Oct. 1, 2010
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BOSTON - The 14th-ranked Boston University men's ice hockey team will hit the ice for an exhibition contest against the University of Toronto on Saturday (Oct. 2) at Agganis Arena. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and fans can watch live streaming video free of charge through BU All-Access.
The Terriers will be facing the Varsity Blues just one day after having their first official practice on Friday. BU and Toronto have faced off in four previous exhibitions, most recently a 4-0 Terrier victory in their most recent meeting on Oct. 7, 2005. The teams met five times in actual regular-season contests dating back to New Year's Eve in 1925, when the Varsity Blues earned an 8-0 win over the Terriers at Boston Arena. In the nine total meetings, BU holds a 7-2 advantage, including a 4-0 record in exhibitions.
BU has one of the youngest teams in the nation this season, as 17 of the 26 players on the roster are freshmen or sophomores. Senior Joe Pereira and junior Chris Connolly will serve as co-captains of the squad, while junior David Warsofsky will be assistant captain.
There's no question that the feeling of a fresh start surrounds this year's Boston University men's ice hockey team.
Now two years removed from the program's fifth national title, the 2010-11 Terriers boast a very young roster that includes many talented players eager to create their own successful chapter in the BU hockey legacy.
"I remember one time when Mickey Rivers got benched by Billy Martin," remembers head coach Jack Parker, who enters his 38th season at the helm of the Terrier program. "He said, `I don't know why he's picking on me. We need a whole new everything.' From our championship season, we have lost just about everyone - with the exception of our goaltending."
Sure enough, just four of the skaters - Chris Connolly, Joe Pereira, Corey Trivino, David Warsofsky - who were key contributors to the championship run are on this year's squad.
To compliment that group, however, is a large group of talented underclassmen, as 17 of the 26 spots on this year's roster are filled by either freshmen or sophomores.
"There's no question that we're going to be a very young team," said Parker. "There's more than enough talent, however, to be a very competitive team in our league and hopefully on the national level as well, but it's a matter of how the freshmen and sophomores play."
Last year's team found out just how hard it is to duplicate a championship season, as an up-and-down winter culminated in a season-ending loss in the Hockey East semifinals.
"One of the problems we had last year was that our guys couldn't overcome themselves and match the same great attitude we had when we won the national championship the year before. So far this year - from day one up until this moment - the attitude has been absolutely fabulous. All the coaches and the captains are real excited about the way the team is approaching the season. [Strength and conditioning coach] Mike Boyle has really been blow away by some guys and how hard they've worked over the summer."
The few upperclassmen on this year's squad have seen highs and lows and now know what can be attributed to both ends of spectrum. Add that to the youthful influx of talent, and it's no wonder that Parker is eager to see what this team can do on the ice.
"It should be a fun team to coach because of the enthusiasm they'll have and the fact that everyone has to learn all over again," added the coach. "We're looking forward to being one of the teams that can compete with anyone in our league and see both our returners mature into the players we know they can be and our newcomers display the great talent that we've witnessed while recruiting them."
FORWARDS
The Terriers enter the 2010-11 season with a new and hopefully improved look up front, as several of last year's regulars return to go along with an exciting group of newcomers.
"I think we have a pretty good mix of established guys, emerging guys and rookies who will give the entire team a different look almost shift to shift, line to line," said Parker. "Connolly, Trevino and Pereira will certainly be key guys - they're the most experienced guys and are very, very talented.
"Sophomores like [Wade] Megan and [Alex] Chiasson will have to step up and have big years. They showed signs of being real good players in this league last year as freshmen and they both look like they're ready to step up and play."
After playing on every forward line at some point during his first three years, Pereira - the lone senior skater on this year's Terrier squad - is poised to assume a role on one of the team's scoring lines. It's the first time since the 1947-48 season that BU has a single senior skater, although the only two seniors on the team Parker inherited when he took over in December 1973 were goaltenders.
"Joe's done a good job figuring out the pace of the game and it's imperative for us to give him every opportunity to be as good as he can be on one of our top lines," said Parker. "We expect him to have a great senior year."
Now veterans on this young squad, junior forwards Connolly and Trivino will be counted on to shoulder a good portion of the scoring load. The two were linemates as freshmen during the Terriers' run to the 2009 national title and very well could end up on the same line this season.
Of the Terriers' top six scorers last season, Connolly is the only one returning, as he finished his sophomore campaign with 31 points (10g, 21), good for second on the team. Trivino had his sophomore season cut short when he broke a bone in his lower leg just as he was putting everything together in mid-February.
"Connolly could emerge as one the best and most exciting players in this league. He's a guy you can really count on," said Parker. "Trivino might be the biggest key to our season. He's a terrific defensive center iceman we're expecting him to play the power play and kill penalties. When he went down last year, that kind of the death note for our club."
Chiasson got his freshman year off to a great start with two goals in his first collegiate game, but was soon after set back by a head injury and had an up-and-down year before finishing with 19 points (7g, 12a).
After getting adjusted to the college game, Megan started to contribute offensively toward the end of his rookie season and a breakout year as a sophomore wouldn't be a surprise.
"Chaisson needs to show more consistency, but if he can keep up the focus and intensity, he could be a really good hockey player for us," said Parker. "Nobody's made a better jump during the summer and fall than Megan has as far as being in shape, being stronger and more focused. We're very excited about what we can get out of him."
After redshirting his freshman year, Ross Gaudet got his chance four games into the 2009-10 season and remained in the lineup for the rest of the season, thanks to his 10-goal output on just 40 shots.
"We had a good surprise in Ross Gaudet last year and he should be able to continue that," said Parker.
A group of four forwards with various experience will probably compete for two regular spots. Juniors Kevin Gilroy and Andrew Glass have been in and out of the lineup for each of the past two years and sophomores Justin Courtnall and Ryan Santana played in 21 and 30 games, respectively, as rookies.
"We think all four are entering the year in the same boat," said Parker. "We've seen good things from each of them and we feel they all have the ability to be important players for us. Santana might have a leg up due to the fact he works so hard and had a good finish last year."
Fans will quickly notice new faces amongst the forwards, as up to four freshmen are expected to jump in and be key contributors from the onset.
"There's no question there's a lot of good freshmen in this class. They will be contributing a lot and they will be probably be counted on more than last year's freshmen were in terms of filling important roles," said Parker.
Charlie Coyle (East Weymouth, Mass.) comes in quite heralded after being selected in the first round of this summer's NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks. He was named the EJHL's Rookie of the Year last spring after finishing fifth in the league in scoring with 63 points (21g, 42a) in 42 games.
With potential to be a first-round NHL pick next summer, Matt Nieto (Long Beach, Calif.) was a standout for the back-to-back world champion U.S. National Under-18 Team and finished third on that team in points last season with 54 points on 28 goals and 26 assists.
Yasin Cisse' (Westmount, Que.) is a big and strong forward who was picked up in the fifth round of this year's draft by the Atlanta Thrashers and played for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL the past two seasons.
After helping the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL claim consecutive RBC Cup titles, Sahir Gill (Terrace, B.C.) is a skilled and smart forward who can be an impact player at both center and wing.
"Nieto, Coyle, Gill, and Cissé are all very talented kids," said Parker. They're all pretty mature right now, even though they're not 20-year-old freshmen - some are even younger then regular freshmen - but they're all more mature than their ages signify and that's a big boost for us."
Rounding out the newcomers is Matt Ronan (Woburn, Mass.), a brother of former Terrier Dan Ronan. He played last season for the Valley Jr. Warriors of the EJHL.
"Ronan might have to wait his turn while he gets adjusted to the college game, but he's got something every team can use, and that's skating ability," said Parker.
With pretty much everyone either taking on a new role or trying to make an early impact as a newcomer, the forwards on this year's Terrier squad present a bit of an unknown, but there's definitely enough talent to put out four lines that can all be counted on.
"I know we'll be able to score goals and make plays," said Parker. "I think we'll be a little quicker than we were last year and will have more depth."
DEFENSEMEN
The Terriers will enter the 2010-11 campaign with half of their regular defensive corps remaining from last season, as Warsofsky and sophomores Sean Escobedo and Max Nicastro will lead the way for this young group of blueliners.
"The crew will be led by Warsofsky," said Parker. "He got a lot of ice time from us his first two years and he's going to be gasping for air a lot coming off the ice this year. He's an All-America candidate and one of the best players in college hockey."
Warsofsky is the leading returning goal-scorer from last season, as he potted 12 goals a sophomore to rank tied for fourth in the country amongst defensemen. Four of those tallies were shorthanded as he tied for the nation lead in that category.
Nicastro and Escobedo stepped right into the lineup as freshmen and are suddenly two of the more experienced players on this year's team.
Nicastro showed signs of becoming a bigger offensive contributor towards the end of his rookie campaign and finished the year with 15 points (3g, 12a). Escobedo is more of a stay-at-home defenseman and of the returning players, he is the only one who played in all 38 games last season.
"Nicastro had a very good freshman year for us. He looks like he's really ready to go and make a big step up," said Parker. "Escobedo is a hard worker and if he becomes more consistent, he'll get a lot of ice time and hopefully become a top shut-down guy for us."
The Terriers generated a lot of their scoring last season from the blue line, as a third of their goals came from defensemen with Warofsky combining with Colby Cohen and Kevin Shattenkirk for 82 points (33 goals, 49 assists).
While this year's defensive corps may not post those type of offensive numbers, some of the new faces certainly have the skills to put up some points at the college level.
Adam Clendening (Wheatfield, N.Y.) helped Team USA capture back-to-back gold medals at World Under-18 Championship in 2009 and 2010 and tied for team lead in scoring at the 2010 tournament. He's projected to be a first-round pick in next summer's NHL Entry Draft.
While more of a stay-at-home defenseman, Noonan (Norfolk, Mass.) can also contribute offensively, as he registered 27 points (6g, 21a) last season with Vernon and was named co-MVP of the Catholic Conference here in Massachusetts in 2008-09 when he attended Catholic Memorial.
"We have two freshman defensemen who we're banking on being impact players," said Parker. "Clendening is a solid defenseman who's real good on the offensive blue line - he's going to be a good player for us. Noonan, who played with Gill out with the Vernon Vipers, is real solid and looks like he can step in and be one of our regulars."
Sophomore Ben Rosen appeared in 10 contests as a rookie and may see time on defense and at forward this season. Also joining the mix is Ryan Ruikka, who has been plagued by injuries since he arrived on campus in 2008 and will finally hit the ice this fall with sophomore eligibility. Freshman Patrick MacGregor (Hamden, Conn.) joins the Terriers after a standout career at Avon Old Farms.
"We've got depth at defense, too, because we've got a junior who hasn't played a game for us yet with Ruikka," said Parker. "He looks like a hockey player out there and looks solid. Rosen got his feet wet a little bit last year and showed he has some talent. He could be a regular. McGregor is a freshman out of prep school who looks pretty sharp and he's got great size and skating ability.
"We've got eight defensemen to choose from and we know we've got a couple of them who will be in the lineup a lot, getting a lot of ice time. A few more will be in the lineup for sure and then it'll be a battle to see who five, six and seven are. Overall, we should be pretty good, but we won't have nearly the experience or the firepower we had last year."
GOALTENDING
For the third straight year, the Terriers will enter the season with the same trio of goaltenders, as juniors Kieran Millan and Grant Rollheiser join senior Adam Kraus between the pipes.
"I don't think we can be much better off in goal with our three guys returning. We've got skill, experience and depth," said Parker.
Millan, the 2009 National Rookie of the Year, has been the primary starter in each of the past two seasons and has posted a .905 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against average during that time.
Rollheiser was unbeaten in his first five starts (2-0-3) as a sophomore and has shown the ability to be the top guy should that opportunity ever arise. Kraus appeared in a pair of contests last year and has been a great compliment to the team's goaltending unit ever since his freshman year.
"With the exception of a couple first-semester dips last season, Kieran has had an exceptional career thus far. Certainly Kraus and Rollheiser are dying to get more ice time and get in the picture, but Millan will enter the year as the No. 1 goalie unless he plays himself out of that."
