team (cough cough Boston University cough cough).
Really number 1: Really!
Really 1.1: “How excited are you for hockey to start again?” “Really!”
This one’s pretty much a given. As soon as one hockey season ends I start looking forward to the next one, doesn’t everybody? I had always been a bit of a fan of hockey while I was growing up (Go Flyers! Yeah, judge away…), but I really became a fan/fanatic/freak/whatever when I came to BU. I still remember sitting at home, flipping through the channels on tv and stumbling upon the National Championship game. I had just submitted my deposit to BU and thought, “Hey, that’s where I’m going to school – might as well watch.” Well damn, I was hooked a few minutes in. I knew I would be coming into something bigger than not just myself, or a bunch of guys passing a puck around on some ice, but a team with an incredible history and culture.
But enough with me reminiscing about my innocent youth. Back to the season.
Really 1.2: “Your team really made it to the national tournament after not being in it for two years?” “Yeah, really!”
Ok, we all know it. The team hit a bit of a slump after the 2008-9 Championship year. As a junior, this year was the first year that I got to see the Terriers in the tourney. Yeah, blah blah blah the team actually played together this year. Yada yada yada we finally got our shit together. I just loved being able to go out to Saint Paul and root on my team.
Really number 2: Really?!
Things happened with people named Corey Trivino, Charlie Coyle, and Max Nicastro. Moving on.
Really number 3: Really.
Really 3.1: “Your team went through all of that drama and still made it to the national tournament?” “Yes. Really.”
So, I felt like a bit of a copout for brushing off this topic earlier, so I’m going back to it. You’re welcome.
Look, I’m not going to recap every single adversity that happened this season. We were all here. We all know it sucked. But you know what, it’s damn impressive that our team made it through that storm. If I may make a ridiculous analogy:
Our team was smoothly sailing down the Charles River when a wild wind picked up the boat and brought it to Shit Creek. With no paddles, the team just picked up some sticks and made their way home.
That makes sense, right? Right. In summary, this team proved that if life gives BU hockey some lemons, they turn right around at life and squeeze those damn lemons into its eyes. Yeah, take that, life.
But seriously, this year was a bit…weird, but I have never been more proud to be a BU fan. Let’s put the past behind us, and look forward to the new season. We have a great group of guys coming up next season (and some of them are pretty attractive, if I may add…) and I really hope that we can continue with this upward slope that we’re currently on.
Really 3.2: “Your fan section really did (insert ridiculous stunt here)?” “Really.”
If you even went to one game this season, you saw how much the Dog Pound really stepped their game up. Yes, I’ve always thought that they were great, butt seriously. Did you see them this year? They were creative, funny, and incredibly passionate fans that made their presence known at just about every single game of the season (if not EVERY game). I had the pleasure to go along with them to games at Lowell, Harvard, Northeastern, BC, and even Minnesota. Just like the team, they did not give up in difficult situations, and they just let the flack that they may have gotten from opposing fans just roll off their shoulders (well, maybe not). What really impressed me about The Dog Pound this year was that they never stooped to the level of opposing fans to make low blows about scandals opposing teams may have faced. That’s incredibly honorable. And although he is way too shy to take the credit he deserves for making this year the best The Dog Pound has ever seen, I really hope that Will stays in the memories of all students who were active fans during his time at BU (sorry for the embarrassment, Will, but it had to be done).
So, recap of the recap: The team did well and made it through a bunch of shit. The fan section was fabulous. Can’t wait for next season.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Guest Post #5
Here is Guest Post #5 for those of you keeping track still. This is from the famous Fake Agganis Arena. It is uh...interesting. We have one more guest post coming tomorrow or Thursday and then maybe we'll actually start to post again.
A Love Letter An Open Letter A Love Letter to Kieran Millan (and the other seniors)
NOTE: to get the full effect, listen to this as you read:
Hey Kieran,
What’s happening? How have you been? Things going ok with you? Good to hear. We’re fine, thanks for asking. Sit back and get comfy. We have a lot of emotions and we want to let you know how we feel.
First, one last plea: DON’T GRADUATE. FAIL YOUR CLASSES. GO BACK IN TIME AND ERASE A YEAR OF PLAYING SO YOU CAN COME BACK ONE MORE TIME. PLEASE.
Ok that was a bit embarrassing. But hey, it’s what we were all thinking, right?
On a more serious and sincere note, we just want to say congratulations on your four years here. It’s been a while that this BU program has had such a standout goaltender like yourself, and we probably aren’t going to see another one for a while. We won’t embarrass you by listing off your stats and accomplishments – we all know how good you are (but we will if you want…).
(This is where the rest of the team can start reading)
We just want to make you and the rest of your graduating class aware of the impact you’re leaving behind at this school and this hockey program. As you all know, you’re the last class to graduate from the 2009 Championship season and you’re leaving behind a legacy that students here will talk about for years to come. “Hey, remember that bald guy who was a total badass? Chris Connolly? Yeah, I miss him.” “Didn’t that Ryan Ruikka guy almost get a 4.0 while he was on the hockey team? Damn.” “Grant Rollheiser; what an attractive man.”
We’re not going to lie, we’re going to remember you for both your highs and lows. Winning a national championship your freshman year? HIGH. The season afterwards? Ok, that was a bit of a low. Losing three important players in a month during your senior year? Damn right that sucked. Bouncing back, letting the talk roll off your shoulders and still make it to the NCAA tournament? Hell yeah, that’s a high. If you are all going to be remembered for one thing, it’s your resilience. Most of you could’ve easily packed things up and threw in the towel. You’d already won a national championship – most people don’t even get to do that. But you guys didn’t do that. You fought hard. You wouldn’t let the problems of some affect the whole team. You worked hard to get to the post season not just for yourselves, not just for the other guys on the team, but also for BU. You showed everyone that one can throw a few punches at BU, but we won’t go down without a fight.
Some of you might be moving on to a professional career in hockey. Out of that group, some might even make it to the NHL. Others may be hanging up their skates for a bit to start a job in the “real world” (if that even exists). No matter what you all move on to do in your years away from BU, good luck. Never forget the time you’ve spent here. We definitely won’t.
Thank you all for sticking around and dealing with us for four years. Keep on keepin’ on.
Forever and Always Yours,
(Fake) Agganis Arena
P.S. Kieran: please remember us when you become famous. We’re expecting a shoutout when you win your Vezina Trophy.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Guest Post #4
So we apologize for being late on posting our last two guest posts but we have been busy ignoring the existence of college hockey and anything that happened this past weekend. With that being said, we would like to send out a sincere and heartfelt fuck you to Boston College and anyone associated with the school. Back to business, we have Trout Slayer talking about some roadies from a fan's persepective and the team's ability to pick up ponies at will on the road this past season. We have one more guest post for you sometime this week and at some point, we will assign grades to the team in our usual biased fashion. Should be a good time. Without any further delay, here is the one and only Trout Slayer.
Guest Post #3
No Place Like the Road
When I think back about the year, the one thing that stands out is the amazing road trips I’ve been on. This team played incredible hockey outside of Boston this season, going 11-4-1 on the road, outscoring opponents by 24 goals. To go along with the great play on the ice were some of my favorite adventures and experiences off the ice. This year’s road fan support was incredible, with 200+ fans making it out to Newton, and 315 bringing life to Matthews Arena.
1.BC
The crowd for both games was incredible, but especially surprising for the 1st. The atmosphere was absolutely brilliant, with a great t-storm on the way there and even better on the way back. On the ice, Milner looked lost in net for Newton and BU capitalized on its scoring chances well. The second away game also saw freshmen Yasin Cissé and Cason Hohmann tally their first goals. There is no doubting that the atmosphere at these games was one of the best I have ever seen, no thanks to those fickle superfans. Seeing Conte empty out midway through the 3rd not once, but twice in one season is the definite highlight of the year.
2. NCAA Tournament in St. Paul
The Terriers didn’t play their best game and were taken out by a hot Minnesota team. Attending the game was still a great experience. Getting chirped at by some bro in a “Flag Guy” Jersey, enjoying the overalls of Minnesota, and standing with the band did not make the loss any less painful, but I won’t forget it any time soon. Eating in the diner where Coach Bombay walked was just one of many gems away from the rink. This weekend re-assured me that I’m crazy, but I’m enjoying the ride.
3.Harvard
On the heels of a comeback victory at Northeastern the night before the Terriers came out flat and needed a 2 goal rally in the 3rd to force OT. Chris Connolly potted his first two goals of the season and played a crucial role in the overtime winner. The fans were right on top of the BU bench, and it was certainly an interesting atmosphere without a home student section to yell at. The energy during the comeback was palpable and the fifty or so fans that came back from break early exploded with the Noonan winner.
4.Vermont
This is just personal bias, since nothing really matches a good “We have mountains” chant thrown in your face. Rollie shut out the Catamounts in the first game where the Terriers played a pretty complete game of hockey. Courtnall even had a slick backhand move to beat Madore. Meanwhile even Escobedo found his sights and put two in the Vermont net. The second game the Terriers came out a little careless in their own zone but a late typically greasy Wade Megan goal knotted it up with the extra attacker. Alexx Privitera, coming off a broken wrist and clearly in pain during the game stepped up in overtime to provide the game winning goal and bring home the ponies.
5. Merrimack
This tilt had major implications for the Hockey East standings, and saw Merrimack being led out onto the ice by a student/possible mascot in a Spongebob costume. Fortunately, Merrimack’s Hobey hopeful Cannata was more porous and leaked 4 goals to the Terriers. The BOD, Matt Ronan, saw the ice as team was down to 5 healthy regular blueliners.
Oh, but according to one woman with 7 teeth, “Nobody Caaahs”.
I’ve heard plenty of explanations for the Terrier’s great road record. Maybe it was the team’s heart, concentration, or whatever else you want to say. No matter what the reason, once they got on the highway there was no stopping the Pony Express.
-Trout Slayer
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Guest Post Day 3 - Three Underrated Reasons for this Year's Success
We've reached our third day of guest posts, and this one was one of the best. We thought about saving it for last, but screw it. They are all great, after all. Today's post is brought to you by "The Pastor". Enjoy!
What a season.
Some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows. Most people probably want to mark this
one down as the low point of BU Hockey.
“Off ice the team are awful people, the coaching staff is too old, 2009
was a fluke, blah blah, blah.” We’ve heard it. But all things considered, this season is definitely not the
low point. Actually, this season
marks a turnaround in restoring this program to its former dominance. You don’t make the NCAA tournament
without skill and more importantly heart.
And you don’t do it in such historic fashion if you aren’t the 2011-2012
Boston University Terriers.
But that’s all the stuff that’s been covered before. Yet I think there’s still stuff that
didn’t get enough coverage over the season that truly made this team contenders. Yes, believe it or not, this team runs
deeper than Chris Connolly, Garrett Noonan, and Kieran Millan.
So here’s what I present to you, the three most underrated
reasons why BU Men’s Ice Hockey made it to St. Paul this year:
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Guest Post: My Thoughts on the 2012 Men's Hockey Season
Our second guest post comes from "Nick Adams". Sorry it's a little late. We'll have at least one every day for the rest of the week!
October 1st, 2011 was perhaps the most pivotal
day of my first year at BU, and I remember it well. Walking back from the GSU,
I ran across some of my friends decked out in their jerseys, looking like what
I considered to be idiots at the time. I reluctantly followed them into Agganis
Arena, got one of what would become several pictures with Rhett, and entered
section 118 for the first time. That day I saw people being loud, having a good
time, and cheering on guys playing a sport that I could never understand. More
importantly, I saw the Terriers lose 6-4. This shoddy performance would become
the norm over the next few weeks, with some success mixed in here and there.
However, on November 13th the theme for this season was revealed:
resilience. This day would mark a 5-0 victory over the Eagles nesting atop
Chestnut Hill. The Terriers would experience success over the next few months,
including a thrilling victory in New York City that featured the longest and
most stressful review of a potential goal I have ever seen and a game-winning
overtime goal by Ross Gaudet.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Guest Post - Why Garrett Noonan Deserves ALL THE AWARDS
So this week, we have opened up BSRS to any BU fans willing to write a post for us. This is the first one we received but we will have 4 (or more) coming your way throughout this week. Here is the post straight from Future Mrs. Noonan... No it's not me or GW. We promise.
Everyone has a favorite player. It is almost impossible not to have one. Garrett Noonan is my favorite player (along with half the Dog Pound, I suspect). This post might be completely biased, but Garrett Noonan deserves all the awards this season and these are the reasons why.
Three Terriers Of Beanpots Yet To Come Make U18s
USA Hockey has announced the U18 men's roster that will compete at the World Championships later this year in the Czech Republic and three future Terriers made the final cut to join the team in a sure gold medal campaign at that competition:
D Matt Grzelcyk (Fall 2013)
F Matt Lane (Fall 2012)
F Danny O'Regan (Fall 2013)
Again, seeing Mass. guys of this caliber like Grzelcyk and O'Regan coming our way I think bodes well for our future recruiting since over the last few years it's seemed like many of those kids headed to BC but that's for another day.
A couple future foes also somehow snuck their way in, almost certainly through deceit, bribery and general skullduggery.
F Cameron Darcy - Northeastern (Either Jim Madigan is a great recruiter or he's paying Darcy as if he coached the St. John's Sea Dogs. Hint: He's not going there for the education or the history or the facilities and he is going there for the money that he is surely being paid. No other possible explanation)
F Thomas DiPauli - Notre Dame (Had you been trying to repress the memory that they were joining Hockey East after next season? Me too.)
F Frankie "The Situation" Vatrano - Newton CC, presumably via this place. (I'm not stereotyping based on his name and nothing else. No wait actually I am)
D Matt Grzelcyk (Fall 2013)
F Matt Lane (Fall 2012)
F Danny O'Regan (Fall 2013)
Again, seeing Mass. guys of this caliber like Grzelcyk and O'Regan coming our way I think bodes well for our future recruiting since over the last few years it's seemed like many of those kids headed to BC but that's for another day.
A couple future foes also somehow snuck their way in, almost certainly through deceit, bribery and general skullduggery.
F Cameron Darcy - Northeastern (Either Jim Madigan is a great recruiter or he's paying Darcy as if he coached the St. John's Sea Dogs. Hint: He's not going there for the education or the history or the facilities and he is going there for the money that he is surely being paid. No other possible explanation)
F Thomas DiPauli - Notre Dame (Had you been trying to repress the memory that they were joining Hockey East after next season? Me too.)
F Frankie "The Situation" Vatrano - Newton CC, presumably via this place. (I'm not stereotyping based on his name and nothing else. No wait actually I am)
Masters Preview
On April 5th to 8th, the Masters will take place at Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia. Some of you might or might not know but Quackquack, George Washington, and I love golf. We all play it and we enjoy watching it (yes, watching golf is very similar to watching grass grow). So I am writing this post for anybody that is interested and wants to know my 2 cents on the tournament.
This golf season is becoming really interesting with Phil Mickelson showing he still has some left in the tank and Tiger Woods returning to his winning ways 2 weeks ago at Arnold Palmers tournament and the young guns (RE: Rory McIlroy etc.) showing up more often on the leaderboard. As of today, the top five favorites are: Tiger (3.25-1), Rory (4-1), Phil (9-1), Lee Westwood(9-1), & Luke Donald (14-1).
As per usual, I think this tournament, if weather is not a factor, will come down to Sunday afternoon, Easter Sunday. The way this golf course is set-up is always fun to watch. You can have one big round and you are on top of the leaderboard BUT the dark side of this course is that if you twitch once you'll be looking at double bogey or worst. Personally, I think the odds don't mean anything. This course is known for repeat winners (RE: Phil & Tiger) so look for past winners to hang around all the way through Sunday. So technically Phil should have better odds than Rory but what does Vegas know they had the NY Giants at 100-1 mid way through the football season and look what happened.
I like, obviously, Tiger because he look awesome two weeks ago, Phil because he had a good week in Houston this past week, Adam Scott because he has Tigers old caddie, Steve Williams, and he knows the in-n-outs of that course better than most caddies, Keegan Bradley based on the fact he has been playing excellent this whole season so far. Possible dark horses are: ANY past winners, Sergio Garcia (hahahaha), Rickie Fowler, and Dustin Johnson.
Side Note: I really just like American and South American golfers. I just have pure disdain for Europeans and other Internationals due to the Ryder and Presidents Cup.
For some of you that don't know the course or wants to see some of the most majestic holes of the course look no further than Amens Corner (11th Green, 12th Hole, 13th Tee box), nothing gets better than those holes in golf. Also pay attention to the 15th hole, 16th hole. Those seem to make or break rounds as well. Typically, the Front 9 is rated on higher difficulty at Augusta than the Back 9. So if you really want to see some tough holes look at the Front 9.
You can watch the Masters on ESPN on Thursday and Friday and CBS on Saturday and Sunday. Also if you are stuck at work or in class bored to death and don't care about backside attack open your computer up and they have a site just for specific holes and important players.
Tigers Infamous Chip:
The Best Ever:
YES, THIS IS CANADIAN ( ALL OF BSRS DISLIKES CANADA) AND THE TOP MOMENT IS BIAS BUT THE OTHER NINE ARE LEGIT
This golf season is becoming really interesting with Phil Mickelson showing he still has some left in the tank and Tiger Woods returning to his winning ways 2 weeks ago at Arnold Palmers tournament and the young guns (RE: Rory McIlroy etc.) showing up more often on the leaderboard. As of today, the top five favorites are: Tiger (3.25-1), Rory (4-1), Phil (9-1), Lee Westwood(9-1), & Luke Donald (14-1).
As per usual, I think this tournament, if weather is not a factor, will come down to Sunday afternoon, Easter Sunday. The way this golf course is set-up is always fun to watch. You can have one big round and you are on top of the leaderboard BUT the dark side of this course is that if you twitch once you'll be looking at double bogey or worst. Personally, I think the odds don't mean anything. This course is known for repeat winners (RE: Phil & Tiger) so look for past winners to hang around all the way through Sunday. So technically Phil should have better odds than Rory but what does Vegas know they had the NY Giants at 100-1 mid way through the football season and look what happened.
I like, obviously, Tiger because he look awesome two weeks ago, Phil because he had a good week in Houston this past week, Adam Scott because he has Tigers old caddie, Steve Williams, and he knows the in-n-outs of that course better than most caddies, Keegan Bradley based on the fact he has been playing excellent this whole season so far. Possible dark horses are: ANY past winners, Sergio Garcia (hahahaha), Rickie Fowler, and Dustin Johnson.
Side Note: I really just like American and South American golfers. I just have pure disdain for Europeans and other Internationals due to the Ryder and Presidents Cup.
For some of you that don't know the course or wants to see some of the most majestic holes of the course look no further than Amens Corner (11th Green, 12th Hole, 13th Tee box), nothing gets better than those holes in golf. Also pay attention to the 15th hole, 16th hole. Those seem to make or break rounds as well. Typically, the Front 9 is rated on higher difficulty at Augusta than the Back 9. So if you really want to see some tough holes look at the Front 9.
You can watch the Masters on ESPN on Thursday and Friday and CBS on Saturday and Sunday. Also if you are stuck at work or in class bored to death and don't care about backside attack open your computer up and they have a site just for specific holes and important players.
Tigers Infamous Chip:
The Best Ever:
YES, THIS IS CANADIAN ( ALL OF BSRS DISLIKES CANADA) AND THE TOP MOMENT IS BIAS BUT THE OTHER NINE ARE LEGIT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)