Boston University
Union
Men's Ice Hockey Heads to Union for NCAA Lid Lifter on ESPN+
October 5, 2019 | Men's Ice Hockey
BU (0-0-0) at Union (0-0-0)
Date & Time: Saturday, Oct. 5 | 4 p.m.
Venue: Messa Rink - Schenectady, N.Y.
Twitter: @BUGameDay | @TerrierHockey
The Boston University men's ice hockey team kicks off its 2019-20 season on Saturday with a visit to Union in what will be the first NCAA men's hockey contest of the year. Game time at Messa Rink is set for 4 p.m. and it will be streamed live on ESPN+.
This will be the sixth meeting between the Terriers and Dutchmen and the teams are an even 2-2-1 in the previous five. Last season across the Atlantic, Union used a 39-save effort from Darion Hanson to hold off the Terriers, 2-1, in the championship game of the Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In the lone previous meeting in Schenectady in 2015, the Dutchmen pulled off a 5-3 victory. BU has gone 2-0-1 against Union at Agganis Arena.
Saturday marks the beginning of head coach Albie O'Connell's second year at the helm of the BU program. The Terriers were selected fifth in the Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll. In the ECAC poll, the Dutchmen were picked eighth in the 12-team league.
BU lost four of its seven 20-point scorers from the 2018-19 campaign but has reloaded with a talented 11-member incoming class that was ranked first in the country by Neutral Zone. Senior Patrick Curry has taken over the captaincy with classmate Patrick Harper and juniors Logan Cockerill and Cam Crotty all earning an 'A' on their jersey. Curry is the leading returner in both points (26) and goals (13) while Harper has the most career points with 78 (27g, 51a).
Union is in a similar position, having lost four of its top five scorers from a season ago to graduation and early departures. Senior Anthony Rinaldi is the top returner after tallying 23 points on 11 goals and 12 assists as junior last year. The Dutchmen, however, return nearly their entire d-corps, led by junior Brandon Estes.
Junior Darion Hanson is a veteran of 45 starts in goal for Union and his career numbers are a .916 save percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average.
In goal, BU enters the year with graduate transfer Sam Tucker, who made 51 starts during his time at Yale, and sophomore Vinnie Purpura battling for the starting role. Purpura saw time in four games, including two starts, last season while Tucker was a 2019 All-Ivy honoree after posting a .917 save percentage in his final year with the Bulldogs.
