Unlikely Suspects Help BU Reach Final
April 10, 2015 | Men's Ice Hockey
BOSTON - When Boston University beat North Dakota in the Frozen Four semifinals, it was no surprise to see freshman superstar Jack Eichel pick up two goals and an assist.
To win a high-stakes hockey game, your best players need to make an impact. But to put yourself in a position to win a national championship, you need a true team effort--and maybe some contributions from some unlikely sources.
BU's "unlikely suspects" on Thursday were left wing A.J. Greer and defensemen Doyle Somerby and Brien Diffley. Coming into the Frozen Four, the trio had collectively compiled all of three goals and 18 assists in BU's first 38 games.
Somerby picked an opportune time to score his first goal of the season and just the second of his two-year collegiate career. Greer scored his third goal of the year and his first in over three months. Diffley added two assists--only the third time he's had a multiple-point game.
They may not be the best-known names in the cast, but they looked really good on the big stage.
"We thought we've had depth all year long," BU head coach David Quinn said at the postgame press conference. "Obviously, when you've got guys scoring at the rate that Jack and E-Rod (Evan Rodrigues) and Danny [O'Regan] are, they obviously get a lot of attention, and rightfully so. But we wouldn't be here if we were a one-line team."
A case in point is Greer, the youngest player on the youngest team in college hockey. He was two months shy of his 18th birthday when the season started, and it showed. "It was a big transition," Greer told GoTerriers.com in a postgame locker room interview. "I had a rough start to my college hockey career, for sure. I was stressed out and didn't want to mess up."
The turning point came back in October when he was a healthy scratch for a road game. "I think that was the turning point. Because watching the game from up top was a big eye-opener--seeing the pace of the game and how much time I had. It was a relief of stress, and it really helped me."
As the season progressed, Greer became a fixture on the third line before finally earning a promotion to the second line. "I thought [Cason] Hohmann and Ahti [Oksanen] really could use his speed and his strength," Quinn said. "And he's got a good skill set. I just thought it gave us the best-looking lineup when we made that decision, and it's been a good line.
"He's active in the offensive zone. He's big and strong and he's getting more confident and being more responsible defensively. I think that's our best lineup. He's earning a lot more trust from the coaches, and he's doing a heck of a job."
And that healthy scratch early in the season? It happened to come against Providence--the team BU will be facing Saturday night for a national championship.
"It's crazy," Greer said. "I still can't believe it and couldn't have asked for a better bunch of guys to go through this experience with. Every guy in this room I love. They've given me confidence and taken me under their wing."
Somerby took Diffley under his wing this season as well. "His confidence is just continuing to rise," Somerby said of his defensive partner. "When you're coming out of prep school, it's a really tough transition. I did it myself last year, so I think it's good that we play together. He's got a great skill set, and it's nice to see him hitting his stride at the right time."
As the third defensive pairing, they get the least ink of the BU blueliners, but they rarely mistakes and have shown more willingness to get involved offensively as the season has worn on. "You just keep playing the same way and points will come--not too worried about it," Diffley said.
Somewhat reminiscent of BU alumnus and current Ottawa Senator Eric Gryba, Somerby is a big, physical player who initially staked his claim as a stay-at-home defenseman. But lately he's surprised BU fans by driving to the net occasionally. "When you've got as many skill guys as we have, it kind of wears off on you," Somerby said. "You want to chip in, and all the contributions help--whether I can keep a puck in for the Eichel line--things happen when you have skilled forwards."
Last summer Somerby got a tattoo over his heart, quoting a friend and mentor who passed away a few years ago. The tattoo reads, "Work hard in silence; let success be your noise."
Somerby certainly did his friend's memory proud tonight, as he certainly made some noise. He was entrusted to be on the ice for the waning seconds of Thursday's cliffhanger. What was going through his head? "The national title's on the line. We want to get there, and that's been our goal all year. So just sacrifice for the guys and do everything we can."
He went down as Hohmann won a puck battle before dishing it to Eichel for a very long, careening shot into the empty net. "Right as I got up, he was throwing it down there, and it went on edge and rolled right in," Somerby said. "I kind of blacked out after that, realizing we'd punched our ticket."
Just minutes after the big win, the reality of it hadn't yet sunk in for any of the trio of unlikely suspects. "It's kind of surreal--something you dream about," Somerby said. "Growing up, you always want to play in the Frozen Four; you always want to play college hockey. Luckily we got to win the Beanpot, and we get a chance to win another title here."
"It's crazy," agreed Diffley. "If you told me last year I'd be in this situation--even with the Beanpot and Hockey East championships--I would've laughed. I would've told you that you were crazy. It's a great opportunity."
Like so much of BU's epic turnaround this season, it's another chapter in an unlikely story.
