Terriers Land Another Solid Recruit

by Chris Aliano


It is being reported that forward Sahir Gill, a member of the USHL's Chicago Steel, has committed to Boston University, set to arrive on campus next fall.

The Real Okanagan Hockey Academy Blog is reporting that the 5-10, 190-pound forward limited his choices to BU, Minnesota and North Dakota.  The Terriers were his final choice.  Gill has accumulated 20 points on 6 goals and 14 assists so far this season, good for seventh-best in the USHL.


Gill joins three other forwards in Charlie Coyle, Matt Nieto and Yasin Cisse along with defenseman  Adam Clendening as the fifth committed recruit for the 2010-2011 season.

Impending "Major Announcement" Before the Game

by Chris Aliano

Tonight, before the Boston University men's hockey team takes the ice at the Bright Hockey Center against Harvard, there will be a major announcement by the commissioners of Hockey East, ECAC and Atlantic Hockey.

The press release received before last Friday's game at New Hampshire stated:

"The announcement will take place in the Murr Center conference room.  Joe Bertagna, Hockey East commissioner, Bob DeGregorio, Atlantic Hockey and Steve Hagwell, ECAC will be present at the announcement."

Stay tuned to wtbusports.com for the breaking story and analysis later tonight!

5 Things to Watch For Tonight

by Chris Aliano

1.  What kind of fight will the Terriers put up against an opponent that--on paper at least--is clearly inferior to them?  And that's say something, considering how bad the Terriers are.  This seems like the fifth game in a row that we've had to label a game a "must-win" for BU, but that could not be truer tonight in Allston.  Harvard is winless in its last six games, and quite frankly they are just not a very good team.  Their team leaders in points right now (tied amongst three players) have eight total tallies, their goalie lets in nearly four goals per game and practically allows one goal every ten shots.  That being said, this is the Terriers' game to lose.

2.  When will Alex Chiasson find the back of the net again?  Last game it was Bonino, but tonight it's up to the freshman forward to ignite a sputtering Terrier offense that has failed to find any rhythm this season.  It is often underestimated just how invigorating it is to see one of the team's younger players find his groove, and it creates a ripple-effect felt throughout the lineup, regarding of class.  Chiasson hasn't found the back of the net since Nov. 8 against Maine, and that absence from the score sheet has taken its toll on the team.  He may not have tapped the fullness of his potential yet, but it's there.  He is game-changer, and hopefully if things go well tonight, a season-changer.


3.  Will shots on net actually equate to goals?  The Terriers are outshooting Harvard by 116 shots, leading 350-234 on the season.  The bad news is that they have only found the back of the net on 8 percent of those shots.  The Terriers have 28 goals though 11 games--good for only 2.6 per game.  Despite outshooting their opponents on most nights, their shots are often lazy attempts to get to try and jump-start a sputtering offense.

4.  How will Chris Connolly perform in his return to the lineup?  The Duluth, MN native was sorely missed last Friday on the large sheet of ice in Durham.  While defenseman David Warsofsky did his best to fill in on the first line in Connolly's absence (he suffered a shoulder injury last week in practice), he appeared burnt out by the third period in both games.  Connolly on the first line means another solid option for Nick Bonino.  Without him, Bonino was forced to turn to the point and expect Kevin Shattenkirk or Colby Cohen to make plays.  Joe Pereira joined the first line the week before against Merrimack, but the Bulldog is more of a grinder, suitable for a third or fourth line.  Connolly is a playmaker, and most importantly, a finisher.

5.  Can the defense finally back up Kieran Millan?  Parker decided yesterday to go with Millan in net for tonight, meaning Grant Rollheiser will start in the team's biggest game of the season on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.  While Millan certainly has struggled to put up the kind of numbers he did last season (he has posted a 3.25 GAA and a .873 save percentage en route to a 2-7 record), the porous stats aren't solely his fault.  For the second straight game, the defense bailed on Millan when it mattered most against UNH, fanning at loose rebounds that should have been cleared and allowing the Wildcats to skate into the zone, spread them out and make it difficult for Millan to catch up to them by himself. 

GAMEDAY: BU at Harvard

By Chris Aliano

Game # 12
Boston University (3-7-1, 2-6-1 HEA) at Harvard (1-4-2, 1-4-2 ECAC)
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009
7:00 p.m. – Bright Hockey Center – Allston, MA

Starting Lineups
 
BU

Forwards
David Warsofsky – Nick Bonino – Alex Chiasson
Zach Cohen – Corey Trivino – Vinny Saponari
Andrew Glass – Wade Megan – Joe Pereira
Ross Gaudet – Luke Popko – Kevin Gilroy

Defense
Colby Cohen – Kevin Shattenkirk
Ben Rosen – Eric Gryba
Sean Escobedo – Max Nicastro

Goaltenders
Grant Rollheiser – Kieran Millan – Adam Kraus

UNH

Forwards
Stevie Moses – Peter LeBlanc – Mike Sislo
Paul Thompson – Phil DeSimone – Bobby Butler
Dalton Speelman – Mike Borisenok – Austin Block
Kevin McCarey – Greg Manz – John Henrion

Defense
Brett Kostolansky – Blake Kessel
Matt Campanale – Damon Kipp
Mike Beck – Connor Hardowa

Goaltenders
Brian Foster - Matt DiGirolamo
KNOW YOUR ENEMY: THE CRIMSON

• After winning its season opener at Dartmouth, Harvard is winless in its last six games (0-4-2). BU will be its first non-conference opponent of the season.
• The Crimson kicked off the year with five consecutive road games before starting a seven-game homestand this past weekend. Harvard fell to St. Lawrence, 3-2, on Friday before earning a 2-2 draw with Clarkson on Saturday.
• Three players are tied for the team lead in points with eight, including sophomore Alex Killorn, who has a team-best four goals. Junior Michael Biega and freshman Louis Leblanc have each tallied three goals and five assists.
• Junior goaltender Kyle Richter has started five of the seven contests thus far and has a 3.57 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage.
• Only five other teams in the country are giving up more goals per game than Harvard (3.86) and its penalty kill ranks 55th of 58 in the nation at 73.7 percent.

BU NOTES

• The last time these two teams met was in last years opening round of the Beanpot tournament.  Jason Lawrence netted the game-winner at 18:14 in the third to secure the 4-3 victory in what turned out to be a wild affair.  BU rallied from a 2-0 deficit, and almost blew the lead in the waning moments of the game.  The Terriers went on to win the Beanpot against Northeastern in the championship game.
• The last time these two teams met on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving was Nov. 20, 2007.  The Crimson stunned the Terriers at Agganis Arena in overtime, winning by a 2-1 decision.
  
• The Terriers and Crimson have played 140 times since the 1922-23 season, and BU holds a 72-62-6 (.536) advantage, including a 5-3-1 (.722) mark in games played at the Bright Hockey Center.
• The only teams BU has played more games against have been Boston College (246), Northeastern (203), Providence (157) and New Hampshire (156). Of the above, the only rivalry that is older is BC, as the Eagles and Terriers first played during the 1917-18 season.
• The teams have played on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving 15 times since 1990, including 12 straight years from 1996-2007, and BU holds a 9-5-1 advantage in those contests.
  
• BU has struggled on the road, going 1-5-0 to start the season.
• The Terriers are 3-1 when scoring first, but 0-6-1 when scored on first this season.
• When leading after the first period, the Terriers are 2-0, but when trailing after the first they are 0-4.  They are 1-6 when trailing after the second period.
  
• Junior Kevin Shattenkirk has tallied at least one point in eight of the last nine games, in- cluding the past five, and tallied 10 points (2g, 8a) during the stretch.
• BU is 11-1-0 in its last 12 regular-season non- conference games.
• The Terriers are still undefeated when Nick Bonino records a point.  BU is undefeated in the last 37 games when the junior forward gets on the board--going 33-0-4 during that span.
•  The Terriers’ 3-7-1 start is its worst through 11 games since the 2000-01 season, when they went 2-8-1 to open the year.
• BU is 34-0-1 in its last 35 games in which it has led after two periods. Saturday’s draw with UNH ended a streak of 34 straight wins in that situation.
  
• BU has scored exactly nine goals in each period this season and has outscored its opponents by a 9-8 margin in the first stanza.
• BU is 2-2 against ranked opponents, but a meager 1-5-1 against unranked opponents this season.
  
• Last season, the Terriers were 5-0-0 when allowing exactly three goals. This season, BU is 0-4-1 when allowing an opponent to score three goals.
• The Terriers were undefeated (9-0-1) in their previous 10 games in which they had been outshot until UNH held a 27-23 shot advantage in Friday’s game. The streak dated back to Jan. 26, 2008, as UNH was also the last team to top BU while recording more shots.
  

Game notes courtesy of Brian Kelley and goterriers.com.

Terriers Play Tough in Puerto Rico

BU tops Indiana, stick with Georgia Tech, Kansas State

by Tim Larew

Following two losses to open the season, the Boston University men’s basketball team traveled south to San Juan for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off. After dropping the first game of the tournament to Kansas State in a hard-fought battle, the Terriers picked up an enormous win Friday night. In their first win of the season, the Terriers came out on top 71-67 against Indiana University, a perennial power in the college basketball world.

The win, fueled by Jake O’Brien’s (’12) first career double-double, earned BU the right to take on 21st ranked Georgia Tech in the fifth place game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Terriers hung with the Yellow Jackets early, but in the end the nationally ranked squad was too much for head coach Patrick Chambers and his squad to handle.

Despite a lights-out first half shooting performance in which Georgia Tech shot 56.7 percent from the field, BU trailed by only two points at the half. Trailing 42-40 to start the second half, the Terriers kept their foot on the pedal, hanging with the Yellow Jackets until they were struck by a drought at the fifteen minute mark, not scoring for the next nine minutes. With 6:02 left, Corey Lowe (’10) hit a layup to end the drought and cut the Georgia Tech lead to 15, but it was too little too late for the Terriers.

Georgia Tech, led by senior Zachery Peacock’s 22 points on 10 of 12 shooting, improved to 3-1 after the 85-67 victory. Despite dropping to 1-4 on the season, the upside of the loss for BU was clear. After averaging nearly 20 turnovers per game after the first four games, the Terriers committed only nine, accomplishing one of the many minor goals set by Chambers after the George Washington loss prior to the trip to Puerto Rico.

Another positive for BU came in the form of John Holland’s (’11) fourth straight 20-point effort, as he tallied 23 in the loss. Lowe added 17 points and 7 rebounds, and O’Brien chipped in with 10 points.

While the Terriers are returning from Puerto Rico with two losses added to their record, the win against Indiana might have been just the spark they needed. Just as Chambers intended, Puerto Rico provided a field of tough opponents to give his squad some early season experience, and more importantly it gave his group a means of bonding as a team.

BU will take on Northeastern in a tough matchup at home in Case Gymnasium on Wednesday night. The Terriers will look to continue improving on both sides of the ball as they ride the momentum from Puerto Rico. While they may have picked up only a single win in their first five games, the win was a big one, and the hopes for the season remain just as high as ever.

Hockey East Power Rankings - 11/23/09

by Chris Aliano

1. UMass-Lowell (8-2-1, 4-1-1 HEA - LAST WEEK: 1) – If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  That, they say, is how the old adage goes, and its especially true of the River Hawks of UMass-Lowell.  UML only had one game last weekend, and they were sure to make the most out of it by downing Merrimack 6-3.  Hockey East Player of the Week Chris Auger picked up five points (1g, 4a) in the win.  Their eight wins is tied for the most in the conference, and they trail conference leaders UNH and Boston College (tied with ten points each) by one point despite playing the second-fewest conference games (six).  They will look to keep their hot streak alive against Providence on Tuesday before hosting Maine on Friday. 

2. UMass (8-2-0, 4-2-0 HE - LAST WEEK: 2) – Like their sister school in Lowell, UMass had only one game on the slate last week: a Thursday night trip to New Haven where they downed Yale 4-3 in overtime.  The incredible James Marcou--who seems to score every meaningful goal for this squad--struck again with 1:01 left in the extra frame.  It had a far greater impact in terms of Pairwise implications than one may realize, and UMass improved to a perfect 4-0-0 in non-league games.  When the tournament committee gathers in March to seed the nation's best teams, don't think they'll forget this when determining the Minutemen's fate.  Another pair of meaningful games looms this week: they travel to Vermont on Tuesday before heading to No. 10 Quinnipiac in a Saturday night tilt.

3. BC (5-3-2, 4-3-2 HEA - LAST WEEK: 3) – After a slow start, the Eagles are back on track and continue to pick up valuable points within the conference, propelling them to a tie for first place with UNH.  Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week Pat Mullane scored the first goal in both games on the road against Maine.  BC notched a 3-2 victory Friday night before settling for a 3-3 draw on Saturday.  The Eagles will have to digest Thanksgiving dinner quickly to prevent a hiccup against lowly Clarkson this Friday.


4. UNH (4-6-3, 4-2-4 HEA - LAST WEEK: 6) – This choice will probably draw plenty of ire, but I still like the Wildcats.  They are the best breakout team in the conference by far.  The home-ice advantage with the wider rink can destroy slower teams.  They do a great job of stretching their opponents and then skating right through them.  There's still work to be done, but UNH proved a lot against the Terriers last weekend, especially in their 4-2 win Friday night.  Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week Brian Foster bailed his team out time and time again on Saturday, and finished the weekend with 55 saves (good for a .917 save-percentage).  Forward Paul Thompson registered five points (2g, 3a) on the weekend, earning him the First Star honor after Saturday night's tie against BU.  They travel to Merrimack on Saturday in their only Thanksgiving weekend game.

5. Merrimack (6-5-0, 3-3-0 HEA - LAST WEEK: 4) – Coming off a strong showing against BU the weekend before, fans of the Warriors were brought back down to Earth after UMass-Lowell drubbed Merrimack 6-3, scoring early and often in both teams' lone game of the weekend.  Who would've thought a season ago that a Hockey East weekend's marquee matchup would have been between the River Hawks and Warriors?  In the aftermath, we realize now that Merrimack has been a pleasant surprise with much potential, a few impressive wins on their early season resume, but they were simply unable to skate with the conference's best on Saturday night.  That doesn't sit pretty with the powers-that-be, who have not bought into the Merrimack hype thus yet, indicative of the meager two points the Warriors have garnered so far in the national polls.  Another slip-up against UNH on Saturday could burst their bubble before they even had a chance to make some real noise.

6. Vermont (4-4-1, 3-3-1 HEA - LAST WEEK: 4) – An idle week for the Cats gave the defense-first Vermont squad a chance to prepare for a big game Tuesday night against UMass.  A win could buy them back the credibility that they started the season with, but a loss will put them back under .500 with a tough road ahead of them.  Northeastern will host the Catamounts on Friday night before Vermont welcomes No. 11 Yale next Monday.  Then, they head to Beantown to take on BU  two Fridays from now.


7. Maine (4-7-1, 3-4-1 HEA - LAST WEEK: 9) – I asked for some consistency, and the Black Bears showed some--in spurts.  Considering they were able to play Boston College very tight in back-to-back games, give Maine some credit.  They're displaying plenty of heart, something that is underestimated and under-appreciated granted the program's recent struggles.  Sitting at fifth in the league standings, Maine can make a push on Friday by tripping up UMass-Lowell.  That would give the old cauldron a stir, for sure.  They wrap up their weekend with a non-conference date against St. Lawrence.

8. Providence (6-4-1, 1-3-1 - LAST WEEK: 7) – There's a power outage in Providence, and it's something that should concern the Friars.  They scored four goals for just the second time this season last Tuesday in a 4-3 win in the Mayor's Cup against a dreadful Brown team.  Junior forward Matt Germain netted two goals, including the game-winner against the Bears.  They returned to league play during the weekend and didn't fare as well, dropping a 4-1 decision against Northeastern before managing a draw the next night.  The Friars are last in the conference (they've also played the fewest games, so that's something to consider), but they will likely stay in the cellar if their anemic 1.80 conference goals per game doesn't change.


9. Northeastern (5-5-1, 3-4-1 HEA - LAST WEEK: 10) – I guess the Huskies were listening last week when I told them to "show me something" against Providence last weekend.  Well, it wasn't a sweep, but it was a pretty good weekend on Huntington Ave.  They picked up three valuable points by downing the Friars 4-1 before settling with a draw the next night.  Kyle Kraemer picked up three points (2g, 1a) over the weekend, and the Huskies are sitting in a three-way tie for fifth place in Hockey East.  Still, their results only propel them one spot up the list.  They still don't have any noteworthy wins, and their offense is sporadic at best.  They'll look to pick up a couple more points against Vermont Friday night.   

10. BU (3-7-1, 2-6-1 HEA - LAST WEEK: 8) – Sorry, Terrier fans.  Fewest overall wins, fewest conference wins, an inability to play consistent hockey for a full sixty minutes: those are the ingredients for a last-place team, and that is all Boston University is right now.  They had a huge chance against New Hampshire last weekend, and they let it fall through the cracks.  A sweep would've put them at a game under .500 heading into Tuesday night's game against Harvard, and who knows.  They win those three in a row, and you're right back in the national picture before lacing up the skates at Madison Square Garden against No. 7 Cornell.  Instead, they drop a 4-2 road decision to the Wildcats before blowing a 2-1 lead in the third period the next night.  Lucky for them, they were able to claw back and escape the weekend with at least one point.  At this point, with most of the team healthy, it's more of an attitude problem than a lack of talent.  And don't think Terrier Nation hasn't noticed.  What do you think got the loudest applause on Saturday during the UNH contest?  The announcement that Pat Chambers picked up his first win as head coach of the men's basketball team in their victory against Indiana.  I wish I was joking, but that is the state of BU Hockey right now.

Weekly USCHO.com National Rankings Analysis

by Chris Aliano

Nov. 23, 2009

Team	(First Place Votes)	Record	Points	Last Poll
1	Miami	(37)	9-1-4	983	1
2	Denver	( 9)	8-3-1	938	3
3	Mass.-Lowell	( 2)	8-2-1	864	4
4	North Dakota		7-4-1	794	2
5	Colorado College		9-2-1	792	7
6	Bemidji State	( 2)	10-1-1	690	8
7	Cornell		5-2-0	648	5
8	Michigan State		9-3-2	632	6
9	Quinnipiac		10-1-0	622	13
10	Massachusetts		8-2-0	587	11
11	Yale		3-2-2	417	9
12	Alaska		8-3-1	401	10
13	Notre Dame		6-5-3	381	14
14	Minnesota-Duluth		9-4-1	378	20
15	Wisconsin		7-4-1	292	15
16	Boston College		5-3-2	250	17
17	Ferris State		9-3-2	247	NR
18	Vermont		4-4-1	188	17
19	Nebraska-Omaha		5-4-3	109	12
20	Colgate		6-3-4	70	NR
Others Receiving Votes: St. Cloud State 64, Michigan 63, RIT 20, Princeton 18, Union 16, New Hampshire 12, Northern Michigan 10, Rensselaer 8, Merrimack 2, Providence 2, St. Lawrence 2

Initial thoughts: While surprised at first to see Miami still sitting at the top spot despite being taken to shootouts in overtime for four straight games (winning one of those three), they still are technically undefeated in those four games.  Denver did close the gap, and was quite impressive in its weekend sweep against North Dakota.  We fans of eastern collegiate hockey teams often take for granted just how bitter the rivalry is between the Fighting Sioux and the Pioneers, and it lived up to the hype this weekend.  Meanwhile, take a guess at who the first two teams in the country are to reach 10 wins.  Quinnipiac and Bemidji State.  If you called that before the season started, you are either a liar or... a liar.


Stock Rising: Ferris State.  Last week it was the Bobcats (of Quinnipiac), and now it's the Bulldogs.  They burst onto the national scene at No. 17, and have done far and away enough to justify their surge.  After being swept by Alaska Halloween weekend, Ferris State is undefeated in its last six games--including a sweep of Ohio State last weekend and a shootout sweep over top-ranked Miami the week before.  If they can keep it going against a fading Nebraska-Omaha squad two weekends from now, then you can consider the Bulldogs legitimate.

Stock Falling: Princeton.  The ECAC wasn't considered a particularly deep conference before the season began, and Princeton's poor start can back up that statement.  The Tigers now stand at 3-4-1 after dropping decisions to Cornell and Colgate.  Part of the blame can be apportioned to senior netminder Zane Kalemba, a Hobey Baker top-ten finalist last season who has posted a 3.17 goals-against average in five starts.  They're winless on the road, 1-3 when their opponent scores first and are only averaging 2.5 goals per game despite averaging nearly 40 shots per game.  Despite returning virtually everyone from last year's team--a 22-win team that was stunned by Minnesota-Duluth in overtime in the opening round of the NCAAs--if you're averaging those kinds of numbers, you're going nowhere.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Nebraska-Omaha.  Not sure what's happened to the Mavericks in the past two weeks.  They've lost three straight since Nov. 14, and were swept by pesky Northern Michigan this past weekend.  They're still in the polls, and are a respectable 5-4-3, but its the 2-4-2-1 mark within the CCHA that is alarming.  They started the season strong with wins against Army, UMass-Lowell and Colgate, but have struggled as of late.  Dean Blais will have to come up with a way to rally his troops against Western Michigan this weekend.

Looking Ahead: Vermont hosts UMass in a big Hockey East matchup on Tuesday night, while Princeton tries to right the ship against ECAC-leading Quinnipiac Wednesday.  The best games are later in the week: the Holiday Classic pits Miami against Bemidji State and Ohio State against North Dakota.  The College Hockey Showcase includes a Minnesota-Michigan matchup and a Wisconsin-Michigan State contest.  In Hockey East, UMass takes on Quinnipiac on Saturday, but the showcase event is the return of Red Hot Hockey.  BU squares off against Cornell at the world's most famous arena at 8 p.m. Saturday.  The Terriers first have to deal with Harvard on Tuesday night before they board the buses for the Big Apple.